How fitting that he ended up with a broken group.
Pulling the kimono on, he left it open as he followed the others. They headed into the stables and went toward the sorriest-looking horses he’d ever seen.
His jaw went slack as they began saddling them. “Really?”
Koichi grimaced at him. “You want a better mount? Don’t screw up.”
That only confused him more. “I don’t understand this. Are you a teacher or not?”
“A teacher they don’t particularly like or want. Or even acknowledge.” Koichi pulled himself up into his saddle. “Like you misfits. They don’t know what to do with me, and they don’t know what to do with you. So here we are... demon fodder to keep the good students safe.”
“What are we supposed to be learning?”
Toru laughed. “How not to die.”
“Or get lost in the dark.” Masa kicked his scraggly horse out of the stables.
What? Surely they were messing with him.
“And if we get lost?”
Koichi gave him a lopsided grin. “If you find Ryota, bring him home.” He headed out.
Shigeru snorted at that. “You won’t find Ryota. He was eaten by a demon. Trust me. You don’t want that.”
Eaten by a what?
They’re kidding. They had to be. No one would be so nonchalant about being eaten by a demon.
Would they?
No. Yokai were one thing. Demons were another. This was some kind of initiation. A test. They were just having fun with him.
Why did I come here?
Oh yeah—he’d had no choice.
What if they weren’t kidding?
He didn’t like that inner, ominous voice. Because if they weren’t, then his old school didn’t seem so bad. At least no one had tried to intentionally feed him to demons. They’d only acted like them.
Please let this be a joke.
With a tired sigh, he pulled himself into his saddle and chased after the others. Too bad he had no idea where they were going, or what they were really supposed to do.
Other than not get eaten by demons. Like anyone would really need to be told that. It wasn’t exactly on anyone’s to-do list.
Get up.
Get dressed.
Find a demon.
Offer yourself as lunch.
Yeah, that had never been something he’d aspired to. Not even on his worst days.
Well, maybe on his worst days only.
