Page 2 of Her Guardian Demon

With a sob of terror, I break into a stumbling run. The academy's main gates loom before me, wrought iron bars twisted into shapes that hurt my eyes to look at directly. They're closed.

"Help!" I scream, pounding my fists against the unyielding metal. "Please, somebody help me!"

The creature behind me roars. I spin around, pressing my back against the gate, and finally see my pursuer. It's a wolf, but like no wolf I've ever seen. Easily the size of a horse, with fur aswhite as the snow around us. But its eyes... Its eyes glow with an inner fire, intelligent and hungry.

As it stalks towards me, muscles rippling beneath its pristine coat, I close my eyes. This is it. This is how I die, in some impossible place, devoured by a monster from a fairy tale.

Suddenly, there's a groaning of metal behind me. I fall backwards as the gates swing open. Strong hands grab me, pulling me inside. The wolf's snarl of fury is cut off as the gates slam shut once more.

I look up at my savior and my breath catches in my throat. The being before me is beautiful in an alien, terrifying way. Skin like polished alabaster, hair the color of a moonless night, eyes that seem to hold galaxies within their depths.

It – he? – smiles down at me, revealing teeth just a little too sharp to be human.

"Welcome to Ravencrest, little hexeblood," he says, his voice like silk over steel. "You’re late."

As blackness creeps in at the edges of my vision, my last thought before unconsciousness claims me is that I've stumbled into a world far stranger and more dangerous than I could have ever imagined.

2

KIERAN

Isit at my ornate desk in the highest tower of Ravencrest, absently leafing through reports from the various departments. The monotony of administrative duties weighs heavily, a far cry from the intricate research I'd rather be conducting. I suppress a sigh, reminding myself that my position as headmaster of dark magick within the court affords me unparalleled resources and influence.

Suddenly, a tremor ripples through the magical wards surrounding the academy grounds. My head snaps up, senses instantly alert. There – a disturbance in the outer reaches of the forest. A presence both familiar and utterly foreign.

With a wave of my hand, I summon a scrying mirror. The piles of parchment on my desk scatter, forgotten, as the shimmering surface coalesces, revealing a young woman stumbling through the dark woods. Her fear is palpable, even through the magical link. But beneath that fear... ah, there it is.

Power. Raw, untapped, and positively intoxicating.

I lean forward, studying the girl in the mirror. She's unremarkable at first glance – plain features, disheveled from her panicked flight through the forest.

But her eyes... There's a spark there, a hint of the potential that drew her to our realm.

A smile curves my lips as I watch her struggle through the snow, heading unerringly towards Ravencrest. The compulsion spell worked perfectly. She thinks she's choosing the academy as sanctuary, unaware that every step brings her closer to the destiny I've woven for her.

This one has spirit. I summon a phantasmal beast behind her to really taste her deliriously delicious fear.

I put on my jacket and arrive before she does, watching from the shadows as she pounds desperately against the iron bars. The fear rolling off her in waves is exquisite, but it's the undercurrent of defiance that truly whets my appetite.

Only when I’ve had my fill do I release her, opening the gates and allowing her to tumble in. The moment our skin touches, I feel it – the unmistakable thrum of hexeblood magic.

My smile widens.

Oh, she's perfect.

"Welcome to Ravencrest, little hexeblood. You’re late."

She tries to pull away, but I maintain my grip. With my free hand, I conjure a small orb of shadowfire, letting it dance between my fingers. Her eyes go impossibly wider, fear warring with fascination.

"What... what are you?" she whispers, voice trembling.

I chuckle, allowing the shadowfire to dissipate. "I am Kieran, Headmaster of Ravencrest and master of education. And you, my dear, are a most intriguing puzzle."

Her brow furrows in confusion. "Headmaster? I don't understand. I was just trying to get to my exam and–"

"Your mortal concerns are irrelevant now," I interrupt, waving a dismissive hand. "You've crossed into the realm of the Winter Court, drawn by the power in your blood."

"Power? What are you talking about?" Her voice rises, panic edging in.

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