Neither. This guy is an NPC to you. He’s just another person you’ll be putting in your rearview when we find Dora, and get her out of this place.
“It’s vulgar,” someone spat.
I tipped my head up, and up, and up. I gasped... then stopped breathing entirely.
A golden crown sat atophisgolden crown. Gilded curls weaved through the laurels, leaving all who stared to wonder what was him and what was pure gold.
A chin like granite set in a hard, unforgiving line. Full, plump lips curled in distaste. Sharp, diamond-cutter cheekbones stretched tight over perfect, blemish-repelling skin, and his eyes... were two lily pads floating in a milky river—that was bubbling over.
“This is what passes for a school for these worthless demon cunt fucks?”
All visions of cherub baby angels burst into confetti.
“Can’t believe the elders agreed to let a single fae set foot in this shithole,” the beautiful fae man said with his dirty potty mouth. “Just because they were shot out of hell’s oozing anus, those demons think they’re fit to walk the same halls as us? Ha. Give us a week. We’ll be running this place, and the rest of the inferiors and mongrels will be gone.”
Beside him, his fae brethren nodded in agreement.
I did not.
“Excuse me?” I tugged his sleeve. “I know it’s not right to refer to you as a limp fairy on an official sign for all to see, but please don’t make it worse by referring to anyone asinferior.You know as well as I that no one is inferior to another.”
A mess of wide, disbelieving eyes slowly turned on me.
“School—especially this school—is tough enough, so why don’t we all make an effort to get along and support each other?” My chirpy voice was spreading through the hall, because everyone in the hall was falling silent. “If we do that, I think we’ll all be pleasantly surprised to discover that our similarities outweigh our differences.”
The flaxen-hair potty mouth stared at me with a sort of frozen look on his outrageously handsome face.
“I’ll start.” I extended my hand to him. “Hello, my name is Charlie, and I like chocolate, fluffy pillows, and Gothic architecture.” I kept my answers to the stuff I’d actually seen in hell. I didn’t want to give myself away by naming an interest that didn’t exist here. “What’s your name?”
Potty Mouth gaped at me—horror darkening his expression with every word that fell from my mouth. “By the gods,” he croaked, “what is this thing? Why is it talking to me?”
I went rigid. “Well, that was rude,” I forced out. “I know I’m not the most attractive demon, but there’s no need to be—”
“Ugh, it’s disgusting!” Potty Mouth bellowed, making my cheeks catch fire. “It’s infected. It’sdiseased! Get it away from me!”
His fae buddies surged around him, lunging at me.
“Get away from Prince Ravenscar!” High above the wings, a fist flew at my head. “You filthy—”
Crying out, I raised my hand to block—already knowing I’d be too late.
Wham!
The hit struck dead-on and rebounded through hard, solid muscle—but not mine.
Tristan filled my vision. Leaning over me like he did before, one solid, strong hand held me tight to his chest while the other clamped on the fae guy’s fist—stopping and holding it in mid-air.
My knees went weak. I felt the momentum of that hit rebound through his body and jolt me. Just how strong were fae... and how much stronger was the man holding me?
“Cool it down, fly boy.” Tristan tossed his fist away. “I know this one’s a freak, but he’s with me. Back off.”
I started, blinking up at Tristan.I’m with him? Really?
I’d never been interested in the roided-up, musclehead jock types who for some reason found it impossible to find shirts that weren’t two sizes too small for them, but then... none of those guys jumped in to defend me without a second thought. Even while calling me a freak.
Fly Boyclutched his hand to his chest, looking at it like he couldn’t believe any more than I could that Tristan stopped his hit. “How dare you?” he hissed, color leaking into his bronze cheeks. “How dare you touch me, you filthy mongrel!”
Anger swelled in my chest. Politeness and kindness were in short supply in hell, but everyone spoke slurs in the samelanguage of hate, and that didn’t fly with me in any realm. “Hey! Don’t speak to him like—”
