Page 72 of Beauty's Monstrous Demons

Together, they push me over the edge, grinning as I come with a cry. Phenex pumps his fingers inside my cunt, dragging out my release before pulling them out and pushing them into his mouth to suck them clean. Shivering because I know he’s tasting me straight from the source, I gasp as Samael picks me up and strides toward the bathroom.

“While Phenex cooks you breakfast, I’ll enjoy my taste,” he says with a grin.

God, I really could get used to this.

My day is going incredibly well, right up until I walk into rehearsal. I can hear Professor Dalca tearing apart someone’s performance, asking them to stop and start again. Surprisingly, it’s one of his theater students who doesn’t seem bothered by it.

“Yes, sir,” he says. “From the top?”

“Let’s try it again when Terrence walks in on Lola cheating on him,” Professor Dalca says. “I need to hear the anger in your voice, alright?”

Still standing, he seems to glare at the student as he begins again, laser focused as he watches. Maybe that’s just his voice, but I’m unused to someone yelling at me like that. I cannot imagine having him as my professor.

Dropping my bag on a chair, I sit down as I wait for my turn. In the meantime, I begin studying my music, singing it in my head to make sure it’s memorized. Unfortunately, the way I hear it and the way Professor Dalca will want it sung are two different things.

The monster has a vision, and this musical is full of angst. There are also some very funny moments when a couple kisses, but almost knock each other out instead. It’s apparently a musical that Professor Dalca wrote, which means it’s a project that he has a large stake in.

I expect that seeing it come to life means that things have to be done to perfection. The creative process is just going to be painful for everyone involved, though.

“He’s one of the best professors I’ve ever had,” a girl says, leaning forward to speak to me. Dalca is working on another piece of the song with the student, and completely engrossed. “Are you a theater student?”

“I’m just a stand in,” I whisper, not wanting to draw attention to myself.

“Professor Dalca should have been a theater director,” she explains. “He insists that he would rather help others achieve their dreams, because it’s what makes him happy. The larger picture is what allows him to feel successful.”

“Really?” I ask, forcing myself not to squeak. I didn’t really see him like that. I would have thought that he’d enjoy being in the limelight.

“Mmhmm,” she says. “I’m Rinalda by the way. Just know that his tone isn’t a direct reflection of his mood. He always sounds like a dick.”

My lips twitch in amusement as I nod, going back to reviewing my music.

“Miss Rose!” Professor Dalca yells. “It’s so nice to see that you’ve graced us with your presence. Please join us on stage.”

Holding back an annoyed sigh, I glance at Rinalda to see she has an odd look on her face.

“On second thought,” she mutters, “he may actually not like you.”

Fucking perfect. Standing, I walk up the stairs to the stage, armed with my music sheets.

“Do you know your music?” he asks, his hand motioning to the paper in my hand.

“I do,” I reply. “Consider these a security blanket in case I mess up.”

“I have no doubt that you’ll fuck this up. That’s the point of rehearsals,” Professor Dalca says with a snort. “Go place them on the table over there and let’s see how fucked we are.”

Lips pursed, I do as he demands before returning to the front of the stage.

“Let’s hear ‘A Little Mistake’ and Harry will sing with you,” Professor Dalca says.

Harry raises his brow because this is the first time we’re rehearsing this together, but nods regardless. I suppose there’s few monsters or humans who will deny the professor what he wants.

The pianist begins the introduction, and I listen, counting the notes in my head before I begin. I did some more internet stalking of my own on the professor recently, and found that he is typically in charge of the orchestra for a lot of the performances that occur around campus.

He is also very involved with the theater side of things, and always leads at least one musical production a year. It explains why I rarely saw him when I lived in the dorms.

Professor Dalca allows Harry and I to get one-third of the way through the song before stopping us. Many of the changes are on harmonizing, and we practice over and over until we hit it correctly. Harry grins at me as it happens, because it’s obvious when it rings true.

“Yes!” Dalca yells, motioning for us to continue. As we finish the song, he nods. “That’s it. Take a break and we’ll move on in five.”

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