My gaze and voice were steady. “And are you going to be that friend for me, Professor?”
A slow smile stretched his lips, revealing gleaming, fearsome fangs. “I want nothing more than to be that friend for you, little Charlie, but that can’t happen if you lie to me. I don’t like liars.”
“Oh no?”
“No.” Radu closed the distance—those lantern eyes swallowing me whole the closer they came. “So if you want me to help you when the time comes, you’ll have to be honest with me.”
Yeah, be honest with you about being human, and then get immediately killed? No thanks.
My expression gave nothing away. “What would I need to be honest about? I haven’t lied to you about anything. What you see is what you get with me.” I edged along the shelf, slipping free from his suffocating aura. “Thank you for getting me away from those fae, sir. Have a good rest of your evening.”
My ugly sweater vest was in tatters on the floor, so I didn’t bother picking it up as I beat a calm, but quick, retreat to the door. Radu didn’t try to stop me from escaping into the hall.
The pitch-black hall with no lights to speak of, except for several dozen floating pairs of eyes.
“You’ve got to be flipping kidding me.”
IT TOOK ME, AND ALLthe chills running up my spine, more time than I could track to make my way through the vampire wing.
I clung to the wall in the dark, slowly feeling my way, and trying my best not to stare too hard at the half a dozen pairs of eyes that were straight following me.
Why aren’t they saying anything?!I thought, my nails digging into the wallpaper.I can’t take this, I need a distraction.
“I wonder what’s up with that Ravenscar guy,” I mumbled seemingly into the air. “Is he really a prince? What was with that weird comment Erlik made?”
“I asssssume it is me you’re speaking to.” Sabrina’s dry voice hit my ears. “And not the group of silent, undead assassins currently stalking you through the dark.”
Hearing it put so plainly did nothing to help my anxiety.
“There is not much I can tell you about the fae people,” she continued. “They live in total isolation. Fae are masters of glamour magic—some even say they were the original creators of it—so they are able to hide their homes and people more effectively than even the lords of hell can.
“But still,” she whispered, making me slow, “magic has never been a match for rumors.”
My shoulder hit the end of the hallway. I couldn’t see where a turn left or right would lead to. I couldn’t even see an inch in front of me. Deciding on the spot, I chose left and kept going—leaning on the wall.
“The true origin of the fae folk is unknown. They themselves do not know how they came to be or who created them. But however they came into this world, they did so with incredible power, and with incredible power comes incredible arrogance and entitlement. As such, the fae decided they were gods, and humans were meant to serve and worship them.”
Hence kidnapping human children and enslaving them.
“When they found themselves in hell, they tried to overthrow the lords of hell and establish themselves as rulers of this realm, but the fae derive their power from nature—of which there is very little of in hell.”
I nodded along, listening intently.
“Their many,manycoups have failed, but so many demons have been slaughtered in the attempts, the hell lords have been forced to recognize their strength—the answer to why the fae are allowed to enroll in Abaddon, despite the bitter history between fae and demons.”
“Hmm. I wonder what this school really is?” I said into the air. “Why does it exist if bringing the students together and burying old hatreds isn’t the purpose?”
My silent followers didn’t answer me, but Sabrina did.
“The reason is the same reason all separate communities force themselves to get along—trade.”
My brows popped, but I forced myself not to reply. If Radu was one of the vampires currently following me, and I had no reason to think he wasn’t, I didn’t want to confirm that my snake could talk. Like he not-so-subtly warned me, he could useSabrina to get me busted for cheating, and I wasn’t going to let him put me in a desperate situation where I’d needhimto save me.
“No outsider has ever been able to confirm it, but it’s believed that the fae have managed to cultivate an oasis with clean water, fresh air, and natural soil. It is this oasis that has allowed them the means to ssssupply all the food on the tables of Abaddon Academy and beyond.”
“Food?” I blurted.
“Yes, please,” one of the vampires replied—setting his companions off with their hair-raising hissing-like chuckles.
