“Oh God, I’m so sorry, Shadrie!” I practically shouted at her, hiding my burning face behind my hands.
“Don’t stop on my account,” Shadrie teased, leaning casually against the doorframe with her books hugged to her chest and turning her attention to Zypher. “Honestly, this dorm has been entirely too boring lately. You’re doing the realm a public service, B has been way too wound up if you catch my drift.”
“Shadrie!” I squeaked, jerking my hands away from my scarlet face to glare at her.
My roommate only grinned wider. “Oh, don’t look at me likethat. If I had a demon prince offering himself up body and soul, I’d have jumped him ages ago. Now go on, don’t let me interrupt, just pretend I’m not even here.”
Zypher chuckled low in his throat, clearly delighted, while I wished the floor would swallow me whole.
“Don’t encourage her!” I hissed, causing him to shake his head in amusement.
“Don’t worry, B, I’m headed to grab breakfast before class. I’ll let Miles know you’re busy getting that triple D and to come by after dinner so we can chat about anything he found to do with your list.” Shadrie cackled, making her way to the door.
“Triple D?” Zypher frowned. “Isn’t that what you’ve taken to calling me, ice mage?”
“Yeah. Demon Daddy Dick. That’s you.” She grinned, waggling her brows. Zypher burst into a full belly laugh. “Take good care of our girl. I’m out.” Shadrie threw up a peace sign and sauntered from our dorm.
“I’m going to murder her,” I groaned. “Better yet, I’m going to replace all her belongings with pink, sparkly things, and then I’m going to murder her.”
“I find this new vengeful side of you quite appealing, Dilectus,” Zypher purred. “Though I suspect you wish to attend class this morning. I shall leave you to ready yourself and return with coffee to escort you to the dining hall.”
He gave me one last chaste kiss on the lips before releasing me and exiting my dorm. It took me several minutes to regain my composure and change into a clean uniform. Tossing my hair into a ponytail, I gave myself a final once-over in the mirror before grabbing my messenger bag and heading to meet the others. Zypher was waiting with coffee just outside Magus House as promised, and I couldn’t help wondering how he’d managed to get back in fresh clothes with my chosen morning beverage so quickly. Before I could ask, he kissed me gently on the lips and looped my arm through his, turning us toward the path that would take us to the dining hall.
“I still plan to follow through with your human custom,Dilectus,” Zypher said, as if he’d sensed my thoughts shifting to the more passionate kiss we’d shared. “I have planned out our date, and though it seems you’re starting to accept our bond, I intend to follow through with my plans.”
My breath stuttered. Not because he was putting effort into dating me, but because he’d noticed something I hadn’t. My feelings about the bond had shifted; I just couldn’t pinpoint when. There was still a small part of me, growing quieter by the day, scared of losing my agency. But the rest, I was noticing, was filled with excitement at the thought of being bonded to the male beside me. I should have been terrified at how quickly my feelings had changed, and yet, I wasn’t. Being with Zypher felt right, and after the way he’d protected me from the allure, I couldn’t imagine rejecting our bond.
Zypher shot me a knowing smile as if he could read my mind. “Wait until the conclusion of our date to decide, Dilectus. If you wish to complete our bond at that time, I will gladly give you all of me.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Bechora
After breakfast, Zypher dropped me off at my first class, saying he was leaving campus to speak to his mother and promising to take me on our date when he returned. I had Elemental Magic to start my day, and now that I had some power at my disposal, I was performing well enough to forget the embarrassment of being under the allure. The day went relatively well until I returned to the dining hall for lunch.
I’d noticed the strange looks from students leaving the hall as I entered, but I wasn’t sure what to make of them—at least not until I stepped fully inside and saw the video of me strutting naked through Magus House playing along the back wall. Someone had projected the video larger than life, giving everyone in the dining hall an up-close and personal look at every inch of my body. Gasps and laughter rippled through the hall, the sound hitting me harder than the image itself. My stomach dropped, my breath coming in shallow bursts as whispers flitted from table to table.
“Slut couldn’t even keep her clothes on in the dorms,” someone jeered.
My gaze darted around until it landed on Daena, standing near the center of the chaos, arms folded smugly as if she’d orchestrated the whole spectacle. Her lips curved into a cruel smile when our eyes met.
“Enjoying the attention?” she called, her voice carrying across the room. “You looked so eager for it in the video. Thought you’d like an encore.”
Heat flared across my cheeks, part fury, part humiliation, but before I could form a retort, another voice cut across the noise.
“Enough!” Dante stepped forward from where he’d been leaning casually against a column, his stone-grey eyes narrowing on Daena. He didn’t shout, but the weight in his tone silenced half the room instantly.
Daena bristled. “What? Just pointing out what everyone’s already thinking. She’s—”
“She’s nothing but a distraction,” Dante interrupted smoothly, tilting his head as if bored. His gaze swept the crowd, daring anyone to disagree. “If she wants to parade herself around like some cheap entertainment, fine. But you’re wasting my time with this little show.”
Daena faltered, her smirk slipping under his scrutiny. “I was just—”
“Trying too hard,” Dante said flatly, a mocking edge curling his lips. “If you want to be noticed, Daena, do something worth the effort. This?” He gestured lazily at the projection. “Pathetic.”
A ripple of laughter broke out, but this time it was aimed at her. The video abruptly vanished from the wall as whoever had cast it dropped the spell. Daena’s face darkened, but she tossed her hair and stalked away, muttering under her breath.
“Show’s over, go back to your meal!” Dante ordered the still-gaping crowd. He lingered only a moment longer before striding off as if nothing had happened.
