I groaned, stopping dead in the middle of the hallway. With classes out, I was taking the chance to map out the school and orient myself. So far, I learned one thing about this place—it was horribly segregated.
So far, I came up on three massive doors. One had the beautiful visage of a wolf carved into the wood. And that wolf was the only thing that could be easily seen amid the locks, chains, and deadbolts keeping it shut tight. Since werewolves were vampires’ only source of blood in hell, I did understand the precautions. But what I didn’t understand was why when I knocked and asked if I could come in, a peephole slid open, the person took one look at my red eyes, and told me to fuck off back to the rest of my demon scum kind.
Very much shut down, I kept up my wandering and exited what I was calling the east wing, and made for the south wing. That is when I left hell... and found heaven.
“Beautiful,” I breathed, stepping out of the crimson-and-ebony-dipped hallway into a pearl-and-ivory-painted paradise.
Instead of skeletal hands holding weedy little dripping candles, the ivory holders on the walls carried huge, fiercely burning torches. Swirling damask wallpaper drew me in—literally. I drifted closer, running my fingers along the surface, and gasped.
If a cloud could properly be touched, I had no doubt that this is what it felt like. The pearl and ivory paper pressed back against me, enveloping my fingertips in tiny little hugs.
My feet carried me across the plush, cream carpet—bringing me out of the receiving room and further into the narrow hall. Large, colorful portraits took up space on both sides, each of them displaying the captured image of stunningly gorgeousfae with magnificent wings, jeweled crowns, and haughty—bordering on unfriendly—expressions.
I slowed down beside one portrait in particular. A handsome man with long, golden hair; brilliantly beautiful eyes; a frown dripping with distaste, and a pointed, upturned nose glared down at me, but that’s not what drew me. What stopped me were the wordsKing Ravenscarwritten in curlicue letters on the bottom frame.
I reached the double doors at the end of the hallway. I didn’t need more of a clue that this was the fae wing, but I did need a clue on how to get in. There were no chains on the door, but also no doorknobs or keyholes. No single obvious way to get in. There also wasn’t a response when I knocked. Not even a shout for me to go away.
Leaving the south wing behind, I headed back out to the main room, and went past the part of the manor housing the demon’s mess hall. On that side of the mansion, all the lights disappeared.
No skeleton sconces, no torches, no wax-covered chandeliers. No, there was nothing to see by except...
I squinted—taking one step, then another into the pitch-black hallway.
Small, marble-sized dim lights floated through the corridor like fireflies.
“Wow,” I whispered, drifting closer. “What is that? They’re floating in pairs like lovebugs.” I reached out. “So pretty—”
“Ow,” a dry voice said.
“Ahhh!” Shrieking, I snapped my hand back—lurching away.Not lovebugs, they’re eyes!I whipped around, seeing the dozens upon dozens of pairs of moving, shifting, staring lights with new clarity.Vampires!
A slippery voice tickled my ear. “Are you lost, little demon?”
It was everything in me not to scream when cool, bloodless, unseen fingers brushed my cheek.
“Shall we show you the way home?”
“N-no, thank you,” I squeaked. I was booking it for the entrance before I finished my sentence. “So sorry to bother you, please enjoy the rest of your evening!”
Laughter followed me out of the northwest wing and into the light.
I didn’t stop running until I was back in front of the demon mess hall. Everywhere else I’d been I had hit closed doors, locks, and chains, but the doors to the vampire wing were wide open. What did it mean that they had zero problem letting their potential prey walk right through the front door?
“Human.” Sabrina tightened around my middle. “You requested I be silent and give you time tothink.Knowing what an arduous task that is for you—”
I was really starting not to like this reptile.
“—I heeded your request, but are you at any point going to explain why you’re doing all this pointless running around?”
“It’s not pointless.” I rested my back on the cushioned wall. “I need to know what I’m up against, and now I know that they only let werewolves into the werewolf wing. They don’t even open the doors to the fae wing, and as for the vampire wing...” I shivered. “I’m assuming vampires don’t sleep?”
“They do not.”
“Of course not,” I muttered, “so if I go bursting in there with my torch to look around, I’ll be seen by everyone.” I released a long breath. “He was right about this being the perfect place to hide her. There are just too many blocked-off places where most aren’t allowed to go. It’s not possible for me to move around this place unseen.”
“Good. You begin to understand the futility of your task.” Sabrina had the nerve to sound proud of me. “I assume thismeans you will now give up and surrender your soul unto my lord.”
“You assume incorrectly,” I snapped. “I can’t run around this place freely... but you can.” I winced. “Without the running—naturally.”
