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“Got it.”
“Speaking of gunners,” Dr. Ansi glared straight at us, “What is the easiest thing a gunner can do to get ahead of their peers?”
My pen fell to the desk. How was her hearing so good? She must have been a vampire. They were known for extraordinary hearing. When she leaned down to draw on her sketch pad, fangs peeked out of her smile.
“Get hot!” Zain yelled, and the class broke into laughter.
The professor sighed. “Yes, the halo effect applies everywhere, but especially at Aether. Every House wants residents who will fulfill their image. Doe eyes look best under halos. Shiny hair makes glowing werewolf coats. Glowing teeth carve into the best fangs. Full lips sing the best praise at sea. Immaculate skin conveys the spotless nature of faeries.”
I cast my eyes down to my skin, which was far from immaculate. I’d need more skilled makeup artistry and clothing choices to cover my inborn flaws going forward.
“Forget superficialities,” the professor continued, “for the rest of this lesson, we’ll focus on immediate problems: demons you’re more likely to encounter soon.”
Her hands moved over her charcoal sketch, and Reaper stepped off the page.
Professor Ansi was an artist. Every Housed member gained a special ability, a pearl, in addition to the basic magic and abilities that came with their House. Sirens gifted each other literal pearls when they earned their pearl, hence the name. Dr. Ansi’s pearl was that she could draw images that magnified into bigger ones. This one was large enough to cover a two-story building.
“Who is this?” she asked.
“He calls himself the Reaper,” Cordelia quipped.
“And where is he from?”
“The Beyond,” Hunter scoffed.
“Obviously. Minus one point for pointing out what we already knew.” Dr. Ansi scolded.
“Hey!” Hunter complained.
“Better question: why is it relevant to know where he’s from?”
“Because other demons will follow his path here,” I answered.
“Correct, Luna. Five points to you for being less annoying than Hunter.”
Hunter’s shocked expression was worth the vengeance I was sure he’d try to deliver later.
Professor Ansi swiped her sketchpad, and the image changed to a dog, flaming and burning off the page. It barked smoke and fumes. “This is the Bulgae, a folklore creature from Reaper’s domain. Why is it important to recognize it?”
“So that you can bolt,” Aubrey answered. “Bulgae incinerate everything in their path.”
The fire dog shot sparks into the sky. I watched with rapt fascination as they exploded like fireworks, searing students caught in the crossfire.
“Yes, the Bulgae has never crossed over before, but it is rumored to be strong enough to melt planets. Should you see it, the only thing on your mind should be escape. Speaking of melting…”
She flipped the paper, and a three-legged crow flew up. It was as small as a regular-sized one, though it flapped its black wings menacingly.
Sam. That was what Reaper called that creature.
“What does this creature represent?”
“The sun,” Aubrey answered again. “The sun god.”
Sungod?
“Yes, the Goguryeo Dynasty of Korea thought that the three-legged crow, the Samjoko, had powers mightier than dragons.”
“How would we take it out?” Hunter asked.
