AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Told you she’s powerful,” I whisper, “and good.”
But although it lessens the pain where my magic burns even more, the words taste like ashes in my mouth.
“Come with us,” Mia says. “Come talk with Sindri. We need to stick together, after all we’ve been through.”
“Nah, I should go,” I mutter. “The Scale-ball match is coming up. I need to study and rest. Got a fuck-ton of training tomorrow.”
But for some reason, I trail after them as they go knock on Sindri’s door.
Even Ophelia’s enchantment can’t convince me not to care.
25
MIA
We troop out of my room, my backpack with the diary staying there. I’m taking a risk—that Ophelia might realize it’s missing and break into my room again to retrieve it, but I don’t want to mention that I got it in front of Emrys who will most likely be made to report everything that happened with us to Ophelia.
And I don’t know why he follows as we walk over to the boys’ dormitories and Sindri’s door when he said that he wasn’t coming with us.
I glance sideways at my demon boy, his handsome profile, the spiky hair and that thin braid that brushes his neck, the strong lines of his body, the ink on his arms hiding so many scars… I think of the story of a little demon boy who grew up inside a nightmare.
Not all demons are bad. Some used to be angels. He looks like a fallen angel, every spike and piece of metal jammed into his body like shards he accumulated from his fall to earth, and yet nothing can detract from his beauty or his rough kindness.
Not even Ophelia’s enchantment.
Ashton bangs his fist on the door. “Sin! Open up. We have to talk. Come on, man. Talk to us.”
I close my eyes and reach for him in my mind. Instantly I feel the breath of his magic, a whisper, a feathery touch. “He’s inside.”
Ashton lifts his fist again to knock.
Emrys catches his wrist. “Stop banging on the door like a fucking monkey, idiot. I didn’t peg you as one for brute force.”
“And I didn’t peg you as one to be led around by the nose, brainwashed by an evil witch, but here we are.” Ashton yanks his arm free. “How do we get inside and have that talk with Sindri without breaking down the door? Enlighten me.”
“We take down his wards,” Emrys says. “They feel… messy. Weak. Slapped on too quickly.”
He’s right. I put my hand on the door and feel the ward. It’s elemental magic. It should keep me out, but I don’t feel any pain as I place my hand over it, prod it with my own sense of energy. Magic feels like… an extra sense, an extra finger, if you like, one that can also touch other magic and connect with it.
Ashton hesitates, then places his hand flat on the wood, too, Emrys doing the same beside him.
There’s a snap in the forces binding us, and the door swings open.
Sindri is sitting on the edge of his bed and I’m struck by the unusual position. Normally he’d be sprawled on the armchair or lounging on his bed, pretending to be otherwise occupied.
He glances up as we enter.
A wary expression enters his eyes, but he doesn’t seem surprised to see us. If all that prodding on his magic and wards has passed unnoticed—which doesn’t seem probable—then all the banging Ashton did was definitely fair warning.
Though maybe he should look more surprised that we managed to actually get inside, in my opinion.
“Getting sloppy with your wards,” Emrys snarls softly.
“Getting sloppy with the company you keep,” Sindri counters, just as softly, and it’s not clear if he means Ophelia or us.
Probably us.
“Sin, I know you’re angry,” I whisper, taking cautious steps toward him. It feels like he’s about to bolt. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to you fast enough.”
