I’m In Charge

I don’t know who that little punk thinks he is, but speaking to me in that manner is going to be his fucking downfall.

Slash is close to my side, as always, and I know he’s just itching to teach the runt a lesson, but now isn’t the time. We have to appear a close knit, highly functioning unit to keep this place under our thumbs. All our disagreements need to be meted out in private, so none of the sheeple can witness our new dysfunction. It would draw attention to a weakness and I won’t allow other caliphates to declare open season on us.

“Head for the coffee bar. We’ll select drinks, then claim our usual table on the stage,” I mutter as my tail twitches in irritation.

I don’t look back to ensure they’re following me; I know they will be. Even Kit wouldn’t be stupid enough to disobey my commands in a cafeteria full to the brim with various demon hybrids he can’t even identify. His lack of knowledge about our world is the only convenient thing about his sudden appearance; he knows he’d be demon chow if we throw him to the wolves. It makes it much easier to control him despite his smart ass mouth.

Frowning, I stride toward the coffee bar without glancing at any of the plebs staring at us. They’re of no consequence—only the highest tier caliphates near the front of the room are worth checking out. I won’t have to do so because Slash will take care of it and send information to Zav for analysis. We have to know who is in competition, even though I don’t believe they truly have the power to compete. Demons are sneaky, underhanded motherfuckers and we need to know who and what we’re dealing with. Underestimating your enemies is how many rulers of Hell have died in the past and I sure as fuck won’t be one of them before I even ascend the throne.

When we reach our destination, my group fans out and I blink when I see Salem helping Kit prepare a fancy ass coffee. He clearly does not know how the equipment works and the lazy fool is showing the new guy the ropes with a fond smile. What the ever loving fuck? My eyes cut to Oriel, narrowing as I catch him watching the scene as well, while X and Anton are chattering at them. I turn my head to see Zav making coffees for himself, Slash, and I quietly. Slash growls next to me and I nod, agreeing with his assessment.

We have a division problem, and this runt is causing it. I won’t stand for it.

“Hurry it up,” Slash barks and the group of traitors looks at him in exasperation. He glares, taking the drinks for both of us and cocking his head to our table. I nod and we leave them, Zavida close on our heels.

No one has dared to attempt taking the head table this morning—that bodes well for keeping the status quo. I sit at the far end and Slash takes his usual right-hand seat. Zav flanks my other side and I sip my morning caffeine as I watch the rest of my group filter over. It’s short one chair at the other end and I smirk as Kit looks around in annoyance. His familiar hops on the table at the opposite end, giving me what I’m surprised to identify as a pissy glare while the new guy walks down the steps and calmly swipes a chair from the closest table.

Kit sits down, settling his things before he glances up at me defiantly, then pulls out his phone. The others are chattering as we establish our dominance at the head table, but this shrimp is making his own statement without a word. He will not go down easily and doesn’t give a single fuck who I am. I’m almost impressed, but I can’t show it. It takes a lot of grit to give the Prince of Hell the bird without actually doing it, but our newest member looks completely unconcerned.

“Should I deal with this insolence, Your Highness?” Slash asks, cracking his knuckles. Zav looks at us nervously, then down the table to Kit.

My crafty Kitsuné is too loyal to say it, but I think he’s not comfortable with my plan, either.

“Not here.” I shake my head and lean back in my chair, pretending to look out into the crowd as we talk. “The masses cannot see any dissension or my father will hear of it. You know that.”

“He’s such a fucking douche,” my closest friend grumbles. “My father acts like he started the fires in the pits, but we all know he’s the reason Hell is a disorganized mess.”

I shrug, eyeing a table of athletes who will fill the varsity line-up of the Fireball team. Lettermen are usually part of the higher tiers and juiced up enough to cause trouble. That’s why Slash always plays for the team; he’s huge, well-trained, and keeps them in line when he makes captain. “Those new demons look mighty uppity, considering tryouts haven’t happened yet.”

“You know how the children of royal outliers and court suck-ups are, Jas.” Slash shrugs and gives me a toothy grin. “I’ll have them under my thumb in no time.”

Rolling my eyes, I look at Kit again, feeling fury boil in my veins as he continues to ignore me. “I expect no less as my second.”

“Jasper?”

“What?!” I growl at Zav, who shrinks back a bit. Huffing, I push the fury back so I don’t upset the hacker. “Sorry, Zav. I’m edgy this morning.”

He nods and tilts his head at Kit. “I don’t really think he’s going to be a problem. Kit seems like he just wants to get an education here. Everything I saw on the spyware after his import was geared towards getting out of the cycle he was in on Earth. He’s not a troublemaker.”

My eyes flash and I glare at him angrily. “Are you questioning me?”

“No, no. I’m… suggesting we give him a little time to adjust. Maybe he’ll be useful if we don’t send him packing right away. It’s always handy to have a scapegoat, right?”

The smaller demon looks at me through his glasses hopefully and I sigh. He’s always worried about the little guy, likely because without us, Zav would be mincemeat in every school we’ve attended. “Fine. We’ll start in two weeks. If he doesn’t prove useful by then, I’ll have no qualms about taking him out. Fair?”

“Fair,” he agrees quietly.

Thank fuck. I can’t have my favorite bedmate upset or I’ll have nowhere to work off my energy.

Once we’ve established the order in the Triclinium , my caliphate has to split up for classes. I have combat classes to attend to with the Arms Master until lunch time while Zav, Oriel, and X are headed for Curses and Hexes 101 in the Magic Enclave. Anton and Salem are headed for the Library of the Ancients for Demonic Lineage 101, which leaves Slash to escort Kit to whatever class he has. The thought amuses me, so I nod at the others, dismissing them before I set my gaze on the intruder.

“Slash has a free period before his Weapons you’re right. He mentioned teaching me the recipe later and now I’m intrigued.”

“No concerns about your delicate sensibilities, right?” I grin at him smugly, taking my things from Slash.

Kit snorts, looking me right in the eyes as his familiar crawls onto his shoulder. “Only a spoiled Prince with no real troubles would ask an abandoned foster kid if they’d turn down a meal, no matter what the fuck is in it. Pathetic.”

Gaping at him as he heads down the stairs with his map in hand. I look at my shark shifter friend, growling low. “Follow him. Make sure he’s not tardy and we don’t take demerits. And keep his sheltered ass away from anyone who will try to use him to get to us.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Slash says. He’s obviously covering up a laugh, which is unlike him, but I can’t deny the fucker put me in my place.

I need more information and if I have to send wraiths to Earth to find it, I fucking will.

“Pick up the pace, you lazy asses!”

The Arms master has been shouting at the new crop of students in every class this morning and though I enjoy watching the plebs suffer, I’m tiring of my ears ringing. I haven’t heard a word from any of my caliphate in our group text and I know those assholes aren’t stowing their phones during class. Every time Ammon sends the class back to the beginning of the obstacle course, I take the time to walk back slowly so I can check. But none of them, even Slash, have filled me in on what the hell that damn unemerged kid is doing.

“Fucking disgrace, that’s what they are,” I mutter as we reset the course again because Ammon feels they were too slow off the line. “Both these idiots and my supposed brethren.”

Sighing, I stand at the starting line with my arms crossed, looking intimidating as they line up. The bell rings and I watch the freshman stumble through basic traps like flat footed boobies. I hate that I’m required to be a TA for lower-level classes; it’s beneath me and my skill level, so it’s a misuse of my time. I’d rather be figuring out what that asshole Lucian is up to and how it will affect my caliphate. Instead, I’m watching boys who should have come here with a basic standard of abilities but instead, purchased their passing grades in the various secondary schools across the realms.

I give in and open the group chat, unable to resist.

Prince: Why am I waiting for an update?

Chef: Because I haven’t had a class with him, man. Lineage, then Culinary.

Hacker: Same. Hexes then Complex Algorithms.

Thief: I think it’s stupid.

Designer: Lineage then Design Concepts. Sorry, J.

Spy: Hexes. Then I headed to the Annex where he had Demons, but I missed him. Fucker’s quick.

Enforcer: He was quiet on the way to Demons. Thanked me for walking with him. That’s all I got. He talks to the familiar and I don’t know if it understands or not.

Prince: Fuck. I’m going to contact the wraiths, Slash. We need more info and Zav hasn’t been able to locate anything we can use. We need to possess someone in the human foster system to get access to their records. I’ll set it up and you manage them.

Enforcer: As you wish, Prince.

Growling under my breath, I walk along the course, noting several guys who will need to be transferred to remedial training. I absolutely refuse to work with recruits this substandard and I don’t give a fuck if pushing them into that class will fuck up their entire caliphates. My father would have sent my brothers packing if they hadn’t learned to keep up with the royal standards and they should quarter the parents of some of these freshman for their lies. No one should be this bad when they get here; they’ll never survive the year in the royal army after graduation.

Today is not the day to mess with the Prince of Hell; it won’t end well.