I bite into it, almost surprised to find it's exactly what he described it to be. The raspberry flavour explodes on my tongue, rich and recognisable. These are probably the highest quality ones available. I don't see a queen sending her son anything but the best, especially if she thinks he's trying to impress me.
"They're delicious," I admit. "But I still prefer the seashells."
"Then I'll make sure I ask for more of them next time," he responds.
I pick up one of the chocolates and hold it out to him. He eats it in one go, his lips brushing against my fingers as he takes it. The gesture heats my entire body, and I shuffle forward, not able to stop myself from leaning in to kiss him deeply.
He thread his fingers through my hair, his thumb brushing against the base of my antennae as he does. It's a surprisingly sweet gesture given the intensity of his kiss, and it makes me sink into it even more. Looking forward to where the night is taking us.
Chapter 13
LOTTIE
The music pulses through the party in the hidden room, with no one seeming at all worried about drawing the attention of the faculty. Either they don't care, or the hidden rooms use magic to keep the sounds contained. I don't think it really matters so long as everyone is having a good time.
I scan the room, spotting Sophia talking to the same demon as she did at the other party. She seems content, so I leave her to it. Another scan of the room reveals Nati and Anja, my other flatmates, deep in conversation with some other students. I guess that's what parties are supposed to be for.
Archie spots me, waving with his tail in a gesture that I recognise as him saying he wants me to come over. I love it when he does that. I don't know what it is about his tail, but it seems to capture my attention whenever he uses it. A flush travels through my body when I remember some of the ways he's done that over the past few weeks. He is very good with his tail.
I weave through the students, trying to be careful not to step on any extremities. One challenge with everyone having wings, tails, and horns is that there's always a risk of those things getting in the way. And with alcohol in the mix, there's always a chance that kind of thing could cause a fight.
A couple of demons approach Archie, both of them seeming as if they're going to flirt with him, but he shrugs off their attention and makes his way over to meet me. Without saying anything, he pulls me close and kisses me deeply, leaving no doubt to anyone watching that we're together.
"Hey," I whisper when we break the kiss.
"Hi," he responds.
"So, was that to keep people away from me, or to get them away from you?" I ask.
He chuckles. "Can't a kiss be two things?"
"Absolutely."
"And it's really three. I wanted to kiss you. Which is actually my main reason for doing it."
"I suppose I should accept that motivation," I tease, leaning in and kissing his cheek, while his tail brushes against my arm.
"I can't wait to announce that we're mates," he murmurs.
"It's a bit early for that, don't you think?" I ask.
He sighs. "Yes, but I want to tell them, especially when they keep coming up to me and flirting like that."
"Just have a little patience," I remind him. "We'll tell people when we're ready." I'm not even denying that it's going to happen at this point.
"We will."
"And I suspect that kissing me in public a few times will do the trick," I murmur, putting a hand on his chest. "I am getting some dirty looks right now."
"I hope not." He turns to spot the demon entourage. "I'm sorry about them."
"It's fine, they'll get the message eventually," I say.
He lets out a sigh. "I'll see what I can do. The advantage of knowing all of the demons around here should at least count for something."
"Oh, you know all the demons," I say.
"Yes..."
