Hunter came closer, cupping Pandora's face. “Hey, starlight. You don’t have to explain. We get it. It's not your fault.”
Her breath trembled, but she sagged against his hands, letting the fear melt away from our matebond as Skel’s magic settled over her.
Slowly, her eyes fluttered shut as she evened out her breathing.
Dex knelt beside me, guilt plain on his face. “This is because of me.”
I shook my head, elbowing Dex slightly. “No. This isn’t your fault. None of this is. You are her mate and a part of her. She needs that mark, and we're going to get her to the point where your shadow is a second limb to her. We’ll get through this.”
“We will.” Bram let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair. “But what about the fucking whiskey?”
Chaos growled low again, ears pinned, and even Demo remained stiff and alert.
“I don’t know, but we should stay alert,” Hunter said. “If none of us put it there, someone else did.”
I glanced back at that corner—there was no shimmer or anything. Perhaps it was just my dream magic, but the way Chaos and Demo reacted made me think there was sinister magic around.
With Sybil Shaw targeting Pandora, I didn't trust anything or anyone but Pandora and the rest of her bonded mates.
8
PANDORA
“Welcome to your finalterm at Demon Reform Academy,” Respa announced with a haughty smile on her lips. “You’ve survived a lot during your academic stay. Normally, we don’t havequiteas much chaosas we have had this year. Though, you’ve done well with everything happening. Hopefully, this term will be less difficult. In this class, we will be focusing on Demonic Ethics.”
“Demons don’t have ethics,” a student from the back called out with a chuckle.
I rolled my eyes and met Reed’s violet gaze as he did the same. We smiled, and our matebond pulsed with love. I was more than happy that my mate had the same mindset I did.
Nebula was tucked securely in my bag, and Reed and Jenni sat on each side of me.
“Ethics are important to any supernatural—but especially for demons.” Respa tsked before she began pacing the length of the classroom. “For our first exercise, I want you, as a class, to rank demons by subspecies onworthiness.”
Frowning, I glanced at Reed and Jenni. “That doesn’t sound very ethical.”
Jenni voiced her agreement as well. “It’s not giving what she wants it to.”
“No kidding,” Fester murmured his agreement on the other side of Reed, but Reed glared at him slightly.
Fester shifted awkwardly in his seat and looked away.
I placed my hand on Reed’s thigh. “Be nice.”
“Sorry.” He ducked his head down. “I just don’t trust him.”
“I understand that, but we don’t have to be jerks about it,” I scolded him a little.
“You’re right. Sorry.” He frowned, and my heart squeezed a bit at him being upset.
“Well, obviously, nobility would be ranked at the top!” the same demon who spoke up before shouted. “Dismiss the lower class demons as tools, and thus, irrelevant.”
The other nobles nodded their agreements.
“Mostdemons are low-class,” Jenni shot back to them. “What makes you better than us? Your fancy last names?”
They scoffed at her. “We have more resources and better opportunities than most demons. Clearly, it makes us better and worthy to be at the top.”
Respa whistled sharply.“Stop,” she demanded, shaking her head with an exasperated sigh. “This exercise went way over your heads. Class standing isirrelevant. I’m asking aboutsubspecies.”
