Hemlock’s jaw clenched as he turned his head, spotting me. He snapped, “What? Come to gloat about Daddy taking up for you?”
“No, I—” I faltered, the words getting stuck in my throat.
His brother’s expression softened as he noticed me. “Be nice,” he scoldedBram before turning to me with an apologetic smile. “Don’t mind him. I’m his brother. You can call me Slater. We can skip pesky last names. Are you alright?”
I nodded, feeling a smile tug at my lips. “You can call me Pandora, then. You’re a lot more…welcoming than your brother.”
“He’s not my fucking brother. Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, brat,” Hemlock growled.
“That hurts my feelings,” Slater whispered.
The smile fell off my face as I glanced toward Hemlock. It seemed like he’d already re-pierced his septum. “Sorry about my dad.”
“Her dad?” Slater blinked, glancing at his brother…or not brother?
“Yeah, he fucking ate a piece of my soul in class. Now, I’m not drunk for some fucking reason, and I need to remedy thatnow.”
Realization dawned on Slater’s face. “You’re Death’sdaughter. Fates. I should be the one apologizing.”
“Oh, no. You don’t have to.” I placed my hands up, palms facing outward. “Um, sorry for interrupting.”
I turned and fled, thankful to get away from the thick awkwardness around the two of them. Calming my nerves, I hoped the Demonic Archives would have some kind of advice for a demon that didn’t know how to bring forth any of her powers.
29
BRAM
My fists clenched at my sides, and chaos simmered in my veins.
How fuckingdareshe come over here andapologizeto me after her father ate a piece of my fucking soul? Who did she think she was? Did she want me to absolve her of guilt? Was she even guilty, or was it a show for my brother?
Surely, she recognized him. He was a fucking Havoc, after all. One of the last pure-blooded chaos demon families left.
I didn’t know what game she was playing, but I wasn’t buying it.
Fury ticked at my jaw as the sun beat down mercilessly, searing the sand beneath my feet. I think I lost a shoe at some point during class, but I wasn’t even fucking sure when. So, one wascovered, and the other was covered in the hot grains. It didn’t matter anyway, though; the heat was nothing but a mere annoyance compared to the inferno of my anger—especially since I was fucking sober now. At least, as close to sober as I’d been in years.
The scent of dry earth mingled with the cloying perfume of daisies that covered Slater—another reminder of his nobility that seemed to cling to the air, a stench that revolted me.
A group of nobles, and Gravesend’s damn roommate, meandered around us, their laughter and oblivious nature grating on my nerves. I could taste the dust kicked up by their carefree steps.
“Damned nobles,” I muttered with a venomous hiss.
“Bram, that’s enough!” Slater’s tone cut through the air, and he ran both hands through his short red hair as if he were exasperated by me. His noble birth was evident in his stature, his demeanor, everything that I detested. “You’re just abrasive and mean, Bram, especially toward that woman, Pandora,” Slater chided. “She's done nothing to warrant your anger like that.”
“Nothing except exist,” I snapped, stepping toe-to-toe with him. “But then, I guess you two have that shit in common—you damn fucking nobles.”
Slater tossed his head back and groaned. “This has nothing to do with nobility, Bram. It's about being a decent fucking soul. Can't you see that?”
“Fuck, dude, you have everything to do with nobility. And guess what? I've lived without nobility for this long,” I growled, turning away from Slater's penetrating gaze. “I don't need it now, and I certainly don’t need you.”
Fates, what was his fucking deal?
I’d had it beaten into me that I wouldn’t amount to anything, and my father was right—all I was good for was drinking.
Then, out of nowhere, Melinda Havoc, my father’s ex-partner, tells her son that I fucking exist and he…what? Wants to be the doting big brother? He wants to make me into something I’m not?No.Fuck that, and fuck them.
I didn’t need anyone telling me how to live my life, especially not the Havocs.
