Page 40 of Dark Souls Academy: The Sacrifice

When Dex looked up, all eyes were on him. Alaric’s eyes were now red instead of hazel, so he liked the idea. I was game, honestly.

“Shit, I said that through the bond again. How do I hit mute or pause? My thoughts are constantly about sex, and you all are going to think I’m crazy or something,” Dex complained.

I grabbed his hand to bring him over to me, kissing his lips. “It’s cute. Don’t worry, but I’m sure we can teach you. With the bond constantly open like this, it’s different. The brothers have Lucifer as a father, so it’s no surprise they know how to do it. And Alaric’s dad did mess with his head, so he probably learned how to hide his thoughts as well. You, my sex fiend, are an open book, so don’t worry.”

I hoped I explained that correctly. I didn’t want him to be self-conscious or compare himself to the others. I barely knewhow to hide my thoughts. If I wasn’t the center slash leader, I wouldn’t be able to.

He kissed me with a whisper of his love and stood beside me. I hadn’t let go of Alaric’s hand, and didn’t want to, so he put his arm around my waist to free up my hand for the potion travel. We all moved as one, touching each other. Being with them felt smooth and right like we were always meant to be.

“Count of three,” Trigger declared, counting swiftly, “One, two, three.” He tossed down his potion with a triumphant shout. “Ha! I win.” Then, he vanished.

“How’d he win a game we didn’t know we were playing?” Dex asked Kain.

Kain just shrugged and mumbled something like, “Everything’s a game to him.” He disappeared, followed by Bones. Alaric and Dex went just as I did.

No one could go into the invisible shopping center without walking through the two boulders that kept the lowers who weren’t with their Master out, so we appeared in front of them. The heat clung to me, as did the brimstone smell. Several people stood around, aware of the drama inside, but the magic restricted their access.

The place was in the right corner of the grounds next to the Fae forest behind the academy building, so a little of the honeydew scent helped with the smell. It was dark out, we could have blended in if we wanted to, but not this time.

We slipped in the doorway. The magic brushed over me like spiderwebs on my skin. I rubbed my arms but dropped them as soon as the mob was spotted, they stood in the middle of the shopping center. It looked like a scene from an old western where someone was about to have a gun fight. Since guns didn’t work in Hell, it was very unlikely, but I still smiled at the thought.

My eyes scanned over our surroundings. Two long wooden buildings with several small shops faced each other, quite a few were vacant. Their inside lights were off. Usually, the windows around the buildings were mirrored, but I could see through them now. The roofs were teal and a dark, smooth oak, so it was easy to spot anyone up there, but they were empty as well.

My demon sensed the mob in front of me and sighed in relief.These people are all below the top twenty and won’t take much to control. I’d flash them my power and be done with it.

Alaric growled because he wanted to feed. When my eyes met his, he dipped his head.Don’t worry. I have blood in the fridge. I’ll be fine.

That was good, but I still needed to feed him. Where was my assistant Ark when I needed him. I’d put him to work and make a schedule for me. He could pencil in feedings. The snort that escaped me caught the attention of one of the mob men.

He kicked at the dirt road before he shouted. “There’s the bitch that killed Nar. She ruined everything. He said we were going to be mates.”

I couldn’t hold back my eyeroll. He would never have mated the guy. The sadistic fuck just liked to toy with people.

When the aggression rose at his words, I sent out my energy. This didn’t just work on Kain. I was the strongest person at the academy. I held the number one spot, and their demons would back down. Even if the other side of them didn’t.

The electric crackle of my dominance filled the air, and several people flinched, showing their submission. Eyes dropped to the floor, necks were exposed, and some even sank to their knees—typically a sign of submission from weaker demons. A few growled and trembled, struggling to suppress their response, but I needed them to fully submit to avoid physical confrontation.

Honestly, I wasn’t worried. After fighting an entire horde of monstrous demons, this kind of thing didn’t bother me anymore. No one else needed to get hurt, though. They were all just following what they thought was the right way… what Lucifer said was the “demon way.”If I wanted change, I had to give people a chance. Even if they were annoying about it.

Finally, everyone had given into my dominance accepting me as the alpha.

Now, all of you. Show them the force we have with our small group.I demanded of my mates.

It was hard to breathe as each of us crackled and popped into the air. I swear if someone lit a match, we’d explode. Four out of the top five in the academy were here and Stanine was the fifth. These people had no chance. They needed to understand that.

As the force hit them, they collapsed, the shifters going belly up in submission. My hair lifted off my shoulders, and the sparks bit at my skin, but I didn’t care. I walked forward, voice clear as I spoke. “I could have put you on our knees the moment I saw you. Taken away your freedom, your mind, but I didn’t. This is a warning. You don’t have to like me, you don’t have to be around me, but you will respect me. We respect power, and I have all the power. I only give one warning, so I hope you learned from this moment.Go.”

They needed no further prompting. Everyone hurried to leave, eager to escape. If respect for power is the demon way, so is rebellion. Our demons demanded that we strike when we sense weakness, so I needed to prove that we were far from weak. That I was not weak.

As the crowd dispersed, I sighed, both from the drama and the nostalgia. I missed this place. My banishment had prevented me from visiting because Vivian lived here at the end of the shops, there was a portal at the BDSM shop that led to her home.She also ran the Haven, a sanctuary that protected the slaves from the Masters who treated them worse than poorly.

The cherry-wood doors, carved signs, and even the way it smelled like money were things I missed. Honestly, it was probably just Vivian who I missed, but this place was sentimental to me. Besides, who didn’t like a poison shop, a liquor store, and a demon food store with legs and eyeballs advertised in the window to explore? This place had everything.

“Alright, let’s go before I see someone I’m not supposed to.” I sighed and walked away forcing myself not to turn around to look at the shop where I knew she was.

I didn’t even wave or acknowledge in any way that I knew she was there, just in case. I had a few more months and I’d get her back into my life. I wouldn’t intentionally break one of the rules. I planned to kill all the Dark Souls Council, but Hell might still hold the sentencing against me. Who knew with this place? It did what it damn well pleased.

Kain waited for me to walk by him to move. He grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. “Have I told you how much of an amazing Queen you are, mate? You make me proud to call you mine every second of the day.”

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