“He didn’t run away!” I shout.
Celeste rolls her eyes. “Awww, did he break his heart? I know you two spent a lot of time together. Actually, maybe that’s why he ran away!” She gasps like she just figured out the million-dollar question. “That’s it! And I mean, can you blame him? Spend another night with you, watching you painfully pine over him? I’d run away too.”
“That’s enough,” Max bellows, and the flames in the fireplace shoot up several feet, rising out of the grate and licking the mantel.
“What the hell, Max?” Celeste jerks back, bringing her arms in and looking like a kicked puppy.
“This isn’t funny, Celeste. Blaze isn’t just missing. We’re pretty sure he’s dead.”
Celeste freezes for a split second, and then her eyes fill with tears. “Oh, Maxy!” She throws her arms around him again and quietly sobs against his chest.
Is she for real? I can’t tell, though just when I think she has half a heart and is actually upset about the death of a student, she slits her eyes open and glares at me over Maxon’s shoulder.
“You need to get back into your house,” Max tells her, looking frustrated. “And stay there. We were put on lockdown for our own safety.”
“I’m so scared.” She leans back and twists a section of her hair around her finger.
“Stay in your house and you’ll be safe.”
“What do you think happened to Blaze?” she asks, her voice quivering now.
“I don’t know. Keep it quiet for now. Okay?”
She splays her hands on his firm chest, and I know this is for my benefit, not his. I’ll be damned before Celeste gets a reaction out of mem butfuck.I feel a twinge of jealousy when I see them together. It’s not that I like Maxon—I mean, he’s hot and all—but more that I can’t stand Celeste.
“Go,” Max presses, and walks her to the Magi door. She makes a big show of kissing him, and there’s that unwanted tug on my heart again. Maxon sighs when he comes back over.
“Come on,” he says, and walks right past, going to the Proeliator door. Waving his hand in front, the image of two crossed scythes glows red and then the door swings open.
The common room is still full of students, though this time, they are much quieter. Professor Dal stands by the fireplace, holding a scroll. His eyes meet mine and I’m instantly comforted. If he’s here, I know we’ll be safe. He knows more about demons than anyone here.
I need to talk with him—alone. If anyone will believe me that a demon could have latched on and passed through the portal with me, it’s him.
Kaia is on the couch and waves me over. I squeeze in between her and the same first-year student I was comforting before, and Professor Dal starts talking.
“I just received word from Professor Messor,” he starts, and looks at the scroll. Black letters appear on the paper, disappearing once he’s read them. “Due to the mysterious circumstances surrounding Blaze Fieri’s disappearance, the lockdown will continue until otherwise notified. You will be escorted to and from meals, and the buddy system is being implemented.” He looks up from the scroll. “Years one through four—your rooms sleep six. Pair up and do not separate from your buddy. Years five through seven—your roommate is your buddy. Do not under any circumstances go anywhere without your buddy.”
Kaia raises her hand. “There are three of us in our room.”
“Ah, correct.” His eyes land on me, and for a moment, I think he might offer to pair up with me, escorting me to classes. Then he looks at Max. “And one of you. Max will be your buddy outside the dormitories, then. You are not to go anywhere without each other.”
Great. Celeste is just going to love that.
Then again, being paired up with Maxon will enable us to talk and come up with some sort of plan. Maybe it won’t be so bad after all.
Chatter breaks out in the common room, with people shouting out questions and speculation of what could have happened to Blaze.
“What if it’s a rogue reaper?” a fourth year shouts. “Maybe they’re kidnapping students and enslaving them!”
Professor Dal quickly shuts that idea down, but the idea intrigues me.
A reaper would know their way around the academy and could slink in the shadows undetected. They could hide in plain sight, to an extent, but wouldn’t be as easily sensed as a demon.
“I don’t see why they’d come back,” Kaia whispers when I mention it to her. Her face is blotchy with tears, and I feel a twinge of guilt that I haven’t been comforting her. Despite her act, I think she cares a lot about Blaze. “Unless they were planning some sort of revenge. Usually when a reaper goes rogue it’s because they don’t want to be told what to do anymore…that sort of thing.”
“Now, now.” Professor Dal speaks loudly, deep voice filling the room. He raises his hands and motions for us to all quiet down. “You are under my protection in this house, and I promise you, I will keep you safe.”
I lean back into the couch, comforted again by his words. We’re dismissed from the common room, and a handful of the students go upstairs and into their rooms. The Proeliator common room is large, but it’s still rather crowded when we’re all in here.
