A Demon's Horns: Vice College For Young Demons: Year One

by Marie Mistry

  “Are you not one of them?” I asked, curious as how she had slipped into using ‘us’ and ‘them’.

  She smiled. “My loyalty to the Order is higher than any other loyalty in my life. Rest assured, I have total faith in you.”

  She left in a swirling flurry of long skirts and flowing hair.

  “It’s the right choice.” Bane sounded quietly confident. “You never need to worry that you lack for protection. The Order will keep you safe. Aeron will keep you safe.”

  “You and he are just students,” I reminded him. “What can you do?”

  He gave me a wink. “You’re not the only one who’s been holding back in Maddox’s lessons, and Aeron is deadlier than any other student in this building.”

  And that was all he would tell me on the subject, despite my pestering, as we walked to Djinn’s demonic language class.

  Chapter 16

  When I stepped out of demonic language, Aeron was waiting by the door for me, arms folded, leaning against the wall.

  “Lilith.” There was a wealth of relief in my name, as if he’d feared I’d been lost forever. “Where have you been? I’ve searched the whole castle, twice.”

  I frowned up at him. “Have you come to bully me again?” I asked, walking towards the great hall and dinner.

  He didn’t look like he knew what to say to that. His mouth opened and closed several times, but nothing came out. When he did speak, it was nothing I could have expected.

  “I don’t have a great relationship with my mum,” he began. “I don’t really know how this is supposed to work. I’ve seen Bane’s parents but… I’m stuck. All I know is I want to be with you, every second of our lives because if I only get one more minute, not spending it with you would mean it was wasted… When you shut that door, I was stuck. I didn’t know what to do. So, I guess I just thought if I could, y’know, addict you to me with the sex and if I knew everything about you, you’d want me around as much as I want you.” His gaze was glued to the floor. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  I supposed that was as close to an apology as I was ever going to get. “Never repeat what happened this morning again,” I began. “The manipulation, the invasion. None of it has any place in our relationship. Aeron, did it never occur to you that learning about each other is much more meaningful if the information is given willingly, rather than taken through subterfuge?”

  He just shrugged. “I’m not asking for forgiveness.”

  “I’m not offering it,” I retorted. “I’m still angry.”

  “So am I… But I’d rather never be in the situation where I can’t find you again.”

  “I make no promises.”

  Just as I was about to enter the great hall, a figure blocked my path. “Sir.” I managed to smile politely up at Maddox, despite how our recent meeting had made me see him in a completely different light.

  “Lilith, the librarians asked me to give this to you.” He handed over a folded note.

  As soon as I had taken the piece of paper, he disappeared. I opened it briefly, scanning it.

  “Initiation for Aeron tonight. Do not tell him anything before then. M.”

  Aeron had paid no mind to the interaction, though his eyes were no longer on the floor. Instead he was scanning the room.

  “Something’s different,” he muttered, suspiciously. “Why has an extra chair been added to the teacher’s table?”

  I shrugged, unconcerned, and took my usual seat on the far side of the hall with my back to the wall. “Maybe someone has a guest?”

  “Lilith,” Lulu looked up from her meal, eyes wide. “Didn’t Nelly find you? You can’t be here.”

  I frowned. “Why not? It’s just dinner.”

  “You don’t understand, they’re –”

  “Students!” Professor Saxon’s voice blasted over the assembled masses as she took her place in front of the main doors to address us. “I hope you’re all well and enjoying your meal. As you might know from my morning announcement, today the Tester has been asked by the elders to look for Testing potential in all of you.”

  I felt a chill pass through me as, right on cue, the Tester took her place beside Professor Saxon and gave the room a wide smile. They were blocking the only exit.

  “Good evening,” she began. “As you may be aware, the ability to sense the sub-castes and power levels of other demons is an incredibly rare trait. One in ten thousand demons possess the ability and those that do are highly prized by our entire race. I’ve come, at the behest of the elders, to look for traces of the gift in you.”

  The doors of the great hall closed with a resounding thud of finality. Sealing me in.

  Professor Saxon smiled across the room, her gaze never settling on one person until she found me. “One at a time everyone shall come up to the Tester and allow her to touch your hand. We’ll start with that table.” She pointed to the table on the opposite side of the room to me. “And work our way around. Because of how important it is, I must ask that no one leaves until everyone has been examined.”

  They both strode down the centre of the room, the Tester took the seat in front of the teachers’ table. While Professor Saxon sat in her usual place between Maddox and Djinn.

  “I have to get out,” I whispered, as talking resumed.

  “I thought Vrosis took care of her?” Lulu looked as pale as I felt.

  “She’s not going to do anything. It’s in front of the whole school.” Ryon spoke with certainty, but his face said the opposite.

  I watched in silence as the first person, a girl from Greed, ascended the steps up to the Tester. When Bane slipped into the spot next to me, I nearly jumped up from the tension I was feeling.

  “Don’t panic,” he uttered, under his breath.

  “I heard them talking in my vision,” I replied quietly, ignoring the others still discussing what their plan was. “A broken symbol.” I knew my eyes were wide. “Bane, I have to get out of here.”

  “Broken symbol?” Aeron was looking at me from my other side, equal parts incensed and confused. “Bane, what is she going on about?”

  “It will be fine, Lilith.” Bane was calm as he ignored Aeron completely. “Maddox and Hadrian will have a plan.”

  “Professor Hadrian McKinnax?” Aeron guessed. “What does he have to do with anything?”

  I allowed my eyes to meet his. “I’m scared,” I whispered. “Please, just focus on keeping me away from her.”

  He gave me a hard look. “Information given willingly?” he guessed, quoting my words from earlier.

  I nodded.

  “Nelly, pretend to need the bathroom,” Aeron hissed.

  “That won’t work,” Bane retorted. “They have Lilith where they want her. They’re not stupid.”

  “What do you suggest?” Aeron hissed.

  “Wait for Maddox,” Bane repeated.

  I looked up at the table. Sure enough, Maddox appeared just as calm as Bane was. It was somewhat reassuring, but not by much.

  I followed Bane’s advice and settled in to watch the steady trickle of people approach the Tester, then return to their seats looking paler and weaker than they had five minutes before.

  They got halfway through the hall before someone screamed. My gaze zeroed towards the noise, but a hand appeared under my elbow, yanking me backwards.

  It all happened so fast, I wasn’t sure how Bane managed it. One moment I was sitting watching the Tester with everyone else, the next I was squished in the darkness behind a wall completely alone.

  It was dark, and the air was musty with age. I couldn’t see where I was, or even my hand right in front of my face. I could hear the people in the great hall, just beyond the wall. Claustrophobia began to settle upon me as I scrabbled with my hands to try and find a way out.

  “Lady?” I didn’t recognise the voice that whispered towards me. “Please, don’t be alarmed. Is me, Dorian. Brother sent me to escort you.” His words were fast and halting, with words missing in places, as though so
meone had sped them up and cut away pieces of what he was trying to say.

  A rough, calloused hand grasped mine. “Please, follow.”

  I tried, but I couldn’t see a thing as Dorian all but dragged me away from the voices of the great hall and into the warren of passageways.

  “Best not let go. If get lost, a long time before you are found, Lady,” Dorian chattered, as he pulled me along. “Lucky for you that girl go through showing to distract people. Even Maddox’s plan couldn’t have such perfect coincidence. Strange God? Must be? Perhaps, instead, luck? No, possibility too low. Divine intervention, most likely conclusion.”

  I was still trying to figure out what he said when he stopped suddenly in the darkness. The way he stressed individual words, regardless of their importance, and paused in strange places confused me.

  “Here we are. Girls lavatory, second floor. Wait inside for girl, name, Babette.”

  Light flooded my vision as a door was flung open and I tumbled out. I didn’t even have time to thank Dorian before the wall closed again, leaving me in the torchlit corridor exactly where he said.

  Before anyone could come by and see me, I ducked into the bathroom out of sight.

  Once there I collapsed on the floor, my adrenaline leaving me. “Hell,” I whispered to the mirror on the wall opposite me.

  I wondered briefly what Aeron was doing. Had Bane told him what happened? Were the others panicking? Would Lulu be okay seeing the Tester again?

  I was left alone with my questions for two hours before Babette opened the door, rushed in and hugged me. “That was some scary shit,” she informed me. “That Rina girl went through her showing, and you were just gone, poof!” She pulled back and examined me. “You okay?”

  I nodded. “Everyone else? Aeron? Lulu?”

  “We’re fine,” Babette reassured me. “Tired, but fine. Aeron looks like he’s about to rip someone apart, but Bane made him go back to the Tower. He said I’m the least suspicious.”

  “Did they notice I was gone?” I asked.

  Babette nodded. “There was a search. When they couldn’t find you, they asked us if we’d seen where you went. Nelly just said you’d looked queasy when you came in so maybe you were ill and left before the announcement.”

  “Did they believe it?” I asked, doubtful.

  Babette shook her head. “Not for a second, but what could they do? It would look suspicious if they combed the school for one girl.”

  We left the bathroom together. “Back exit?” I asked.

  “Nope, Bane said use the main door,” Babette replied. “I swear he’s so hot when he’s doing that commanding thing, it could even make me want to be straight.”

  I smirked, amused despite myself. “Rina went through her showing then?” I recalled.

  “Bitch got put in Wrath,” Babette muttered. “Not to mention that the moment the Tester touched her hand she joyfully announced that the little snob has the Testing potential.”

  “Didn’t anyone else?”

  Babette shook her head as we neared the front door. “No one else.”

  We cleared the front door and I breathed a sigh of relief. “Let’s worry about her later,” I muttered. “I just want to go to bed. Too much has happened today.”

  Babette nodded, although she didn’t know half of what I was referring to.

  It took us ten minutes of hurried walking to reach the Carnal Tower. The entire route there I was convinced that, at any time, the Tester would pop out at me. It wasn’t until I closed the door behind me that I felt safe.

  Of course, I wasn’t safe.

  “Lilith.” Professor Saxon smiled at me from across the room. “I heard you were feeling unwell?”

  The Tester sat beside her, looking like a cat that got the cream. Her smile sent my stomach plummeting.

  “I don’t want to do the Testing,” I told her. “The Tester and I already established we don’t get along.” Saxon shook her head and I dimly wondered where everyone else was. “Where’s Vrosis? He can tell you, the Tester hurt me last time.”

  But Saxon wasn’t going to budge, she didn’t care because she wanted me hurt. “I’ll leave you both to it,” she replied, leaving the room with a dismissive wave of her hand.

  Anger surged within me, so many people had put themselves at risk to get me out of that hall today, all for nothing. The person who had hurt gentle, crazy Lulu had been allowed to touch her again and now wanted to break me. I fisted my hands, remembering how I had hurt the Tester last time. Now she wanted another piece? I was more powerful and if she tried anything I would put her on her wrinkly old ass.

  Shrugging off Babette’s hand on my arm, I strode across the room and held my hand out to the old hag. “Get it over with.”

  Her sightless eyes looked straight at me, as she grabbed my hand like a viper striking its prey.

  When the pain came, I was ready. It still hurt, but I allowed her a few seconds of victory before I shoved outwards with my mind.

  “Not this time, missy,” the Tester hissed, clenching down on my hand, her nails breaking the skin.

  I didn’t stop pushing, forcing her out step by step. Maybe it was because I had a mate now and was stronger, or maybe I was just learning from my mistakes, but I could swear she was weakening. My eyes watered from the pressure as I doubled my assault.

  “Let go, or I continue,” I threatened, “You know I am not a Tester, you knew when you tested me the first time. So, let go, get out, and never return.”

  She didn’t listen. “Giving me orders, seed-stealer?” She smirked. “You’re going to have to do better than this.”

  Power flooded through me on the heels of my rage. “You were warned,” I muttered, even as a heady combination of power and pain exploded within me.

  On impulse I directed an arrow of my pure power at the Tester. Her whimper of pain amused me, and in the grip of the power, I knew what I had to do.

  “Kiss me,” I whispered, the seduction of my voice trickled into the space between us. The power in me made her want to obey.

  The moment came just before our lips touched. As she looked mesmerised by my eyes, her lips parted. I could sense the same edge I could feel when my partner orgasmed. Instead of backing away, I let my power leap for it.

  In an instant, she crumpled, her hand slipping out of mine as her body hit the floor with a loud thump.

  I dimly registered the sound of a soft gasp behind me, but my mind was too focused on the power I was getting from the Tester. I could sense all of it, every last piece of her demonic energy. My own power, which I unleashed on hers in the chaos, was gulping hers down, swallowing it to increase my own. It reared its head, hungry for more. There were other people in the room, it could sense them. The seductiveness rolled off me in waves, a lure to bring them close so I could have my fill.

  Was the room spinning? No, I was. I was twirling in power and death, giggling like a small child. I could sense the prey drawing close to me, all I could feel was the need for more power. MORE.

  “Lilith.” A familiar voice snapped my head around from where my eyes had been glued to Babette’s parted lips, just centimetres away from my own. “Lilith, she’s your friend.”

  My power responded. “Mate,” I ground out, shifting between his eyes and the lips that beckoned me. “Power.”

  “No, Lilith. That is Babette, she is your friend. You don’t have to take power from her.”

  With a speed I hadn’t thought possible, my mate appeared between me and my prey. Yellow eyes locked with mine.

  I blinked.

  Babette screamed.

  Chapter 17

  Her eyes were closed. That was probably for the best. If I had to look into the eyes of the woman I’d killed it would probably drive me over the edge. As it was, I already had to look into the eyes of a best friend I had almost murdered and a mate who was trying to comfort her.

  “I… Babette… I… I didn’t mean… Oh god…” I whispered, my eyes still glued to the Tester’s cr
umpled body.

  “Lilith, go up to my room, take a shower, wait for me,” Aeron commanded.

  I looked down at my hand, still clutching the Tester’s rapidly cooling one, and bit back a sob. I’d killed someone. I looked up, finding Babette crying into the shoulder of my mate, and beyond them, Nelly and Ryon, stark faced and watching me from the stairs.