Other students began to speak, detailing their reasons for being here and their hopes for the future. There was a large divide between the demons that wanted to be here and the ones that were made.
But I listened intently, my mind racing with thoughts of what I would say when my turn came. My hair fell around me like a curtain, and I took solace in the fact that it hid my nervousness for now.
As the demon on the other side of me finishedspeaking, all eyes turned expectantly toward me. A wave of panic washed over me like a tidal wave, but I straightened my spine.
“Hello,” I rasped, reaching up and curling my fingers around my throat as a way to gain some type of control. I couldn’t raise the volume of my voice since it was physically impossible for me, but thankfully, the room was silent. “I’m Pan-Gravesend,” I quickly corrected my name as my voice trembled.
My words were caught in my throat, and I found my gaze wandering toward Reed.
His warm violet gaze offered silent encouragement. It was like he knew that I was drowning in anxiety.
You got this,he mouthed.
I took a deep breath and pushed through the introduction. “I’m a soul eater.”
Gasps and whispers broke out in the classroom, and I squeezed my hands together again.
“I’m here because I can’t figure out how to feed,” I squeaked out, hiding behind my long hair once again. “Hopefully, I can learn to do that without killing.”
More whispers and comments were thrown about.
“What’s up with your voice?” another demon asked, but their tonewas taunting.
Anxiety suffocated me as I smashed my lips together. Why did it matter? What good did it do to point it out?
I refused to answer as I sank back in my seat.
Respa clapped her hands to regain the attention of the class. “Next.” She nodded her head and gestured to Reed.
He was quick to respond, taking the attention off me slightly, which I would be forever grateful for. “I’m Nyx, and I’m a dream demon. I’m here for a reason similar to Gravesend, actually. I have trauma around feeding.”
The last of the students said their introductions before Respa launched into her lecture, and it seemed the rest of the class had all forgotten about me and my introduction.
She delved into the demonic nature of demons being cut-throat and aggressive. Evidently, other supernaturals thought we were a hair trigger about to go off at any time. I thought the same could be said for the dragons and drakes, but I digressed.
I was paying attention to Respa, but I couldn’t stop myself from stealing quick glances in Reed’s direction. My heart fluttered with a sense of comfort around him. Similar to what I felt around Hunter.
“What’s your next class?” he whispered to me before Respa sent him a sharp look.
I typed out my response on my tablet before turning it for him to see.
Practical Applications of Demonic Feeding with Ashenfell. You?
He smiled softly before grabbing his tablet and typing something out. Only, he didn’t show me his tablet. Instead, a notification bubble popped up on my screen with messages.
Reed Nyx
I have that too. Wanna walk together?
My heart thumped rapidly against my rib cage, and I peeked over at him. He wasblushingas he stared at his tablet. I quickly sent my reply.
Pandora Gravesend
Yes, please.
The smile that curled his lips sent a rush of warmth through me, and I forced myself to try to focus on Respa and her introductory lesson.
Maybe it was because I couldn’t stop inhaling the scent of cotton candy drifting toward me from Reed, or maybe it was because I’d read through the first couple of chapters of the textbook on my tablet for this class last night, so I knew what she was talking about, but I couldn’t direct my attention on her words. Demon Basics would be a great source of information about what was and wasn’t socially acceptable, and I knew I needed to know that.
