I glanced at my ring, and it was white.
Relief swept through me. Whatever the man had been irritated with didn’t seem like it had to do with me.
“Death,” Headmaster Blackthistle greeted us as he paused in front of the door like he was already walking out. “There’s an…” he trailed off, glancing at me before focusing back on Daryl. “There’s an emergency at the academy that needs theDemon Council’s attention.Since I’m also the headmaster, I’m required to be there. I sent all the documents for your daughter to Darkmore, and he is expecting you both. If you wouldn’t mind getting them acquainted then meeting me in the Demon Archives?”
“I’ll be there soon,” Daryl said with a quick nod. “Let’s go to Darkmore.”
My brows bumped together as I tightened my grip on the bag slung over my shoulder. Headmaster Blackthistle hadn’t said one word to me, but then, hewasa busy demon.
Daryl guided me away from the headmaster’s office and down the hall until we stood in front of a new one.
Room 508: Counselor Darkmore’s office.
Something primal snaked through my veins as I caught a whiff of sweet chocolate.
Chocolate was something I’d read about, fantasized about, down in the cellar. Daryl had given me my first bar of chocolate the first week I was with him, and it had been everything I had looked forward to. It was so sweet and creamy andchocolatey.
But this smell? It was beyond that, and it was so much sweeter. I couldn’t hold back a low growl.
Daryl shot me a concerned glance. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said quickly—too quickly—smoothing my hair down in preparation for him to head inside.
My heart lurched as he knocked twice, then opened the door, striding in. For some reason, I was a bundle of nerves.
“Darkmore,” he stated respectfully.
“Death,” a smooth, masculine voice greeted my father. “Good to see you again.”
“As always.” Daryl’s voice was lighter than usual when talking to others. It was the only reason I knew Darkmore was trustworthy to my father. I’d heard him speak to others as if they were nothing but inconvenient tumbleweeds. “I’d like to introduce you to my daughter, Gravesend.”
I forced my legs forward to enter the room, and the sweet chocolate scent smothered me as I became captivated by the man shaking hands with my father.
His presence was just as commanding as my father’s, but in a different way. He exuded an air of quiet confidence, his demeanor poised and composed. He wore a white button-up with the sleeves rolled up, showing the veins in his tanned arms.
He lifted his eyes to meet mine, and his lips parted in surprise as he dropped his hand to his side. “Gravesend. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Fates, this man’s eyes, hooded and icy white with only a gray circle of color around them, sparkled with a magical intensity, drawing me in. Long, white lashes framed them, and my heart clogged my throat the longer I stared at him.
I reached up and curled my fingers around my throat, trying to will myself to speak—to say anything, but I just kept drinking in his appearance.
Dark blond hair fell in gentle waves to his shoulders, catching the soft light of the candles lit around his office and casting a halo-like glow around his face. The square shape of his face was defined by sharp angles, giving him a chiseled appearance that made heat I couldn’t begin to describe zip down my spine.
Every aspect of Darkmore's appearance spoke to a meticulous nature—from the way he dressed down to the carefully groomed strands of hair that framed his face. There was an aura of obsession in the way he carried himself, and I craved to know exactly what that meant.
He took in every part of his surroundings with an intensity that bordered on unsettling, but even so, my soul burned with interest.
Staring into the depths of his eyes was like freefalling, and I had no idea where I’d land. But I wanted to find out.
“P-Pandora,” I rasped, swallowing against the spasms in my throat. “You can call me Pandora.”
Daryl leaned his head back with a groan. “Fates, Pandora. It’s improper to just give your first-name so easily.”
“You can call me Hunter, then,” Darkmore replied smoothly, ignoring Daryl. “I don’t mind.”
I glanced down as my cheeks burned, and I noticed that my ring stayed sparkling white.
Daryl’s brows raised as he swung a darkened gaze toward the counselor. “Seriously? Do I have to remind you that she’s my daughter?”
