Skel tossed his head back with a throaty laugh as fear magic started to leak from him.
Dripping shadow tendrils started to dance at the edge of my vision, and I knew it was an illusion created by Skel, but it terrified me all the same.
Everyone scattered, including a fingerless Voidfire.
Skel’s hands ran through his hair. “Fuck! I can’t control it. It’s everywhere.”
“Breathe, dude.” Hemlock stared at him, concern clear as day in his eyes. “You’re good.”
“Is he…” A shadow tendril wrapped around my throat, and I could feel the way it burned into my skin. I bit down the scream and flinched from the illusion. “Is he okay?” I asked.
“Does it look like I’m okay?” Skel’s voice turned hysterical as he dropped to the ground andhung his head between his knees. “Your fear isn’t helping!”
“We don’t need help from a noble,” Hemlock snapped at me, his eyes squeezed shut. His chaos wolves had long since dissipated, and I had a feeling his fears were around him, too.
I straightened my spine, feeling heat prick my eyes at the brashness of his tone.
They’d followed me. Hemlock protected me. Yet now I was the bad guy for being afraid? For caring about Skel?
I wouldn’t cry, and I wouldn’t help if he didn’t want it.
I spun on my heels and made my way down the hall to Hunter’s office, leaving Hemlock to deal with Skel’s magical breakdown.
A demon with a blonde bob fell into step with me, and as I glanced to see who it was, I paused.
“What do you want, Dreadful?”
“I’m sorry for throwing the weird—I mean, the kitten skull and ganging up on you,” she said sweetly. Sweet enough that I knew it was fake.
“You aren’t even supposed to be in Reform Hall right now, are you? Do you have a class, or did your friend call you and tell you she lost a finger?”
She held up her hands in innocence. “I just finished a session with my counselor, actually.”
I scoffed, crossing my arms. “Right.”
“Look, there’s a shooting star that’s supposed to be visible tonight. A few of us are getting together and watching it. We’ll be just outside of campus between the academy and Odyssey Bluff if you decide to come.”
My ring was still black, and I frowned. “No.”
Her bottom lip wobbled as she pouted. “Please? I’ll level with you. Nightwind likes you, and he wants you to be there. Are you really going to punish him for what we did?”
I groaned, running a hand through my long hair. “Nightwind likes me now? Just as a friend, right?”
She nodded with a grin. “Yes. Like a best friend. He did save the precious skull, and we got in trouble from him.”
“I’ll think about it,” I stated, not wanting to expand on that any more than I already had.
Dreadful squealed, leaned over, and kissed my cheek before turning and leaving.
“What was that about?” Hunter’s voice scared me.
I jolted and turned to see him leaning against his doorframe, looking stunning with his dark blond hair falling into his face. “Oh! I don’t know.”
“Well, are you going to come in?” He gestured for meto walk inside.
My face heated up, and I pushed my legs to move into his office and toward the plush sofa.
The door shut with a soft click after he walked in, and instead of sitting at the desk, he took a seat next to me. “So, what did she want?”
