I smooth down the fabric of my dress as the two of us head down the corridor towards the statue of the weasel and the owl, with our other two flatmates following behind us. I haven't spent as much time with Anja and Nati as I have with the demon princess, but they seem nice, and I'm sure that will change over the next year. We're going to be spending a lot of time together.
Sophia frowns as the statue comes into view. "I really can't tell what they're supposed to be doing."
"Me neither," I respond. "And I don't know enough about the anatomy of either animal to even be able to guess."
She snorts. "Fair enough. How do we get inside?"
I take a deep breath and step towards the wall, searching for the small symbol Drake told me was here. This would be a lot simpler if we weren't using a secret room in the academy to party in, but I imagine that this is the best way to stay out of the eager eyes of the professors at Rosewood. Despite the fact that we're all adults, the rules are strict.
I trace my fingers over the symbol, worrying that it won't work, especially when it's so simple compared to all the ways I could imagine opening a secret passageway. Maybe it'll be different if I get to visit another one.
The stone grates as it slides back and reveals nothing but darkness. As my senses adjust, the light and noise of the party seeps out of the passageway, confirming that we're in the right place.
I'm a little nervous as I step through the entrance, following the sound until I reach a surprisingly large room. There's a table with cups and drinks set up in the corner, in a very Drake-like way. His family have always been well-off, and he's the generous type. Music comes through some kind of sound system, and there are already people dancing.
"I love this song!" Sophia says happily.
"It's a good one," I agree.
"Oh, and I see Cyra, I'm going to go say hi and see if she wants to dance," Sophia says.
I search in the direction she's talking about, but I can't see the hellhound she's talking about. But there is a demon I don't recognise who she seems to be sneaking looks at.
"I thought I'd get a drink first," I say, assuming that she's checking because she wants to talk to the demon on her own.
"I'll come find you in a bit." She heads over to the dance floor, already swaying back and forth in time with the music. She's nothing like I'd expect from a princess, but she's a breath of fresh air.
The demon I noticed heads towards her, suggesting that I guessed the situation right. She hasn't said anything about him, but I'm sure she will at some point.
I head over to the drinks table, not entirely surprised to find Drake there.
"Hey, Lottie," he says brightly as I get to the table.
"Hi. I'm impressed by your party-throwing skills. We've not even been at the academy for a week."
He laughs. "I can't claim all the credit, it's a joint effort with my flatmates. And my cousin came here and gave me all of his secrets."
"That seems like it's an advantage."
"True. Want some sparkling wine?" he asks. "It's the good stuff."
"At a student party?"
"I get it at wholesale," he responds. "Might as well drink the good stuff."
"Sure."
He grabs a paper cup and pops the cork off a bottle of sparkling wine, filling it up. "My dad would be horrified to learn I'm serving it like this," he says as he hands me the cup.
I laugh. "Better a paper cup than glass on the dance floor."
"Exactly. You get me, Lottie." He smiles. "Enjoy the party, and let me know if you need anything."
I take his dismissal as what it is and start to make my way around the room, searching for Sophia amongst the guests.
Except that she's not the first demon I see. Archie is leaning against a wall, his gaze seeming to be fixed on me while his tail flicks. It's hard to figure out exactly what that means, but my feet take me over to him, so I'm about to find out.
"Hey," he says.
