by Kant, Komal
“And what a great way to celebrate her return,” Misha responded with a grin.
“If you get caught, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble,” Anna said, hands on hips as she faced me furiously.
“If she gets caught, which isn’t going to happen,” Misha said, putting a protective arm around my shoulder. “Besides, she needs to enjoy herself and have fun. She was practically living in the wilderness for two months.”
“I’m warning you, Misha. You are not taking her to that party.”
“Sorry, Anna, but we’re going. You should come and let your hair down,” Misha said with a wink.
***
Once we decided we were going to Sander’s party, Anna couldn’t change our minds. She went back to her room in a bad mood and refused to speak to either one of us. Tyrone returned and kept us entertained until lights out. Once we’d climbed into our beds, he went outside to stand guard as usual.
Twenty minutes passed before Misha broke the silence. “How are we going to sneak past Tyrone?”
“I’m not sure.” I reached over to flick on my bedside lamp. “Let’s get dressed and then we’ll figure it out.”
I reached for the clothes I’d stowed under my bed earlier on—a tight, mint green, mini dress, and a pair of black combat boots. Since I was already so tall, I usually avoided high heels, but Misha—being a few inches shorter than Anna and me—wore them religiously. Honestly, it never made sense to me why she complained about her height. I’d trade with her any day. I actually wanted to be able to wear heels without feeling like a skyscraper.
Across the room, Misha was already in the process of putting on a gold-sequined, micro-mini skirt and black, halter top that gave her petite frame the curves she always wanted.
“Is your dress short much, Kat?” she asked, her tone light and teasing.
“You’re one to talk.” I scrutinized Misha’s outfit and raised an eyebrow. “Are you planning on freezing to death?”
She looked thoughtful for a second before pointing to her legs. “I’m wearing thigh-high boots.”
She did have on a pair of beautiful, brown, leather boots—with heels, of course—though I wasn’t sure if she was actually wearing them for warmth. No doubt they had cost a fortune. Too bad I wasn’t from a wealthy family like she was.
I frowned down at my old combat boots. They were nowhere near as expensive or sexy as Misha’s boots, but I loved them still the same. My style was a mix of girly and tomboy, whereas Misha liked to look hot and expensive.
After shrugging on a black leather jacket, I tiptoed to the door and pressed my ear against it. Silence greeted me from the other side which wasn’t unusual at this time. I closed my eyes and relaxed my mind as I allowed my senses to penetrate the wooden door standing in the way. Once again, I was met with an empty silence.
“Tyrone isn’t here.” I stepped away from the door and watched Misha put a faux fur coat on over her skimpy, halter top.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go before he comes back.” Misha glanced over at the bedside lamp and waved her fingers at it. There was a humming sound and the bulb flickered before going out.
We hurried outside, the cold biting at us as we walked through the stone courtyard that separated the boys’ dorm from the girls’ dorm. I kept an ear out for any approaching footsteps. The last thing we needed was to get caught by someone. Tyrone had to be out here somewhere. He’d probably gone for a walk or to get food while we slept.
A pang of uneasiness hit me—maybe it was guilt for leaving Anna behind. It was amazing that she still put up with my and Misha’s shenanigans after all these years.
Deep in thought, I didn’t notice that Misha had suddenly stopped, and slammed right into her. “Ow! What’s wrong?”
She turned to me, twirling her long, dark hair around her finger in a fidgety manner. “Maybe I should apologize to Anna for, you know, being a bit brash.”
“Mish, you weren’t brash. You were a total bitch.”
“I am not a bitch; I’m just honest,” she said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at me.
“Yeah, honest like a punch in the face,” I said, rolling my eyes at her.
She stuck her tongue out at me and continued through the courtyard. Shaking my head, I followed her.
Many demons were indifferent towards mortals and angels, but it just went to show that their way of thinking could change. Misha wasn’t as bad as some of the other demons at the school. There were many demon cliques that didn’t associate with the other races and acted like they were superior to everyone else. I guess Anna and I had rubbed off on her.
We headed up the stairs of the Eschelior Dorms to where Sander’s room was located on the third floor. There was no sound of music or loud voices, but I wasn’t surprised. Sander had a mysterious way of sealing off the noise from his parties.
Misha’s pace slackened and she looked over her shoulder at me, her dark eyes gleaming with excitement. “You ready?”
“I guess,” I said with a shrug just as the door swung open and light flooded the alcove.
“Misha, Kat, so glad you could make it,” Sander greeted us with a smirk, looking me up and down in appraisal. I didn’t like that look.
“Uh, hey,” I said, wondering if I should’ve gone for an outfit that covered more.
“Come in.” He ushered us inside and shut the door behind him.
The loud music hit us as soon as we walked in. Once again, I was amazed by how Sander rigged his room so that no sound could be heard outside. There was definitely some major abuse of demon powers going on.
Sander took our coats from us and put them in a pile with some others by the door. “I hope you don’t mind, but Kat and I have some catching up to do,” he said to Misha as he put an arm around me.
I shook his arm off, but he didn’t seem too bothered by this.
Misha glanced at me in question and I made a face in response. “I don’t think we have anything to catch up on.”
Sander cocked his head to the side, a smile creeping onto his face at my rejection. “Come on, it’s rude to turn down the host. It’s my party, let’s chat.”
“Fine, whatever,” I said reluctantly, knowing that he wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. “You have five minutes.”
“Perfect,” he said with a smug grin. “That’s all the time I need.”
“Let me know if you need me,” Misha said to me, before disappearing into the dancing crowd.
Sighing, I let Sander lead me over to two chairs that were positioned in the corner away from curious eyes. I slumped down in one, wishing I didn’t have to be in Sander’s company. Why had I decided to come here again? Right, this was supposed to be fun. It was supposed to take my mind off my problems. I was meant to enjoy myself tonight.
“Remind me again why your room is the equivalent of three dorm rooms put together?” I asked, clearing my dry throat. I really needed a drink.
As though reading my thoughts, Sander handed me a glass filled with clear liquid. He leaned closer, his green eyes glinting mischievously. “Only if you tell me how you killed Melkane.”
I stared at him, stunned. Was he being serious? This was what he wanted to talk about? He was a bigger creep than I‘d imagined.
Sander saw the look on my face and laughed. “I’m joking, Kat. My father’s an alumni here, and I’m pretty sure my great-great-great-grandfather’s statue is somewhere in the school. Plus, we donate a lot of money every year. It’s a perk.”
Spoilt, rich kid getting everything he wanted. How original.
“What’d he do, your great-whatever?” I asked, trying to seem interested in what he was saying.
Sander shrugged. “Probably killed some angel, who knows? My family history is pretty boring. I’d much rather hear all about what you’ve been doing all this time you were gone.”
“You know, same old. Kicking butt, being badass,” I said casually, taking a sip of the drink he’d given me. I immediately spit it bac
k into the glass and made a face. It was straight vodka.
Sander didn’t seem to notice. His face was tense with concentration; beads of sweat were rolling down his face. The air around me grew hotter and my skin prickled. I wanted very much to take my clothes off.
I shot Sander a dirty look and shoved him hard in the chest, spilling some vodka on his shirt. “You jerk! Did you really think I would fall for that?”
Since Sander was an ero user—and his abilities were tied to air—he was no doubt the one who had made it so humid in the room. He’d probably been hoping that a few girls would want to strip off their clothes from the heat, but I wasn’t so naïve that I was going to fall for one of his cheap, party tricks.
Sander didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed. “Hey, it was worth a shot. I figured you must’ve been pretty lonely on the outside. Why shouldn’t I reap those benefits if you’re willing?”
“Does it look like I’m willing?” Without waiting for an answer, I stood up and stormed off.
All I wanted to do was grab Misha and get out of here. I finally caught sight of her tucked away in the corner with a demon I didn’t recognize. It didn’t seem likely that she’d want to leave considering the way her lips were glued to the guy’s face. Besides, she was having a good time and I didn’t want to ruin that. I’d leave now and apologize later. She would understand my need to get away.
As I turned towards the door, I caught sight of a familiar face. It belonged to the last person I expected to see here. He was dressed in casual clothing, which made him look really young, and was sipping a glass of amber-colored liquid.
Tyrone was looking right at me, a smile playing around his mouth. He patted the empty seat beside him, and despite the fact that I had wanted to leave a second ago, I couldn’t resist joining him. Besides, I wanted to know how much trouble I was in.
“You know stalking teenage girls is illegal?” I said, dropping down next to him on the loveseat.
His dark eyes studied me in appreciation. “I’m pretty sure you’re the one who followed me here.”
Feeling self-conscious, I tugged at my dress. Why had I worn such a skimpy dress? “I assume you’re going to drag me out of here kicking and screaming?”
“As fun as that sounds, no. I have better things to do with my time.” There was a twinkle in his eye as he said this. “It just so happened that I wanted to come here tonight, and then lo and behold, I catch you and Misha sneaking off to the very place I wanted to be at. It’s like we are synced,” he said with a flirty smile.
“I thought SRECON agents were all about protocol and stuff, or did your evil demon side come out to play?” I asked with a laugh.
“We don’t have an evil side, just a different perspective on life; one that’s more than happy to use your choice of venue tonight.” He raised his glass in my direction as though he was toasting me before taking a gulp of his drink.
“So torturing souls in Hell for an eternity is a different perspective on life?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You actually believe in that old wives’ tale?”
I shrugged, finally relaxing in my seat and surveying the room as we spoke. “Hey, I figure if there are demons then why not a hell?”
“For someone who’s best friends with a demon, you’re mighty discriminatory towards us.” He flashed me a smile that was white against his dark skin.
I considered this for a few seconds. “Misha’s the exception.”
He leaned in closer, his eyes dancing. “And I’m not?”
I pushed him back playfully as another laugh escaped my lips. “You still didn’t tell me what you’re doing here.”
Tyrone sat back in his seat, his expression suddenly serious. “I overheard some demon kids talking about the party, so I thought why not? Veritas has been chewing my brains about some rule that I had apparently broken a week ago, so I wanted to have some fun.”
“Ah, yes, Very Tassels always has to be the googy-goody,” I said.
“Very Tassels?” Tyrone asked, the smile returning to his face. “You know, her name is Veritassen, right?”
“Yes, but she’s very stuffy like tassels,” I explained.
“That makes no sense.”
I shrugged, and then remembered that something was actually bugging him. “So why don’t you just transfer to another Triad? You can do that kind of stuff, right?”
Tyrone frowned and downed the rest of his drink. “It’s a little more complicated than that.”
I was about to ask why, but didn’t manage to get that far because the door suddenly burst open with a resounding crash. Tyrone jumped to his feet, his protective instincts kicking in, and pushed me behind him. I nearly fell back down on the loveseat, but managed to steady myself.
Some girls in the corner screamed as they clung to each other. Misha was alert as usual—her hands furiously on her hips—looking more annoyed than scared by whoever had broken down the door, probably because she had to come up for air.
The bustle of activity made it hard for me to catch sight of who it was. But then a voice spoke, and I recognized the furious tone immediately.
“Everyone, get out. Except Katerina Lyrille.”
Shit. It was Loire.
Chapter Ten
The room emptied out in ten seconds flat—the only two who were brave enough to remain were Tyrone and Misha. Even Sander had bailed on his own party.
It felt like my heart was racing a hundred miles a second. This was worse than being caught by your parents because I didn’t want Loire to see me as a child. I wanted him to see me as an equal, and breaking rules really wasn’t helping my case.
Loire walked further into the room and stopped right in front of Tyrone. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice laced with accusation.
Tyrone seemed uneasy as he placed his glass down. “I, uh, heard there was a party here and came to break it up because it’s, um, part of my service to the school.”
Loire stared him down. “We both know exactly what you’re doing here. Veritas isn’t going to let you off easy for this.” It was a chiding worthy of Very Tassels. If she were here, she’d be proud of her protégé.
Tyrone jerked forward—startling me—as if he was about to hit Loire, but he straightened himself up instead. Loire didn’t break eye contact, his expression grim, and finally Tyrone walked out of the room without saying anything.
Feeling exposed, I sheepishly met Loire’s icy gaze. No wonder Tyrone had backed down and left. The way Loire was staring at me made me want to shrivel up and disappear.
All of a sudden, his expression softened as his eyes flickered over my body, like he was really seeing me. He actually looked stunned for a few seconds, and I silently cheered at my small victory over him. He’d never seen me dressed like this before and clearly he was caught off guard.
“What are you doing here, Kat? Do I have to tie you up to keep you out of trouble?” he asked, regaining his composure.
“As fun as that sounds, no. And I have been staying out of trouble!” I insisted.
Loire didn’t seem convinced. “That’s why you’re here at a party mainly consisting of demons, and consuming alcohol.”
“I didn’t have any alcohol!” I cried, and then shrank back as Loire stormed up to me and forced my mouth open.
It was unnerving how close he was to me. Unnerving and kind of hot.
He sniffed my mouth and pulled away from me. “Are you really going to keep lying to me? I can smell it on your breath.”
I was about to argue with him, but then recalled how I’d mistakenly taken a sip of vodka. “I forgot,” I mumbled, avoiding his raging eyes.
“You forgot?” he asked in disbelief. “That’s the best you can do? That was the case you were going to make in front of Delware if you got caught? That you forgot? Do you think Parla Hampton will go easier on you next time?”
My mouth tightened at his words. He knew the Parla threat would get to me, and it had. My last encounter
with Parla Hampton had been degrading and I didn’t want a repeat of that. But Loire pushing my buttons made me angry beyond comparison.
“I can’t believe you would use that against me after the way he treated me last time! You were there! You saw what happened!” My voice wavered as I desperately tried to keep my tears at bay. “You know he’s cruel.”
The pools of his blue-grey eyes were dark. “Well, maybe you should’ve thought about that before you decided to dress like that, get drunk, and throw yourself at guys.”
His words were like a swift kick to the gut and I felt my resolve start to crumble. How could he say those things to me? How could he be so cold?
“That’s not what I was doing!” I argued.
“Your actions show otherwise.” His nostrils flared and he stared away from me, like he couldn’t stand to look at me anymore. “You’re immature, you’re reckless, and you have no respect for anyone, not even yourself.”
“That’s not fair,” Misha said, breaking her silence. I was grateful for the interruption because I was on the verge of tears and I didn’t want Loire to see how deeply his words had hurt me. “Kat just wanted to have fun. It was just a stupid party.”
Loire turned his head towards her, his expression stony. “That’s all well and good, but Kat is under investigation for a murder. She could get into a lot of trouble over this. You knew that and you still brought her here; what does that say about you?”
Misha’s face turned red and she glared at Loire like she wanted to electrocute him. The air crackled around her, and I knew she was doing her best to control her temper.
“Luckily,” Loire continued, turning back to me, “your other friend was more concerned about you.”
“What?” Misha exclaimed. “Anna tattled on us?”
Loire glanced over at her levelly. “I swung by your dorm to tell Tye something and when none of you were there, I paid Anna a visit. She told me about the party.”
Misha’s face contorted with anger. “Why would she do that to us?”
“Clearly she has a lot more sense than the both of you put together,” Loire said, folding his arms across his chest.
