Page 31 of Demon Found

Springing toward the asshole, my arms outstretched, I let out a screech of pure fury. Icy cold air shoots from my hands, wraps the satyr up in a tornado, and blasts him into the glass wall of the cafeteria. He lands with a sickening crack, and a second later, the glass shatters on top of him.

Blinking, I stare at my hands. Why couldn’t I dothatin class?

“Finally, someone put that sleazeball in his place,” Val says, slipping into the seat on the other side of Naeve. “Look, the satyr shit his pants too. Give a girl warning next time, I nearly missed the show!”

“Thanks, Lorelei,” Naeve says. “I just froze when he touched me. You didn’t miss a beat . . .”

“Uh. No worries,” I reply. She’s still talking but from across the cafeteria, Farrell’s hypnotic gaze snags mine. Her voice, along with the hysterical chatter of the cafeteria, dies away, and I’m only aware of him and me. Farrell nods once at me before he turns away, straightening his tie.

Well. I guess that’s hisspecialway of saying well done. I thought he and Naeve were friends? Does that asshole even have emotions?

I bury my head in my hands and stare at the table. Surely that stunt warrants a trip to the dean’s office. Seth is going to be livid with me, again.

“You just get to your next class, young Lorelei.” A plump flour-covered hand lands on my shoulder. “I saw what happened, and I dare say the security cameras caught it too. I’ll ensure there are no repercussions. That kid’s on salt crackers and water if I have anything to do with it.”

Mrs. Cocci bustles back to the kitchen without waiting for a reply, and I brush the flour distractedly from my uniform. I am never getting on her bad side. The food makes being at the academy bearable. Crackers and water would break me.

“That was kick-ass,” Val mutters. “You’re definitely not your average harpy. I mean, it was obvious in class—whoever heard of a harpy with anything other than paper-thin sludge-brown wings? Yours are magnificent.”

“His attitude is bullshit,” I say. “I don’t care if it’s ‘in his nature.’ Not all satyrs are like that. It’s just an excuse for piss-poor behavior.”

Glowering, I follow Val and Naeve to class. I can’t wait for this week to be over, but I’ve got to get through Combined Magic first.My favorite.

“Right, class, five-minute sets attempting to share magic, allow your partner to use one of your powers, then swap over. Change partners at five minutes.” The levitating gown that is Professor Maggo bellows across the vast hall and students scatter to comply.

Val grabs my hands with an excited squeak.

Shit. This is not going to go well.

Chapter Sixteen: Lorelei

“MissSmith.You’renoteven trying.”

“I am!”

It’s a blatant lie, and by Val’s arched eyebrow, she knows it too. Every single one of my cells are screaming in protest. Val pushes her power at me again, and a shiver racks my body, discomfort skittering up my spine. I yank my hands away with a snarl.

Professor Maggo purses his lips, flicking the lights back up. So much for mood lighting to help our concentration. My eyes are melting. “Maybe there’s something to be said for your upbringing causing problems.”

I have had enough of this shit. I have two elements, probably three. I might have a lot of catching up to do but I’m powerful. He’s got no right to talk down to me just because I’m from Venez. I twist in my seat to face him.

“Before you set something on fire, Miss Smith, I did a little digging. I understand a bit more about your background.”

The hell he does.

“If someone grows up in an environment where everything is a threat, where they have to fight to survive, it’s natural to build barriers.”

Rubbing my forehead, I stare at him. He’s not judging me. His squat body levitates several feet off the ground, rising a few inches with every word he emphasizes, his black academy gown bobbing in time. It’s comic. Except, he looks sincere, interested almost.

“You need to work on bringing your barriers down around fellow students, when you’re not under threat.” He glares in the direction of Camille and the side of his mouth pulls down slightly. “That’s your homework—learn to relax around other students.”

“I’d be happy to help you relax, sweet cheeks.” The shifter next to me grins lopsidedly and gives me a nudge.

What is with sleazy guys today?

He winks, his gaze traveling down my body and back up, stalling where my shirt pulls over my boobs.

Thwack.

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