My first day of class on September seventh felt like the worst day of my life.
You haven’t experienced suffering yet, Nowak.
I walked to Fae Deception with my head down. This class was all about learning the trickery of our ancestors, and applying it to our modernized lives. I’d been looking forward to this class last semester, but I wasn’t anymore. Nothing could get me excited about what lay before me, because as far as I was concerned, I no longer had a future.
You’re right about that.
The leshane curled against my insides as the morning breeze ruffled the curtains in one of the grand hallways. Stefan was talking to Alexei by a banner of an alicorn— he saw me walking by and ran over.
“Ethan, where the hell have you been?” he hissed. “It’d be nice if you showed your face every once in a while.”
I’d been avoiding him ever since I’d confessed about my possession a week ago. I felt too humiliated to face him.
Stefan took my silence as irritation and frowned. “Look, I know the situation seems dire. But you and I have gotten out of scraps before. This one’s no different.”
“We need to stop fooling ourselves,” I said roughly. I ducked into a deserted corridor. Stefan followed, his broad frame blocking out the curious eyes that trailed me as I ducked into the shadows, away from the glistening sunrise.
I dropped my voice. “I’ve never known a shifter who’s escaped a demon once it has its hold on them. You haven’t either.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’ll be the first,” Stefan said, with the utmost confidence.
“I’m merely attending school to keep up appearances,” I said tiredly. “I’m planning to ride it out until the very end. To avoid causing speculation.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” His voice grew harsh.
“Stefan, if this demon takes over, you have to end my life.”
Stefan physically recoiled. “No! I’m not doing that to you!”
“You know as well as I do the leshane wants blood. It won’t be satisfied with taking over me, and the first person he’ll go after will be Emma. Then it’ll be our friends, and all of Dolinska after. I won’t become a monster.” A greater monster than I already was, anyway.
Stefan’s expression soured. “I’d be executed myself for killing the prince.”
“You can make it look like an accident, so my honor is maintained and your innocence holds true. It wouldn’t be unusual for a cripple like me to be slain by some rogue monster in the woods.”
“Are you evenlisteningto yourself?” Stefan smacked his forehead. “You’re giving up when there might be a way out of this!”
“If people discover I’m possessed, Emma’s reputation is done. She’ll be outcasted from Arcanean society and banished from Malovia. That makes her vulnerable. Sheneedsto stay at the university, to learn how to become the Worldweaver and find the crystals. Nothing is more important than that.” My voice was firm. I’d already made up my mind.
“I’m not going to kill my best friend,” Stefan growled. “So if you’re asking me to, the answer is no.”
“And if I go after your mate? What will you do then?”
A muscle in Stefan’s jaw worked. Regardless of our brotherly bond, Stefan would kill me if I attacked Delmare. He wouldn’t hesitate.
Stefan’s shoulders dropped. “We haven’t gotten that far yet. Take it one step at a time.”
“I’ve already been possessed for over a year. It won’t be much longer until the demon takes over.” My voice grew more frustrated with every word.
“Don’t talk like that,” Stefan snapped. “We’ll find a way through.”
“This isn’t a request from a friend. It’s an order from your prince. And you’d do well to obey it, before someone gets hurt.”
His expression hardened. “If it comes to it, I’ll do what needs to be done. But I won’t allow you to sacrifice yourself until we’ve exhausted every possible option. So stop talking about it.”
Stefan turned on his heel and marched away from me before I could get another word in.
The leshane chuckled inside of me.If you think your friends are going to get you out of this, you’re sorely mistaken, he hissed.They don’t have the stomach.
