Obey

O f fucking course, the next class after the new kid’s long free period is mine.

To make matters worse, every single member of my caliphate except my second is in this period and I’m the goddamn professor. Oriel and X look as though they want to rip my head off—a dangerous emotion in a weapons class—and they started whispering to Anton and Salem immediately. Only Zav is standing close to me, but I can see the furrow in his brow as he watches our friends.

I can’t bitch about Kit, though, because unlike everyone else in this damn session, he’s sitting on a bench near the outdoor locker bank quietly with his head down. He’s not looking at me, nor is he gossiping with the rest; no, he’s stroking the little monster he calls a familiar as he stares into space. The vibe in the room is off and I dislike not knowing what’s going on—especially with my own fucking people.

That’s it ; I’m done with this shitshow.

“Listen up, baby demons.” All eyes turn on me as I don the mask of the hard-ass instructor. “Welcome to Weapons I’ll give him that, but his street smarts are shit. “Are you saying I don’t know how to lead, first-year?”

The blank look on his face disappears for the first time since he arrived, shrugging. He walks over to the locker with his name on it, opening the door to pluck out the Phys Ed uniform kit quietly, then flips me off. “I suppose that’s a judgment only you can make. There are mirrors in the bathroom, I imagine. Reflection is good for the soul, Prince.”

Kit jerks his head and the furry beast skitters after him as he heads off. I make to follow his snarky ass and make a real example of him, but a strong hand grabs my arm.

“Let it go, Jas.” Salem, who barely stays awake most of the day, is gripping my limb as if he’d happily break it if I fight him. “You don’t have all the information this time. Just move on.”

What the actual goddamn fuck is going on with my friends?

“We’ll discuss this later,” I snarl under my breath as I shake him off. Striding to the front of the room, I look at the rest of the class with anger in my eyes. “The rest of you strip off and get warmed up before I call this entire lesson a fail.”

That threat gets people moving and I stalk away to the weapons cache to pull the basic staffs out for once they’ve all gotten ready. I have no idea how the fuck I’m going to keep all my students in line if our newest member won’t stop baiting me in public, nor how our caliphate will survive their time at Discordia if they allow this kid to bring them to mutiny. Slash would have crushed this shit for me and I’m cursing his placement in Dueling during this period. That’s what happens when I don’t throw my weight around and insist my people always get placed in the basic classes together—I won’t make that mistake next semester.

That is, if Kit Camponella hasn’t destroyed us with this bullshit by then.

By the end of class, much of my thirst for vengeance got slaked by watching Kit run endless laps around the large practice pitch. My perception of his intelligence proved accurate when he didn’t run full steam for two hours, but paced himself evenly. Sweat soaked his black P.E. shirt, and he looked ragged as fuck for the last half, but not once did he stop for more than water or a few stretches before starting up once more. Even curiouser, he didn’t complain or sling insults.

He did what I ordered until I called the class.

Baffling, to say the least.

As soon as the rest of the class and my floor mates trudged off the field, Kit rounded the last bit of his current lap and then headed for the bathroom like before. The exhaustion radiated off him in waves, but he just disappeared into the latrine without a word. Shaking my head and I turn back to the class, I watch the rest of the first years whine as they put away their weapons and re-dress. Seems like a fair number of them could benefit from extra training, and more than that, need the type of cardio I used as a punishment for Kit—not that my gambit worked.

“On Thursday, we’ll test your stamina and overall fitness. If you’re not in the shape to run with brief breaks like our newest delinquent, expect extra assignments to be completed until you are in fighting shape. Our kingdom needs no more pathetically lazy assholes occupying space when they graduate from Discordia. Dismissed.”

The groans that follow my proclamation are music to my ears, so I grin as I exit the area. Normally, I’d stay to chat with my errant brothers, but I doubt that conversation is one that should be had in public. From O and X’s disobedience before their free period to the gossipy shit at the beginning of my class, I have almost an entire goddamn caliphate to get back in line. Hell, even Salem dared to gently correct me today.

I don’t know what’s in the water since that kid arrived, but I’m going to find the antidote quickly.

“Jas! Jasper, wait.”

Whirling around, I see Zavida rushing to catch up to me and though I’m pissed as fuck; I feel myself soften. “What?”

“I know you’re pissed, and I get why.” The nerdy ginger catches his breath as he looks at me from under his glasses and I sigh. He’s one who needs serious catch-up on their physical skills. “But maybe there’s more to this than we know. Salem hinted at that, but… I think we need to find out why the guys were so freaked out before you tear into them.”

I grit my teeth as the strains of ‘ et tu, Brutus ?’ drift through my head. “Why in the hell would I care what bullshit they swallowed from the little spy Lucian sent us?”

Zav tilts his head, scratching the back of his neck. “Because you’re not a ruthless dictator who doesn’t give a shit about the people in his care? I mean, Jas, the mean dragon front is supposed to be for outsiders, man. I know we don’t trust Kit yet because of the trouble I’m having finding out who he is—but does that mean you have to torture him?”

Fuck. Now my bedmate is defending this kid. Is he wearing some sort of charisma charm?

“Zavvie, we need to have this conversation away from prying eyes and ears.” I look around, noting most of the students are gone, even our brothers. Since we’re alone, I walk closer and yank him close, bending to a hair’s breadth from his lips. “You have influence over me because of our relationship, but I cannot allow my fondness to override my instincts.”

The Kitsuné shifter whimpers a bit as his gigantic eyes meet mine. “I know, Jasper, sir . But… I have this feeling I can’t shake. We’re missing something and I don’t know what it is. Maybe that’s why you’re so suspicious of a guy who seems to only want to go to school and get a job.”

I roll my eyes, not wanting to admit how cute his naivete is. “Spies are trained to behave as though their agenda is not the one we expect. Oriel would be the first to say that if he wasn’t somehow enchanted by this dickhead. And you, my darling boy, are a demon who sees the good in others. You’re not programmed to believe the worst.”

“True,” he rasps as a shiver runs through his lithe frame. “But I also have a different perspective that you value. Unlike our king, Jasper, you allow us all to contribute equally and listen when we speak. You haven’t been doing that since Kit joined us.”

My fucking father rears his ugly mug again—as if I already don’t measure everything I do against his evil bullshit.

Sighing, I lean my forehead against his, closing my eyes. “I know. And I can’t seem to stop myself because he rises to every bait and fights back without fail. Something inside of me cannot abide his total lack of fear when he deals with me. It’s… unprecedented. How can he truly be a normal human who will emerge if he isn’t scared of the demon dragon Prince of Hell?”

A soft coughing sound makes me spin in place, pushing Zavida behind me as I look for the source of the unexpected sound. My eyes widen as I see Kit pick up his bag, sling it over his head and wait for the small monkey to climb on his shoulder. He looks tired as fuck, but his eyes are piercing as he looks at us.

“You could try not being a fucking jackass and talk to him.”

He stares at me for a moment as I fumble for words. I’m not comfortable with him seeing my vulnerability with Zav, nor hearing my innermost thoughts. I open my mouth to roar my indignance at him eavesdropping, but pause when I remember I didn’t clock his bag or the damn animal. I was so eager to find a little solace in the Kitsuné that my perimeter check was far too cursory.

I suppose that’s not this idiot’s fault. Maybe.

“Look, Prince Fuckhead,” Kit says as he approaches. “I have no affiliation with that dumbass principal guy and he fucking hates me as much as you do. Ask the others about the class he’s covering. But I’m never going to let you treat me like dogshit because you were born from the right cum splattering the right egg. Life is far too difficult to worry about assholes like you disliking me. There’s bigger shit and you’re not at the top of the pile.”

I blink again and Zav chuckles, earning him a swat as we both watch the new guy leave without another word. I can’t decide if I’m going to kill that motherfucker or send him after someone I really hate.

Luckily, I’ve got time to decide.