We passed a large sunstone crystal in the center of the academy. Electric magic skittered down my spine at the immense amount of magical energy imbued inside of it.
“That’s Sunstone Revive.” He nodded toward it. “It’s a sunstone gemstone that’s been imbued with a magical energy boost enchantment. It increases healing for those hurt or close to death.”
“Can it heal scars?” I rasped, the question more bitter on my tongue than I had expected.
A darkness crossed his expression, and it made me wish that I hadn’t asked. His gaze raked carefully down my body and back, briefly stopping at my thigh wrap as if he were looking for immediate injury. “No. It can’t heal anything existing, but it takes the place of a healer at the academy.”
“Oh.” I glanced at the other building across from the stone. “What’s that?”
“That’s the Demonic Archives. It’s a libraryfull of demonic text. It has a computer lab as well.” He gestured toward the building that had a black demon head with brilliant red eyes on the top of it.
Sunlight bathing a nearby arch with a flat top made of rock layers in a golden hue caught my attention next. The rock was weathered as a testament to the passage of time, and I wondered how long it had been there. Heatwaves danced in my vision as I caught the sight of a man leaning against the arched rock. It looked like he was seeking shelter from the heat.
As we grew closer, my breath caught. The flavor of sand was gritty and dry on my tongue as I drank in the sight of him greedily.
His imposing figure loomed against the rock formation, his presence commanding attention even in the shadows of the arch.
He was tall. I knew he was a lot taller than I was even from this distance. His narrow, bleary red eyes peered out from beneath thick lashes. Black hair fell in tousled waves around his face, framing his features with a wild, untamed quality.
Clad in a simple black T-shirt with jeans, I could see some tattoos inked into his tawny, beige skin. His arms were adorned with tattoos—a pair of hawks on one arm, wings outstretched in flight, and a wolf on the other, its eyes intense and red. Askull graced his neck, and a chill shot down my spine at the odd familiarity.
Gauges occupied his earlobes, while a septum piercing added a touch of rebellion to his rugged appearance. High cheekbones and a chiseled jawline gave his face a sculpted appearance, and my gaze caught on an Adam's apple protruding prominently from his throat. His nose was straight and proud, leading down to thin lips that were pressed together in a tight line.
“Some students tend to hang out around Occult Arch each year, but try to be mindful of the company you keep,” Hunter murmured. “Some are better than others.”
It was then that I noticed the bottle of liquor, like the kind I’d seen in Daryl’s manor, clutched in one of his hands.
His bleary red eyes narrowed at Hunter before locking with mine as we passed. His stare felt like fire burning me from the inside out.
My heart thumped wildly in my chest as his gaze heated. Fates, I wanted to smell him. I bet he smelled as delicious as he looked.
He lifted the bottle up toward me, and I froze.
Disdain bloomed over his expression as he dropped his gaze to my thigh, and his lips curled into a heart-shattering sneer. He tipped back the bottle and gulped it down. The brown liquiddribbled down his neck in one single rivulet, over his tattoo, and disappeared under his shirt.
A rush of insecurity washed over me, and I tugged my dress down over the wrap on my thigh, wishing I had opted for a pair of trousers instead. I didn’t even bother looking at my ring. I knew it had to be black as night.
I picked up my speed to match Hunter’s once again, but I didn’t dare look back toward the man who had just made me feel the way my mother had—like I was nothing but scum on the bottom of a shoe.
Hunter spared me from any further humiliation since he didn’t bring up the man drinking against the arch again, and I focused on the whispers of the wind as it brushed against the sand.
“Serpentine Stadium is where you’ll have Demonic Feeding and a few other classes this year. It’s spacious and allows room for practicing demonic powers.” He pointed toward another large, tan stone building.
“Great.” I ducked my head down and looked at the ripples in the sand. “I don’t even know how to use mine.”
“You will,” he said, so confidently that I didn’t have the heart to correct him. “Behind Bound Dormitory, where you’ll be staying, is Odyssey Bluff. It’s a cliffside that overlooks thelake. There’s a rickety bridge leading to the top of the cliff. It’s a hangout spot for most students.”
“It’s beautiful,” I murmured, staring past the looming dormitory and toward the small oasis behind it.
“Maybe I’ll take you some time,” he said, and my face heated. “We are friends, right?”
“Yes.” A small smile spread across my lips as I nodded. “I’d like that.”
We stepped into the dormitory and out of the arid, dry atmosphere. I could feel the cooling enchantment on the building ripple across my skin and soothe the burning from the sizzling heat.
I’d once begged Mother for a temperature control enchantment after reading about them. I was swiftly punished.
“This is the common room of the dorm,” he explained.
