I’d never been away from him for this long, and I missed him terribly. Maybe I could get a bag with a pouch specifically for him so he didn’t jostle too much.
“If you’re sure.” He let out a soft sigh, and his dark blond hair fell into his face. “I won’t push.”
I pushed to my feet and started to walk toward the door. If I didn’t leave now, I would opt to skip the class. I didn’t want to skip classes in general, but I definitely didn’t want to miss the first day, even if Hunter was tempting me. “Thank you again for the enchanted water bottle.”
The corners of his lips curved into a smile as he got up and opened the door for me. “Make sure you stay hydrated with it.”
Warmth spread over my cheeks as I nodded. I had a feeling I’d be drinking out of that water bottle constantly. It was by far the coolestinvention I’d ever heard of, and to think it was mine made my heart swell with gratitude. My throat would be far less achy now.
My life had done a complete 180. From being isolated and at Mother’s mercy to being cared for by Daryl and Hunter while attending an academy with other demons was a big change—but it was a welcomed one.
I liked not being alone.
“I’m only a message or call away. If you need anything, you can talk to me,” he reminded me.
Dark magic!My brain screamed at me, and I realized I had forgotten all about what I remembered in class about my mother’s shadows. It was something I probably needed to tell Daryl first, but I found myself wanting to trust Hunter with everything.
Then again, my only true confidant was Nebula all of these years. I should talk to him before both Daryl and Hunter.
He’d witnessed it all with me. Maybe he’d have insight on it.
“I know. Thank you,” I murmured as I ducked my head and left his office with thoughts about dark magic and Mother’sdripping shadows.
I madeit to room 214 with little time to spare. The room was dimly lit but not as dark as the classroom for Ceremonial Magic since there were small rectangular windows scattered near the top of the outer wall. Shadows danced across the room as if they were magic, and I tensed before forcing out a breath.
Itwasn’tshadow magic. It was just regular shadows.
Dex, Grimshaw, and Hemlock were already there, lounging in their seats with their feet propped up on the desks like they were too cool for this class. Their presence was somehow even more ominous in the subdued light.
My gaze bounced over each of them.
Grimshaw’s bloodshot eyes gleamed with an eerie sense of excitement, and I could tell that he was high again. Dex’s eyes glowed in sync with the scar that encircled his throat, and his magic pulsated around him. Hemlock’s eyes exuded irritation, and his sneer sent a shiver down my spine.
Their focus was on me, whether I liked it or not.
For some reason, the three of them had decided I wasn’t worthy of their company, but at the same time, they wanted to take the time to emphasize that point. It made little sense. When I first saw them, I felt a connection sizzle to life, and I still felt it. Maybe I’d mixed up the meaning, and it was pure hatred that I had sensed.
If they wanted to be enemies so badly, so be it.
I straightened my flowing skirt with a sweep of my hand and made sure my thigh wrap was in place before forcing my legs forward.
All of the seats were taken except for the row they sat in the middle of. It was as if nobody dared to sit close to them. I snagged the aisle seat, grateful that there were at least a few empty seats serving as a buffer between us.
I kept my head facing the front of the classroom to avoid them, and a woman stood in front of the rock desk with long grayed hair that cascaded over her shoulders and piercing red eyes like a hawk’s. She must’ve been the professor, and I had a feeling she always knew what happened in her classroom. The faint scent of apple pie enveloped the room, offering me a strange sense of comfort to the tension from their hostility.
With a wave of her hand, she beckoned the classroom to silence. “Glad you all could make it,” she said, her voice both commanding and soothing as it cut through the tension in the air. “I’m Dusk, your professor for Demonic Curses, and I am a vengeance demon. Does anyone here know what demonic curses are and why they are important?”
A student in the front raised their hand, and she nodded for them to answer.
“Demonic curses are spells cast by demons.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “Do you knowwhydemons do not cast them very often?”
They shook their head.
“Does anyone?”
Nobody answered.
