I snuck a glance toward Skel to find him passed out, pipe tight in his grasp.
“What’s it matter to you?” Hemlock asked. “Dude, help me up.”
“What the fuck happened?” Dex turned to help him up, and I seized the moment to escape, rushing back to my room with the bag holding Nebula clutched to my chest.
I didn’t stop running until my back was against my locked dorm door, but the relief that swept through me was replaced with irritation as I caught Dreadful rifling through my side of the room.
“What are you looking for?” I rasped.
She jolted, jerking back and meeting my gaze with wide blue eyes. “You literally almost ate my fucking soul when you werescreaming asleep!”
“I didn’t…” I furrowed my brows. I hadn’t felt my magic stir at all. Was she lying?
“You did!” She crossed her arms and stomped back over to her bed, grabbing her purse. “I’m not staying here with a time bomb. Oh my Fates!” She gasped, finally looking at me. “Are you high?”
She stormed over and looked at my eyes, sniffing the air around me. “You were with Grimshaw…that’srich. You really are fucking him!”
“No, I’m not sleeping with anyone. But…I smoked his pipe.” My ring had turned black. “It’s not your business what I do, Dreadful.”
She scoffed, turning and slinging the door open, slamming it behind her. The lock slid into place, and I groaned.
I didn’t even care what she was doing. She was probably just trying to steal my clothes again.
I got Nebula out and strode over to my bed, climbing back underneath the covers. The fae magic still thrummed through me, numbing the ache in my throat and the pain of the nightmare.
Maybe Skel wasn’t as bad as I thought, but Hemlock definitely was.
28
PANDORA
My heart pounded in my chest as I stood inside Serpentine Stadium. I was right. The chamber filled with sands and mats was still as daunting as I remembered. The air was thick with magic, and the scent of brimstone clung to the cool air as I made my way over to where Reed was standing.
The murmurs of my classmates swirled around, a mix of excitement and nerves for today's Demonic Feeding class. Apparently, word had gotten around that Daryl was coming, and everyone wanted to see what he was capable of. I mean, he was Death, and everyone had heard stories about him. From what Dreadful told me, other supernaturals had bedtime stories of soul eaters being a demon type that would come after you if you were bad. Daryl was evidently thereason for the depravity of a soul eater’s reputation.
“Hey!” Reed’s gaze lit up as he noticed me. “How was your day yesterday? I waited for you after class, but I couldn’t find you.”
“I’m sorry…I had an unwanted interaction,” I murmured, my gaze locking with the glares of Dex, Hemlock, and Skel. Their glowers seemed to cut through the space between us. I could feel the hatred from Hemlock’s, the intensity of Dex’s, and the regret in Skel’s. “I’m really sorry for leaving you after class, Reed. I just wanted to go talk to Nebula after everything.”
“I get that,” he murmured, violet eyes piercing mine as I gave him my full attention. “I had to have a chat with Gumdrop last night, too.”
The doors of the chambers burst open, and as we glanced over, I saw Daryl, known to everyone else as Death, striding in with his commanding presence. Long black hair, just like mine, swayed behind him, and his dark eyes found mine instantly. His footsteps crunched against the sand as the classroom fell into a heavy silence as he made his way to the front next to Ashenfell.
“Alright, class, as I’m sure you’re aware, Death is gifting us with his presence today. Not only is he a soul eater, but he’sthesoul eater representative on the Demon Council,” Ashenfell informed us, his voice bouncing around the large,open area. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch him feed.”
“Don’t make it sound so grand,” Daryl snapped, his eyes rolling. “Today, you’ll be practicing the art of feeding like you usually do. As demons, it is our lifeblood, the core of our being. As soul eaters are rare, I’m here to help my daughter.” His lips curved into a smile as he made a spectacle of our father-daughter status. I wouldn’t lie, though. It warmed something inside of me.
“She’s going to learn to feed today without killing someone. Right now.” He turned to me, and I felt everyone’s eyes follow. “Come on, now.”
A collective gasp rippled through the class.
Reed bumped my elbow with his. “You’ve got this.”
I nodded, and with a hesitant step, I joined him at the front. “Daryl, I—” I began, but he held up a hand.
“To feed properly, one must embrace their demon form,” he instructed, his gaze piercing into me. “Show them, Pandora.”
My heart skipped, but I steadied my breathing. I tried, I really, really did. But as I closed my eyes, willing my demon form to come out, nothing happened. I couldn’tfeelany magic. My cheekswarmed with embarrassment, and whispers snaked through the room.
