Page 54 of Dancing With Demons

The buffet tables weren’t gone, they were just in the kitchen now. Stepping through the double doors on the right side of the mess hall, I went into the kitchens, said hello to the staff, was completely ignored, and started filling my and Dora’s plates with eggs, bacon, and sweet potato hash.

“Here, you take this,” I said, passing Dora our coffee cups. “I’ll carry the food.”

“No problem,” she chirped. “Wow, this looks yummy.”

“It does, doesn’t it? Who knew that if you want to eat the finest cuisine, you gotta go to hell.”

Adora laughed, and my lips quirked up in response. When it was the two of us like this, it almost felt like old times.

“Would you mind getting the door?”

“Sure,” she said, pushing it with her back and holding it open for me.

I stepped outside and a shadow fell over me. He ripped the plates out of my hands before I could think to open my mouth.

I looked into the snarling, lethal maw of a lion demon.

“Be quicker about it next time, mortal b—” He gagged on the insult, slicing off mid-sentence. Eyes widening, his gaze latched on my shoulder. “B-b-beauty,” he finished. “Wow, you look beautiful this morning, Charlotte.”

“Charlotte?” I squeaked. “You know my name?”

He laughed—a high-pitched, uncomfortable sound. “What are you talking about? Of course I know your name. Just like I know you shouldn’t be carrying this by yourself. Here,” the complete stranger said, bowing over our plates, “let me take these to your table for you.”

“Uhhh, but you don’t have to—”

He was already gone.

The seating assignments had arranged themselves with the Sins on the platform, their gang lackeys seated nearest to them, and then those considered strongest in the class going all the way down until the “weaks and freaks” were by the door.

The random guy with a humanoid body and a lion’s head carried our plates to the table directly in front of Ronin.

Slowly, I followed after him—to get our food if nothing else—and I noticed something strange. All of the disgusting catcalling had completely stopped.

Peering around, I met dozens of pairs of eyes who stared dumbfounded at the tattoo, flicked up to my face, then spun away with expressions ranging from angry to annoyed.

Nik pushed into the mess hall. He was dressed in his usual mossy, earthy, foresty clothing and carrying his ever-present notebook.

“Oi, Nik,” I called, perking up. “Over here...” I trailed off.

I didn’t see at first because of the fur, but beneath it, Nik looked terrible. Twin black eyes, a cut on his ear, and a swollen nose told the tale of a savage beating.

“Oh my gods, Nik, are you okay?” I rushed over.

Nik snapped his head up, and over my shoulder. He locked on to something and naked fear washed over his face, making me trip in my haste. “I can’t talk now,” he cried, turning away and rushing in the opposite direction from me.

Nik claimed a seat at the “freak” table with his back to me. He didn’t react when I called.

“Nik?” Frowning, I glanced in the direction that caught his attention, but there were dozens of people milling about, and none were glancing back. “Okay,” I called. “Talk later.”

Returning to Dora, I took her hand and we went to our table.

Raven started in on me before my butt hit the seat. “What the fuck are you doing with that on your arm?” She snapped her fingers and was by my side in a blink. I shrieked when she seized my arm.

“Hey!”

“Did you draw it on?” Raven demanded, roughly scrubbing at my shoulder with her inch-long fingernails. “Wipe it off!”

“Are you nuts! Get off me!”