Page 1 of Demon Found

Chapter One: Lorelei

Everymanforhimself.

That’s how Venez works. I know it, this guy at the end of my knife knows it. Hell, everyone who lives in this shithole knows it. The rest of Eltanin might be different, but here it’s the unwritten law.

Still, part of me feels sorry for the guy. A very small part. He was damn stupid to flash his cash around. If it hadn’t been me, it would have been someone else. Especially since he’s so weak a seventeen-year-old girl without any magic just overpowered him.

A hiccuping sob drags my attention back to the wretched guy. He looks like he’s about to piss his pants. I’m notthatscary, and I one hundred percent do not need the extra attention his shrieking will bring.

Holding the tip of my knife to his neck I motion toward his wrist. He scrabbles to dump his shitty watch in the pile beside his wallet and phone. None of it is very valuable, but at least I’ll have money for food. It’s not like Frank is going to feed me, is it? Snorting back a laugh, I snatch up my haul and back away slowly, knife held high.

Reaching the end of the alley I peer around the corner. No one. Thank the heavens and hells.Dammit, if I had my magic, I could get a regular job instead of resorting to this shit.Sliding out the alley, I walk down the street at a brisk pace. Not too fast, not too slow. Nothing to call anyone’s attention. Pulling jobs on Las Ratas territory is downright dangerous, but who wants to employ a kid off the street like me?

If I just had my genus, if I could shift . . .

Hellfire, while I’m dreaming, I may as well dream big. If I wasascended, I could leave this crappy corner of the supernatural world for good. If I wasascended, I’d have full access to my powers, I could apply for a visa and travel anywhere in Eltanin. Anywhere at all. But nope, here I am stuck in Venez without an iota of power, risking my neck for cents.

How in hell’s name am I going to survive once I turn eighteen and Frank turfs me out?

I’m too wrapped up in my thoughts to register the dull roar of the crowd. I careen around the corner into the back of hundreds of pissed-off supes. How did I not hear this? The chanting is deafening. The crowd surges, engulfing the first row of riot cops.

“Food! Sanitation! Health!”

It’s not asking for much, but I’m surprised they even have the energy to protest. I get why we live like this. Venez citizens can’t cause the Angel King problems if our whole province is half-starved and fighting each other for scraps the whole time. We’re the lowest of the low. The rest of Eltanin doesn’t give a damn about us. It’s another unspoken supernatural law—those with more power prosper, and they keep the rest of us down.

I donotneed to get caught up in this. Protests are dangerous. I do enough dodgy shit as it is. My juvie record speaks for itself. Ducking my head, I pull my cap low over my face, squinting around for security cameras. The police retaliation for a protest of this size will be vicious. Thepoliceare vicious.

Ferocious black clouds of magic-suppressing gas pulse into the square, pushing the crowd back, coughing and spluttering. As the smoke slowly drifts away an uneasy silence falls. There, crumpled on the ground, unnaturally still, is a body. A uniformed body.

Fuck.

I’m up and running before the smoke completely dissipates. Dead bodies aren’t unusual, far from it. But a dead officer? Anyone caught today is fair game. And the police don’t play fair when they take revenge for one of their own.

By the time I’m far enough away to be sure I’m out of trouble, my pulse is hammering, and I’m choking out ragged gasps. Dammit, I’ve enough bloody problems as it is without getting caught up in civil unrest. I can’t afford to be so careless.

Leaning against a crumbling wall, I let my breath slow as I inspect my stolen haul. The wallet has piss-all money in it, enough for a few meals. The watch is trash—I may as well give it away to someone in exchange for a favor. Sighing, I turn to the phone. It’s decent, not the latest model but still . . . very sellable. I ping out the SIM card, letting it fall to the ground. Palming my own from my pocket I pop it in, quickly checking for any new jobs.

The screen lights up, and the phone vibrates violently in my hand as message after message comes through—some over two weeks old. Messages from my brother.

What the hell? We don’t talk. Sure, after he got out the foster system, he looked me up. But we’ve spent too long apart to act like proper siblings. A bitter disappointment roils in my stomach.

And now this . . . five missed calls and a series of messages. What the blazing nymphs is going on?

Where are you? The rest of your year has arrived.

I scroll quickly to the next message, my brain scrambling to catch up.

What the hell is wrong with you? I did everything in my power to get you into my academy. They won’t be impressed you’re late. This is going to reflect badly on me, you ungrateful little shit.

His academy? Fates Academy—a real-lifeproperuniversity for supes. It’s nothing like the crappy colleges in Venez. What the hell’s he talking about? What does he meangetting me in?

I applied. Of course I did. I applied the hell out of every single academy in the supernatural world. I’d have applied for a place on Mars if it would give me a shot at ascension. Hellfire, I might even have considered a uni place in the human realm. Except the unascended aren’t allowed to travel there. Apparently we’re too stupid to stay hidden from the humans.

I was so sure I’d aced the entrance exams, but I’ve heard nothing back. From anywhere. The disappointment hits me all over again. Scrunching my nose up, I turn back to the phone.

A prickle of apprehension crawls down my spine, and I scroll with shaking fingers to the last message.

Are you seriously throwing away this opportunity? The dean says you didn’t even respond to their acceptance letter. I look like an idiot. Don’t dare contact me again. Is life so cushy that you think you don’t need this, that you don’t need me?! I’m your only family, you brat. Maybe you really are the spoiled little princess Mom always said you were.

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