Page 26 of House of Mages and Raven

“And you’ll sit your ass down until it’s done,” Fred said. “I’ll check on you before your last class is over. You make my life easy, and you won’t on my shit list.”

“Whatever.” I shrugged.

Mages were lazier than other species. They never liked hard work.

Sitting down in the class, I planned to take a nap, but a kick from Sy crushed my small hope. I turned my head to the entrance of the lab just as Grace strolled in. Her school uniform—white shirt, red tie, red skirt, and black stockings—fitted her like a glove. The crest of the House of Underworld—a pointed star above hellfire—was pinned to her chest.

Even since the House of Underworld established itself as the sixth house in Shades Academy, the demon students had all gotten brand-new uniforms. Hell hosted a variety of species and all sorts of monsters, but only highborn demons, who were mostly former fallen angels, attended the academy.

I no longer wore the House of Chaos’s crest of seven arrows in a radial pattern. I bore the mages house’s symbol of a wand and open scroll pasted on the chest of my gold-and-sapphire jacket.

Everyone swept their gazes toward Grace, full of adoration.

“Hi, everyone,” she greeted them with a bright smile.

“Princess Grace!” the class shouted, rushing to her, including our geek friends.

Bea and I were the only ones who stood where we were. It was so weird to see a stranger who looked exactly like me except for the eye color, and it was a cold punch in the guts to know that your doppelgänger had come into your circle to replace you. She’d appeared to be my upgrade last time I spotted her. She’d drawn every eye to her when she entered Jubilee Haven, until I’d stolen her show and derailed her debut—not in a proud way, though, since I’d been dragged to the chaos court for a criminal trial.

It seemed my copy had recovered her ground, judging by how everyone hung on her every word, while she was all smiles, handing out her blessings to the masses.

Even the potion professor, a top witch from my new house, beamed at Grace, as if her new student brightened every corner of her dull lab.

The scene felt surreal.

Bea bit her lip and whispered, “I didn’t get a chance to tell you. While you were away, Princess Grace has taken over everything that you built. The underdogs all go to her now. Almost everyone from every house, except the heirs and their circles, has become her fan. She’s super popular on every supernatural social media, too.”

Bea was a powerful mage, but mages who were more powerful than her were smitten with Grace as well. She stood by me unfalteringly only because of her loyalty to me.

The class surrounded Grace. When she spoke, they all stopped to listen, every ear straining to catch her words, every mind keen to obey her orders.

Sy fumed as she peeked out at the Princess of the Underworld. Her solution was to eat our competition to stay on top.

“They’re eating out of her palm,” Bea whispered, her expression wary, as she watched Grace flip her curls for her groupies to admire. “I can’t believe she looks just like you, except the color of her eyes. She showed up when you were gaining the favor of every prince. It’s like Prince Killian’s betrothed sent her to knock you down.”

I had to give it to Queen Lilith. It was clever to move her pawn, a perceived improved version of me, into my turf. If the princes were drawn to my looks, especially Killian, now they could do better with Grace.

“Maybe she’s your lost twin?” Bea asked.

Sy bristled.I’m your twin!

I thumbed my jawline and pondered, staying cool despite Sy’s fuming. Was Grace really like me? My nostrils flared, taking in my double’s magic scent.

Sy sneered.I don’t need to sniff at the fake to know she’s all empty inside.

But could Grace be divine, like us?

Sy tilted her head, sniffing now. A second later, she let out a whistle.She isn’t like us. She doesn’t have an ounce of goddess blood. We trump her.

“Could you feel her power?” I asked Bea, wanting a second opinion, not that I didn’t trust Sy. Now and then, I preferred to stay on the cautious side. “Is it like mine?”

Bea blinked at me. “In fact, I’ve been analyzing her power. While you were locked away, the academy hosted a feast to honor the Queen of the Underworld. She made a grand speech in front of the entire school, and her ward stood tall beside her. Their magic are similar.”

“Did Prince Killian stand by Queen Lilith when she made the pretty speech?” I asked.

Bea nodded.

I hadn’t expected hearing that to hurt like a hot iron rod running through my chest, since I’d braced myself. I almost doubled over, but Sy pumped her strength into me, straightening us before I could fall apart.

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