A Demon's Wings: Vice College For Young Demons: Year Three

by Marie Mistry

  I giggled and snuggled my thief, tucking my head into that spot between his neck and shoulder and pressing a kiss to the skin there.

  “You were protecting our girl,” Bane acknowledged. “I probably would have done the same thing if I were a cantankerous Wrath with authority issues.” I could feel his laughter down the bond. “Apology accepted.” He tugged me closer while simultaneously pulling my face up so he could look me in the eyes. “How about a celebratory kiss?”

  “If ye' think yer screwing on me hospital bed, ye've got another thing coming, laddie.” A thick Irish accent intruded on our moment and I turned to glare at McCormix.

  “I have the gift of pain manipulation. If you don't want to have pins and needles in your cock for the next year, you'll leave me to cuddle my mate in peace.”

  The doctor paled and held his hands up in a placating gesture as he backed away slowly. “Alright, alright, I'mma goin. Thought you oughta know that Torin's lookin' for yeh' though.”

  I groaned and shifted away from Bane, rolling off towards the door. “If you die while I'm gone…”

  He tugged me back, stole a kiss that was nowhere near as long as we both wanted it to be and let me go, grinning from ear to ear. “I wouldn't dare. You're scary when you're mad.”

  I looked at Aeron and Kain. “Are you coming with me?”

  “You bet your perfect ass we are.” Kain stood and Aeron wasn't far behind, but Jin grabbed my hand before I could follow them out of the door. He pressed a slice of cold pizza into my hand with an apologetic smile.

  “Eat something first, Pet. We got this earlier but I didn't want to disturb you.”

  I smiled as I took the slice from him and that smile turned into a full grin as Blaze reached out and the cheesy slice of goodness started to steam before my eyes. One look into his eyes told me he didn't share my happiness.

  No, Blaze may have forgiven Bane, but he had a storm of impotent rage built up behind those breath-taking green orbs. It didn't take much searching down our mating bond to tell me it was all because we now had no plan to deal with my poisoning.

  “Have I told you how much I love you all?” I said, ignoring Blaze's anger in favour of blowing them a kiss before taking a huge bite.

  “We'll follow as soon as Bane has the all-clear from the doctor,” Daron promised, giving me a small smile.

  Torin had 'helpfully' left a guard outside our door to guide me to the recruits. I wasn't fooled. He wanted to make sure I wasn't going to back out of our deal.

  The gym I was led to was blindingly lit by the same fluorescents which covered the underground base and I had to wonder if that was to cover up the fact that the room was dull, grey and otherwise featureless. In front of me, thirty men and women stood in a military formation, their eyes following my entrance into the room. Torin leaned against the wall to one side.

  “All yours, Lady Carazor,” he called as I passed him.

  I ignored him, instead focusing on the people before me. Was it my imagination or did they all seem so young? Had I aged so much over the last two years? Or was it experience and the knowledge of how close I was coming to my own mortality that was shaping my vision now?

  “There is a very good chance that some of you will die.” I let my eyes linger on each and every one of them. “If you're not here voluntarily and you care about your life, please leave now.”

  Not even a twitch. They turned to stone where they stood.

  I took a deep breath and gestured to the one on the end. “One at a time then. Come and touch my hand.”

  The first recruit did so but it took a minute of awkward skin-to-skin contact before she screamed out in pain. When she crumpled to the floor, the others seemed to collectively hold their breath but when she rose again, a rough, bleeding, Pride crystal evident on her forehead, they let it out.

  The next wasn't far behind her, and the next, and the next. It wasn't until I was halfway through the line that I was left with a corpse lying at my feet.

  I closed my eyes, silently apologising. But at least he'd known the risks, and no one could pretend otherwise. Two of his newly-shown squad-mates lifted his body away, carrying it respectfully out of sight. Once again, I asked if anyone wanted to leave and once again, they all remained. Two more died and each time, I offered those remaining another out.

  They wouldn't take it.

  Damn this stupid 'gift.'

  Three dead out of thirty…

  I suppose that gives me a one-in-ten mortality rate, I thought, morbidly as I looked over the recruits.

  “Congratulations,” I muttered, turning on my heel.

  Aeron took my hand as we passed Torin, his thumb stroking my knuckles. Kain echoed the move on my other side.

  “It was their choice, Baby Girl. You gave them all every opportunity to leave. Don't feel guilty.”

  I nodded, my mouth set into a grim line as I turned to Kain. “Can we leave now? I'd like to go home.”

  “Rezinax first,” he insisted. “You're worn out.”

  “Will you all stop using the bond against me,” I grumbled but inside, I was pleased. I didn't want to have to swallow my pride and admit that I was hurting as much as I was.

  When he took us through the shadow realm and we reappeared directly in front of the Head Healer, I couldn't hold back my sigh of relief.

  Chapter 31

  Nelly was the one to deliver my dress on the day of the ball. As my PA, she'd overseen organising everything while my men and I worked on breaking into Craven Hall. The gown she delivered was a mournful black and I looked at it in confusion.

  “A gift, from Prime Delaroza,” she spat, as we stood facing the frothy, tulle creation laid out on the bed. “He said, 'because you embody the hope of all the castes, you should not be forced to wear the colours of just one.' It's such bullshit that he might as well spread it like fertiliser.”

  I shrugged as I stared at it. “It's not hideous, at least.”

  Indeed, it was a surprisingly nice dress; if not for the fact that it had been purchased by a man who wanted me dead. The halter top was low-cut and embroidered with a pretty, swirling lace, complimenting the plainness of the layered skirt. There were black, shimmering diamonds added tastefully into the outfit and the buttons securing everything were gold, embossed with the familiar Carazor crest.

  But there was no caste colour, no gift colours, just black. The colour of the High Chamber.

  I might as well have worn my assembly robes.

  My inner politician knew this was intended to isolate me and last year, it might have worked. This dress would have made me dread walking out of my room. But I'd survived a lot since then.

  If Hannibal thought a dress would make me cower in fear, he had another thing coming.

  Maxine, my stylist, gushed over the gift from the Prime. Almost instantly, she put my family mask against the fabric, watching as the blue feathers darkened to a matching black. She complimented it so zealously that my grin only got wider and wider.

  Yes, Hannibal had meant to cow me, but he wasn't going to succeed.

  My jewellery for the evening was a set of gold with diamonds that were a gift from Bane, Daron and Kain. Twinkles of starlight circled my throat and dripped from my ears. Maxine did my makeup so that I looked like a femme fatale from a silent movie, lips dripping a deep scarlet and eyes lined with bold flicks at the corner.

  I took up my sigillary as soon as Maxine finished with my hair. The golden band felt heavy as I slipped it over my brimstone but the flash of warmth across my wings and horns made me smirk.

  Tonight, I might be doing Aoife Saxon's bidding but I was done playing games.

  I was done letting them portray me as weak and useless.

  The stylist stepped back and bowed, eyes shiny. “Lady Carazor.”

  I studied my reflection with the cool detachment of a warrior examining her arsenal. “Thank you, Maxine.”

  She just bowed again, opening the door for me.

  Leaving my room and head
ing down the empty staircase felt a little surreal. The other students at Vice weren't required to attend this ball and, with mock exams approaching, it seemed most of them wouldn't bother. I passed a whole load of them in the common room, sitting together, enjoying themselves, worrying about schoolwork.

  For a second, I felt jealous of them. Of how little they had to worry about.

  Seeing my men waiting for me outside the Carnal Tower, however, made it fade away. Everything I went through was worth it if I got to spend my life with my mates.

  Seven gorgeous demons, all looking at me like I was the most stunning woman they'd ever seen in their lives. It was enough to make me forget, for a moment, that I was poisoned. Or that I was about to enter a room full of people, some of whom wouldn't survive a handshake with me.

  “I've said it before, Pretty Darling, but black suits you.” Enzo offered me a dashing grin as he extended his arm.

  “Before we set off, we had something to ask you.” Daron raised a brow at my Assassin mate, who had the good grace to look sheepish.

  “Yes, ahem. Sorry.” He glanced back at the others.

  I blushed. What were they up to?

  “Lilith, we all absolutely adore you,” Blaze began.

  “You own us, body and soul,” Aeron continued.

  “We'll never touch another.” Bane's voice was as solemn as the grave.

  But Kain's wasn't. “We promise to keep you smiling and fight with you against everything life throws at us.”

  “And wherever you go, we will always follow.” A faint blush coloured Daron's cheeks as he spoke.

  Jin stepped forward, his sleeve rustling with the tell-tale signs of Doughnut being present. “Will you do us the honour of having a mating ceremony?”

  A tiny pink nose emerged from Jin's sleeve before the rat tumbled onto his outstretched palm, stealing my eyes from Enzo as he finished their speech. “So that we can tell the whole world you're ours?”

  Doughnut's neck had a tiny pink ribbon tied around it and on it was a single, golden ring.

  I wordlessly let Doughnut wander over from Jin's hand onto my own, tears pricking the corners of my eyes as I carefully untied the band and slid it over my finger. It was a chevron ring, set with seven uncut stones in each of their caste colours. The rough gems glimmered in the light of the Tower, casting rainbows everywhere.

  I was so hypnotised by the effect that it took me a second to realise I'd never actually given them an answer. I nodded, grinning. “Of course I will.”

  There was a collective sigh of relief and then I was descended upon by all of them.

  “I didn't realise it was important to you,” I whispered.

  “Well, I'm mainly interested in picking out toys for the honeymoon.” Kain winked. “It was Daron's idea, mostly.”

  “I saw you say 'yes' in a vision,” Blaze added. “But I was still nervous.”

  “In my day, the fact that we slept together before the ceremony would have been scandalous,” Enzo reminded me. “You're lucky that Blaze insisted we all had to be able to spend an hour in each other's company without fighting before we asked you.”

  “I had to know there was some hope of us making it through the ceremony peacefully,” Blaze grumbled.

  I lifted my newly-adorned finger toward the assassin. “This ring isn't secretly going to poison anyone, is it?”

  “If I told you, where would be the fun?”

  I turned to Daron. “No hidden tracking devices?”

  He just smiled silently and I shook my head in disbelief before addressing them all. “Any other special features this ring might have that anyone may want to mention now?”

  “Well,” Kain smirked. “It does have one. If anyone else looks at your gorgeous ass, one of your seven mates will magically appear to remove their eyeballs from their skulls.”

  I rolled my eyes but I couldn't stop smiling as we walked toward the doors of the castle. The grounds echoed with the lilting music of the string quartet long before we could actually see the light spilling from the windows. Stragglers who were strolling towards the castle stopped to bow as we passed but I was too focused to acknowledge them.

  Outside the door, men in red uniforms embroidered with the crest of the Assembly glowered at everyone who passed them and I grimaced.

  Hannibal's army was here. That couldn't be good.

  People in the foyer made a path for us, giving me and my mates a wide berth as we glided through towards the Great Hall. Guests were ditching their native languages in favour of using Demonish to overcome the language barrier and the harsh vowels grated against my ears as we approached the door to the ballroom.

  Rina caught up with us halfway there, executing a half-hearted bow which I waved away so she could join me.

  “Thank the Strange God, you're here. I can't listen to any more of the Italian students trying to make Demonish sound sexy. It's wearing on my eardrums.”

  “I can barely remember my Demonish,” I admitted. “I knew it would be useful but Saxon made me drop it in favour of politics. Did you find out anything?”

  “Everyone I've talked to believes the only thing going on here is you giving a bunch of first-years their showings.” She shrugged, her creepy skull mask jingling with the motion. “No one even knows if Hannibal is coming. Although it is an international event, he's been known to skip out on these kinds of functions before…”

  I frowned, because the army at the doors seemed a lot like Hannibal's doing. “He'll be here. He wouldn't have sent the dress not to watch me wear it.”

  Motion in the corner of my eye distracted me for a second, but it was only my imps. Onyx and Ivory were zooming around me in glee, whizzing between the guests, taking shiny things as they passed. I wanted to be mad but whenever they found a new thing they liked, they placed their old acquisition in place of the new one. I wanted to watch them forever but Vivienne's arrival brought my focus back to the ball.

  “My father isn't coming tonight,” she warned, in place of a greeting.

  “Damnit.” I could feel Enzo's disappointment. “I wanted to kill three birds with one stone. Now I'll have to settle for two and a job half-done is so damned messy…”

  “Why is that a bad thing?” I asked Viv, instead of replying to him.

  “Because my father is a coward who avoids conflict.” Viv pushed a stray lock of black hair back from her face. “Notice Morph isn't here either? They're probably holed up somewhere because Ajax believes something dangerous is going to happen.”

  “Coward,” Aeron grumbled.

  “Yes, but cowards, like rats, sometimes survive where the brave do not.” Vivienne sounded almost like she was repeating doctrine before she snapped out of it with a subtle shake of her head.

  “Professor Saxon is waiting for you,” Nelly and Lulu spoke in unison, rounding out our group.

  “I think she plans to have the showings first so that everyone can celebrate afterwards,” Nelly finished.

  “There are a lot of people here,” I mumbled. “How many of them are in their Awaiting?”

  Lulu shrugged and let her gaze float around the room. “Perhaps half, maybe more. It's going to take a while.”

  “A long while,” Rina grumbled, almost shoving into someone who didn't get out of her way fast enough. “I hope the canapés taste good.”

  “That's really what you're thinking about right now?” Nelly snapped.

  Rina shrugged and smiled sweetly. “Well, I could be worrying that my sister-by-mating is poisoned, the people who hate her and my brother are here to try and kill us and that my mate is suspiciously absent when I told him we might need his help. But there's only room for one anally-retentive worrywart in this ragtag group of misfits and you've already got the position nailed.”

  Nelly fumed silently but didn't retort as two more guards in Assembly uniforms opened the Great Hall doors for us. The girls peeled off, fading into the room almost completely unnoticed before I entered, followed by my mates in a solid line behind me
.

  “Lady Carazor, Head of Her House, and her mates, Daron Abraxon, Blaze Inferna, Bane Krossian, Aeron Saxon, Jin Sharax and Kain Zenunim.” The Announcer had to visibly take a huge breath after reading out all the names.

  Enzo snickered in my mind. “Imagine his face if someone told him he had to say eight names at once.”

  “One day they're going to announce you too. You can't hide in the shadows forever.”

  “I belong in the shadows, Pretty Darling. I was born for them. It's far harder to kill someone if the enemy sees you coming … I'll let my brothers-by-mating enjoy the limelight, as long as you remember who you belong to.”

  I smiled softly and some of the people watching assumed that the smile was for them. Polite applause started from the waiting throng of people and I nodded to acknowledge them.

  The applause faded quickly enough and my smile washed away as the Headmistress approached me.

  “Headmistress,” I acknowledged. “What is the plan?”

  “If you'll follow me, there's a private room set up for you to meet the first-years and refreshments, should you need them. I would like to introduce them to you in small groups. When they've had their showings, they'll come back to the hall to be announced by the elders.”

  In other words, she wanted me isolated, away from witnesses. “No need to go to all that trouble. I'll just stand with the elders.”

  She frowned but the motion was very slight and she couldn't say anything to object, because tonight, I was Lady Carazor and I hadn't asked her a direct question.

  She could only follow, mute, as I led the way to the stage. The elders were already waiting, seated on their thrones with polite smiles for me as I approached. Ruelle was the only one who looked genuinely happy to see me and Vrosis looked more like he was grimacing than smiling. There was no throne for me, so I stood in front of them, my mates taking up the spaces at the bottom of the stage, facing out into the room.

  I had barely stepped into place when Saxon announced the first person.

  “Anna-Maria Fiorrex.”

  I clasped the girl's hand for a second and, like with Torin's recruits, it took a while before she collapsed. The scream I was expecting seemed muffled and it took two more showings for me to figure out that Professor Saxon had rustled up some last minute audiokinetics to mask the sound of the students' pain. No doubt it was all to make the performance more palatable for the audience that watched, intrigued.