I noticed Reed over with a vengeance demon, and I frowned. If I had to be partners with anyone, I would’ve wanted it to be him. But considering the exercise, it was best if I wasn’t paired with Reed.
I wouldn’t have wanted to accidentally eat his soul.
“As long as you understand you’re risking your soul, I’ll allow it.” Ashenfell shrugged before he started to go off with other partners and teach.
I almost begged him to come to us first. I didn’t want to feed on Dex. I didn’t want to feed on anyone.
My father had mentioned that I could feed on a soul without killing them, and Ashenfell had just explained that as well. The problem was that theonlytime I’d fed was when I killed my mother. I didn’t know how to use my powers at all.
I hadn’t even known I was a soul eater until two months ago, and now I was expected to act like the daughter of the most renowned soul eater in the Demon Capital, scratch that, in all of Kalista.
“I don’t feel comfortable feeding off you,” I whispered, my throat aching from all of the talking I’d done today already.
“Aw, come on, trouble. I wantto feel your magic on my soul.” A low whine pulled from his throat, sending heat through me.
“But I don’t, I can’t…” I stumbled over my words.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’ll feed on you first.” Black horns extended from Dex’s skull, and his white blond hair parted and fell in allowance. A black forked tail whipped back and forth behind him, and his teeth sharpened as he gave me a grin.
He was in full demon form, as all demons do when they feed, and his scent of blood surrounded me.
“Um, I’d really rather you not,” I rasped.
“Sorry?” He tilted his head to the side. “I can’t hear you. Speak up.”
My throat seized, and even though I opened my mouth to reply, no words would come out.
Inhaling deeply, a sardonic smirk filled his lips. “Fates be damned, trouble. I can feed off you without doing anything. You’re full of negative feelings and pain.”
“I…” My throat tightened further as it throbbed, but desperation flooded my soul as I forced the words to come out. “Please, don’t use your shadows on me.”
His gray eyes lit up with excitement, and it was bone-chillingly creepy to see that the dead-like gaze was still present. “But that’s the whole point of this exercise. Just because you’re a nobleand Death’s daughter doesn’t excuse you from it.”
No, no, no.
My vision narrowed, tunneling in on the shadows wrapping around Dex’s body. They moved the same way my mother’s shadows had before she used them on me. The sound of other students practicing feeding became distorted.
Don’t.
Dex stuck his tongue out. The piercing in the center of it glinted from the light as he reached his hand out toward me. Hot, burning shadows curled around my throat like fingers before sharp pain exploded from where the shadow magic touched, and the skin of my neck split open. Warm blood spilled down, each small gush in tune with my pounding heartbeat.
Fear and adrenaline whipped out, tearing my veins open and bleeding inside of me. I was frozen. I couldn’t even try to reach up and stop the bleeding like I had when my throat had been cut open by my mother.
My muscles trembled, and tears leaked down my cheeks.
Fates, breathe, Pandora. Breathe.
I glanced down, seeing the red blood staining my outfit, and oddly enough, my ring was stark white. Maybe it was as broken as I was, or maybe Dex didn’t know he was causing meharm. If that was even possible. I mean, there was blood pouring from my neck. And I wasn’t healing.
His shadows expelled.
I dropped to my knees, not even registering the mixture of dull and sharp pain throbbing all over my body.
Dex’s bloodless lips twisted in a mockery of a smile as he kneeled next to me. “Come on, trouble.Eat my soul.”
I couldn’t reply, and my brain was nothing but static as I felt like I was being tugged back into Mother’s clutches. Shadows danced in my vision, and the phantom pain of her shadows twining around my thigh and cutting into bone bloomed to fruition.
She’s dead.
