I mirrored her actions, but only because Hunter had drilled this ritual into our heads during our study sessions. Academics hadneverbeen my strong suit, yet, for the first time in my fucking life, I found myself recalling everything with clarity. A small sense of pride bloomed in my chest as I collected my items: a garnet, a small brazier, a bowl, moon water, incense, salt, a red candle, a black candle, and a gold candle.
Returning to my desk, I began setting up my ritual space.
I had every intention of focusing, but Pandora caught my attention again. Her brows furrowed slightly as she carefully traced the salt circle, dark red lips pursed in concentration. A sudden warmth rushed to my face as I realized I’d been staring.
Before I could recover, Hunter cleared his throat, stepping directly into my line of sight.
“I know she’s beautiful, but you can’t cheat on the final.”
My mouth dropped open as a surge of heat crawled up my neck. “I swear I wasn’t— I just got distracted by her.”
“Focus,” he said softly, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. He moved on, surveying the rest of the class.
Forcing myself to shake off the embarrassment, I returned my attention to my workspace. I carefully set up my salt circle, imbuing it with protection and amplification energy. The brazier sat at the center, and I arranged the candles in a triangular formation around it before lighting them one by one. Their flickering flames cast elongated shadows over my hands as I worked.
Taking a steadying breath, I poured the moon water into the bowl, dipping the garnet inside to cleanse it. The water shimmered under the candlelight as I carefully held the gemstone over the brazier’s flame, feeling the warmth lick at my fingers.
Under my breath, I murmured a quiet chant, “Fates, please bless the garnet with luck’s fortune.”
I burned the incense, letting the curling smoke encircle the garnet before placing my hand over the stone. Closing my eyes, I envisioned a golden glow sinking into the crystal, saturating it with intent—success, happiness, and fortune flowing into it. I moved the garnet through the flames of the red and gold candles, making sure to avoid the black one. Hunter had been clear—misfortune clung to that one.
“Fates, thank you for your blessing,” I whispered.
One by one, I extinguished the candles in the reverse order that I lit them—gold, black, and finally, red. With a soft exhale, I scattered the salt circle, signifying the ritual’s completion.
The garnet in my palm pulsed faintly, a soft white energy emanating from its core.
A glance to my left confirmed Pandora’s crystal glowed with a similar aura. A small, satisfied smile graced her lips before she looked up, her gaze meeting mine.
My heart stuttered.
“Everyone but that guy,” Hunter’s voice cut through the moment as he pointed toward some noble dozing off in the back, “passed. Congratulations. You’re officially done with this class. Keep the crystal as a good luck charm for the rest of your finals.”
Pandora’s smile lingered, and I barely had time to process it before she looked toward Jenni and launched into a conversation.
Still, my pulse thrummed in my ears.
“She’s fucking beautiful, and all ours,” Skel muttered from beside me with a knowing smirk.
“I’m so thankful that the Fates blessed us with her,” I told him.
49
REED
Finals were almost over—this was the last one.
I shifted in my seat, the rigid wood of the lecture hall bench pressing into my back as Professor Respa swept her gaze over the class. Her bright yellow eyes gleamed with anticipation.
“Supernatural Ethics ends today,” she announced excitedly, “For finals, you must defend your subspecies as we’ve discussed. Welcome to your mock debate.”
A murmur ran through the class—some excited, some tense. Either way, I knew it was going to be dramatic because it always got heated in this class.
“Each demonic species will argue for the ethical necessity of their powers. Choose your best speaker. Make your case as a whole. Other subspecies may argue your stance, and we will argue until we are all satisfied with our points. And remember—convinceyourselves.”
The class grouped into our subspecies, and my heart ached as Pandora sat by herself while the groups spoke.
The first to stand was an incubus. He ran a hand through his jet-black hair, flashing a smirk at the class. “Charm and manipulation are not sins,” he claimed. “They are survival tools. What demon hasn’t used a littleinfluenceto get ahead? We just do it better.”
