The school body lined up on either side of the doors, a robotic, emotionless firing squad we’d have to walk past to reach our ‘first class.’ What was it going to be—beginner’s guide to kidnapping the most beautiful and brave and fearsome womanin the entire known universe? Well, I didn’t need that because she was already my wife.
“Chop chop,” Cruelty said in an attempt at sternness, standing with her back straight, head high like she was a brutal headmistress and not a sad bride in her true form.
“There better be no literal chopping involved in this lesson,” Pain muttered as Cruelty and Violence moved aside and we progressed, cautiously and slowly, down the long path to the school building.
“Don’t worry, Lioness,” I murmured, tucking her safely between Death and me. “If they try to hurt you again, I’ll burn this school to the ground.”
Pain shook his curly head. “Is that supposed to be comforting?”
“Well, yeah.” I gave him an odd look. Who didn’t find arson comforting? “Duh.”
I peered up at the spire above us when we reached the stone steps, an archway gaping wide and ready to swallow us into the shadowy, ominous building and devour us whole. When Cat strode inside, I didn’t hesitate to follow. For better or worse, we’d enrolled in Ford University of Cruelty.3
CHAPTER 16
CAT
If I ignored the fact all my men sat in the wooden row with me, and the professor spoke in stilted language in a mechanical tone, the day was… normal. No body parts, no corpses for us to dissect, and we didn’t even see Cruelty and Violence for the rest of the day. I didn’t take any notes on the lesson, didn’t even know if I’d finish my course when this was all over. If it waseverover.
I shifted in the wooden seat, itchy to be sitting still when Tor was here somewhere, trapped in that mirror, tormented by the psycho siblings. I hated that the smell of this room was so familiar, hated that the old books, dust, and ink scent of it lulled me into thinking Honey sat with us, that Byron would grumble about inconsistencies he’d found in the course books or the two of us not paying attention. I missed them so much it hurt, right behind my ribs. And that monster had the nerve to steal Honey’s body, to wear her face like a mask.
“Calm down,” Pain murmured, resting his hand on my knee. The warm weight of it distracted me enough that my anger stumbled, but it was the electric charge that ran through my skin at his touch that stole all my focus. I expected to see shadows when I looked down, but it was just his hand, and this was just the effect he had on me. “We’ll find him. We just have to get through this day.”
Just one day, because we had to look like we’d follow their rules. But I would try to find Tor again the second we were back in my room—the same room I lived in before I fled Nightmare to Death’s domain. It felt surreal that everything still looked the same, sounded the same, smelled the same. Except for the robotic professors, the dean and deputy dean—Violence and Cruelty, naturally—and the way every student wandered around in a daze, dressed in those blazers like Cruelty wanted us to fit her academia aesthetic.
“Twenty minutes left,” Pain murmured, his thumb stroking my knee and narrowing all my focus to that one spot. He had to be aware of the effect on me, but he showed no sign of it. “Just get through this. Just twenty minutes.”
“I have a really great idea of how to pass the time,” Madde whispered on my other side, leaning across to grin at Pain.
“No,” I said immediately.
“Why not?” He leaned closer, brushing aside a lock of white hair so he could fit his lips to my neck. “It’s not even a real lesson.”
I shot a look at Death, the voice of reason, but his eyes were heavy lidded and sultry. Oh. They could allfeelmy reactions. “They never said we had to pay attention in classes, little bride.”
“We’re surrounded by people,” I hissed, because even though Cruelty had used her twisted magic to program them into being her perfect pupils, they still sat around us, and there was a chance they could hear everything we said.
“You’ll just have to be quiet then,” Miz said, his stare intense when our eyes met. So they were all in on it.
“Bastards,” I whispered, but I widened my legs. “All of you.”
I kept my gaze forward, as if I was paying attention to the droning lecture. I couldn’t even tell you if the words the professor said were accurate, if like Madde said it wasn’t a real lecture.
Let us take care of you,Madde’s voice wound through my mind like a tendril of smoke, his lips brushing my neck once more as Pain’s fingers wandered, cupping the slick heat of me over the long silver dress I wore. The wardrobe in Bridestones House had been full of them—pale dresses of silk, lace, and taffeta, with sweetheart necklines or plunging drops, modest hems or thigh slits. Wedding dresses in a dozen different styles. This one had a high neck but a slit that allowed Pain’s fingers to slip under the silken material and easily pull my underwear to one side.
I sank my teeth into my lip at the slow stroke, patient but gods, thepressure.Perfect in every way.
His shadows wrapped around my ankles and climbed higher, the touch of them like cool velvet to my skin. They teased the sensitive backs of my knees, then encircled my thighs as his fingers made a slow exploration, sending tingles through every spot he touched until my teeth drew blood.
Give me a taste,Madde begged, breathless even in my mind.
People will see,I protested.
He kissed me quickly and began to stand.I’ll fix that real quick and be right back.
I caught his hand and yanked him back into the seat, a little thrilled but not surprised when he immediately obeyed my wishes.You can’t scoop all their eyes out, Madde. That’s too many eyes, and besides, they’ve done nothing wrong.
The gaze he gave me was nothing short of adoring.You know me too well.
