Page 31 of House of Demons and Bones

“I can walk to class by myself,” I’d insisted, even when Sy begged me to let her man escort us so she could moon over him through my eyes like a lovesick fool. At one point, I swore that Rowan had spotted my eyes flickering golden—Sy’s signature color. His eyes had flashed silver in response. “I don’t need rumors about us, Sir Rowan. You get my drift?”

“Can’t say I do,” he’d said, but he’d conceded when I’d whispered to him that I would send Sy to him later for his booty call.

He’d still left his fae guards on my tail though.

“School’s boring,” Cami said. “Figured you’d have some action going on.”

I couldn’t shut her down like I’d done to Rowan, so I shrugged.

Our group traipsed through the north courtyard, past the five house sculptures standing sentinel around the ancient white tree. The demon house hadn’t been able to muscle its way into this spot yet, and I called that a small mercy.

“What’s going on with you and Prince Rowan?” Drusilla couldn’t resist asking. She’d known me longer than anyone, since back when she managed me at the House of Vampires as Louis’s PA. “He usually steers clear of you.”

Tell them to fuck off,Sy barked.He’s mine!

“Nothing’s going on,” I said, squinting at the shimmering “Pathfinder” letters swirling across the façade of the ebony dome.

Why was I still playing student while danger circled? I needed to talk to Killian. Just thinking of him made my body hum and my heart ache. A few hours apart and I missed him terribly already. Pretty pathetic how I envied Sy’s little reunion with her man just now.

Not just any man,she corrected.Mate!

Yet she’d also claimed to have a connection with both Silas and Louis. I shook my head. My own relationship was fucked up enough without diving into someone else’s shit.

The wind brushed my face before I registered the spark of the familiar bond. Pucker materialized in front of me a heartbeat later, huffing and brimming with energy. Had he fed from Killian? I’d warned him about divided loyalties.

Everyone except Cami and I jumped back with a yelp.

“Take cover! Incoming attack!” Bea shouted.

“It’s fine,” I said. “It’s just Pucker.”

Pucker twirled with a flourish and bowed to the group. “Ladies.”

“Is that the poltergeist from the House of Chaos?” Drusilla’s voice quivered.

Pucker dropped his smile, menace rolling off him. He hated to be called that.

“Pucker,” I warned before he could show my friends what a real poltergeist would do.

He resorted to shooting Drusilla a glare before turning to me with a solemn expression. “Barbie, we’ve got a situation.”

I gestured for him to get on with it and quit his usual dramatics.

“I spotted a Shrieker, Barbie,” he said. “I came to you right away, knowing that you’d be pissed otherwise. And no one in their right mind would piss off a godde—” He cut himself off at my warning glare. “Now I need to report to Prince Killian about the abomination. Direct orders. You aren’t my only boss, and serving two masters is not for the fainthearted.” He called over his shoulder as he shifted into his phantom form, “Don’t do anything reckless. Just wait for His Highness.”

Before I could stop him and ask more questions, he vanished. No point yanking the familiar bond and dragging him back now.

“You go ahead,” I told our group. “I’ll catch up.”

“Where are you going?” Cami demanded.

“I’ll return soon,” I said, waving them off, not wanting my friends in harm’s way.

“Wait,” Cami called.

I couldn’t wait. The bad news sliced through my veins like sharp ice. Urgency thrummed through me. This situation needed to be taken care of right away. I couldn’t afford to let a Shrieker breach our defenses.

I zoomed toward the Veil, mapping the route in my head—through the woods, past vampire territory, across the plains, and over the hills at the academy’s southern border.

---