It went on for a few more moments before the smoke entered her again, and she slumped all the way to the ground, eyes fluttering shut.
I sucked in a sharp, painful breath, but mymuscles were stiff from fear at what I had just witnessed.
Then, Darkmore was suddenly there, dropping into the sand and pulling Pandora into his lap. He cradled her head, his lips touching her forehead in a gesture so tender it felt…invasiveto watch. “I’ve got you, starlight,” he murmured, a promise that seemed to reverberate through the very air.
How close was she to the counselor?
Bram strolled up next to me with a closed-off expression as he took in the scene in front of him. “Dex is in your room.”
Darkmore rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping over Bram and I. “I need to call Death. You two need to leave.”
I hesitated, the offer to carry Pandora to her room on the tip of my tongue, but Darkmore’s stern gaze told me no before I could speak. Bram and I were left there, the confusion and anger nothing but a bitter end to the night.
Bram's fists were clenched as he spat out, “Of course she's fucking a noble councilman. Reed Nyx surprised me, but Hunter Darkmore? That makes more fucking sense than I’d like it to.”
As for me? The hurt that lodged itself deep within my chest was an agonizing surprise. I took a long drag from my pipe, letting the smoke fill my lungs, a desperate attempt to numb the sudden ache. I couldn't figure out why it stung, why thesight of Pandora in Darkmore’s arms twisted something inside me.
What had she even been about to say before her powers took over? The night we had gotten high together meant something to her? If it did, then why did she let me pull back? Why did everyone let me pull back?
When would someone fight for me? Or was I too far gone for anyone to put out the effort?
My legs were still frozen with the fear of death after seeing Pandora’s soul eater magic erupt. It was a lingering vision that not even my fae pipe could chase away. For once in my fucking life, I wished I could unleash the fear magic within me to create an illusion where none of this mattered. Where Pandora wasn't lying unconscious in Darkmore’s arms and where my heart didn't feel like it had been scraped raw.
I was left with the taste of fae smoke on my tongue and a question that had no right to exist.
Why did seeing her like that, with him and with Nyx, hurt so damn much?
49
HUNTER
The texture of the wine label under my fingers was sleek, and the placement of the sticker was a small comfort as I pulled out the wine bottle from my cabinet. The caramel fae wine sloshed softly into my coffee cup, the scent that reminded me of Pandora.
I took a sip, allowing the familiar magical warmth to settle my nerves.
Across from my desk, Pandora lay on the plush sofa, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.
Death and Blackthistle were toe-to-toe in a heated conversation, and Blackthistle was a brave son of a bitch for getting on Death’s bad side, council representative or not.
“Why the hell was there a dark magic circle beneath Occult Arch anyway?” I asked, trying tomove the conversation in a more productive direction.
Death’s jaw tensed, and he glanced at me cooly. “We need to find out how and why this happened. This is about the safety of every student on this campus, my daughter’s included.”
Blackthistle ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair with a sigh. “If your daughter can absorb dark magic, she could beinvaluableagainst this dark magic plague.”
Death’s magic flared as he got into the headmaster’s face. “She's not a tool to be used, Blackthistle. She's been through enough.”
Blackthistle raised his hands in surrender, his eyes shifting toward Pandora. “I misspoke. Her well-being comes first, of course.”
But there was something to the way he had backed down so easily. It sent chills down my spine.
“There was a huge dark magic circle found on the roof of Bound Dormitory yesterday, and now this?” I pinched my brows and took a quick sip of caramel fae wine before continuing, “Demons are still popping up infected with dark magic in the capital. We’re nowhere near finding the source of it.”
“The investigationispointing toward the Shadowheart family," Death stated, running a hand down his face. “Craven has mentioned thatthey’re involved more deeply in dark magic than we imagined.”
Blackthistle's face tightened, a flash of anger passing over his features. “Craven is new to the council, and he doesn’t handle investigations properly. We need solid evidence of the Shadowhearts. Without it, these are just accusations.”
“Circumstantial evidence is still evidence,” I defended Joel. So what if he had been new to the council? He knew how to run a fucking investigation.
