Chapter 15
The office was stuffy, with shelves packed with old tomes bound in leather with gold foiling Eden was positive no one had read in at least a decade.
Certainly not Celeste Price, the Dean of Sacrum Cor University, seated behind her mahogany desk with her chin tipped up and a look of pure determination in her gray eyes. Though what she was determined about eluded him.
“If everything appears to your liking, sign at the bottom,” she said in an even tone, directing the comment to Eden, even though Ares was the one currently perusing the twelve-page document on the holopad she’d handed over a little under ten minutes ago.
She was a cousin to one of Ares’ friends, one with a name starting with the letter N…
Eden thought. Ares had told him as much on their way here, insisting on entering with him despite Eden’s protests.
Normal people didn’t bring their…whatever the hell Ares was to him, with them to a business meeting.
And yet, Celeste hadn’t batted an eyelash when the two of them had stepped into her office together.
A fire crackled in the hearth on the left side of the room, near the green velvet couch that looked about as comfortable as sitting on a ton of bricks might be.
The space was layered in ancient pieces, from the furniture to the books to the framed diplomas on the wall.
They weren’t all Celestes. Some of them had different names scrawled in bold black ink along the line.
Past deans, perhaps. Relics left behind to make themselves feel better.
To make them feel like they’d left a tiny part of themselves to linger.
Being here was making him nostalgic for the good old days, the ones leading up to the attack on his family. When the only thing he had to worry about when being called into the Dean's office was whether or not he’d won the most recent music award.
“This is fine,” Ares broke the silence, finally holding the device out for Eden to take.
He didn’t bother reading it himself. Hell, maybe that was why the Black Hart had taken it in the first place. He’d known Eden wouldn’t have the patience for such things. He’d sign no matter what, in any case, because he more than just needed this job.
He wanted it.
The urge to return to his roots as more than an occasional treat for the players of Vanity was as aggressive as Ares’ hips had been the other night.
This was his chance to break back into music, even if it was as a teacher instead of a performer.
Besides, playing Ransom was performance enough for him anyway.
He’d had a taste of the limelight and realized, rather disappointedly at that, that it probably wasn’t for him.
But music?
Music he’d missed. The chance to sing to his heart's content, to let out all his frustrations and emotions through song? Through instruments? Getting to do this would be like regaining a slice of his old self, and Eden was desperate for that.
Ironic, how killing Zonnie had felt freeing. Ares had commented about revenge and Eden’s assumption that it would fix things, but he had no idea.
It wasn’t about fixing anything.
It was about regaining the ability to breathe without feeling like his lungs might explode.
Ares had given him that. Had helped loosen the cinch around his chest.
Eden signed his name to the line and placed the device onto the desk. Not even a second later, Ares' multi-slate chimed.
“I’ll take this outside,” he said, resting a hand briefly on Eden’s shoulder before turning for the door.
“It’s good to have you on board, Mr. Baldur.” The second they were alone, some of the tension eased from Celeste. “I was worried there for a minute when you missed our original appointment. I thought you might have gotten cold feet.”
“Not at all,” he replied. “I apologize for my delay. It couldn’t be helped.” It wasn’t a lie. He had been unconscious, after all. “I’m grateful for this opportunity.”
“I should be thanking you. The man who held the position before you disappeared so suddenly, it left us in a bind.”
“Disappeared?” Eden hadn’t bothered to ask about the professor before him, but he was positive Ares had mentioned something about him getting another job.
“Yes, he just up and vanished one day.”
“That sounds concerning. Are the police looking into the matter?” Had Ares lied to him? Why?
“If you’re worried he might reappear and take his job back, don’t be. The contract is ironclad. The position is yours, even if someone came crawling back from the grave, they couldn’t take it from you.”
What…an odd thing to say.
“You don’t seem that concerned about a missing faculty member,” he couldn’t help but point out.
“Yes, well, people disappear all the time. Don’t they?” There was hidden meaning behind her gaze, something she was obviously trying to convey, but didn’t want to risk saying outright. “It’s just fortunate that Ares happened on a professor perfect to fill the position in the nick of time.”
Ah, there it was.
“Are you suggesting Ares had something to do with this professor’s disappearance?” How would Eden feel about that if he had? If the Black Hart had somehow paved the way for Eden?
Clear a path.
Wasn’t that exactly what he’d said to Ellery yesterday on the phone?
Removing a professor would probably be a piece of cake for him.
“I’m not saying anything of the sort. I urge you not to put words into other people’s mouths.” Her eyes darted behind him to the door quickly.
“You’re afraid of him,” he surmised.
“Of Ares Major?” She scoffed. “Everyone is afraid of the Gods, Mr. Baldur.”
“He isn’t a god.” Things just kept getting weirder and weirder. What type of Dean referred to one of their students like that? With fear and maybe even a dash of reverence. “Isn’t your cousin in attendance here as well?”
“That’s correct. Nyoka is in this wave of Black Harts. He and Ares are quite close. I’m surprised you haven’t met him already.”
Considering Ares hadn’t allowed Eden out of his room all night and morning, he wasn’t.
“So, does that mean you were a Black Hart yourself, once upon a time?” Eden asked.
“I was.”
“…Yet you fear Ares.”
Her expression contorted, judgment clear. “I’m not sure I’m following your confusion. The gods—”
He laughed before he could stop himself. “He isn’t a god.”
“He’s the closest thing to one you or I will ever get to,” she stated.
“Look, a word of advice? Believe whatever you’d like,” she held his gaze, “off campus. When you’re here, be wise.
The God of Creation and the God of Reality aren’t like the rest of us.
They’ve seen things, experienced things, we couldn’t even fathom. ”
Who was the God of Reality?
“Even the other founders know better than to cross them. Our families all maintain a respectable distance. The current batch of Black Harts are the only ones who can get close without risk, and my aunt fears for Nyoka’s safety all the time.
” Celeste straightened in her seat when the door opened, expression turning blank in a flash.
Ares of course noticed, pausing in the doorway with his hand resting on the gilded knob. “You were talking about me.”
“Not at all,” she lied breezily, but it was only so convincing. “I was merely explaining to Mr. Baldur what to expect as a professor here.”
“Anything you’re unhappy with?” Ares stepped up to Eden’s side.
He shook his head. “No, it all sounds like what I expected.”
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but just as it seemed he was going to call him out for his bluff, he shrugged. “All right. If we’re done here, I’m going to tour him around campus.”
“His office has already been prepared,” Celeste replied. “Classes begin tomorrow.”
“That isn’t exactly a lot of time to go over the syllabus,” Eden pointed out. They were really making him jump in headfirst.
“This is Sacrum Cor,” she reminded. “Students who attend here pay a large sum and expect a certain level of professionalism. I’ve already gotten several calls from angry parents because the class has been on hold for nearly two weeks.
Since Ares has faith in you, I’m sure you can handle things from here, Mr. Baldur. ”
“Careful,” Ares quipped, though he didn’t seem annoyed. Instead, the corner of his mouth lifted. “Eden likes a challenge.”
“Perfect.” She stood and bowed her head. “If there’s nothing else?”
“We’ll get out of your hair,” he reassured, taking Eden’s hand and leading him from the office despite his protests. Once out in the hall, he didn’t let go, keeping a strong hold on him as they headed toward the exit of the building and out into the bright sunlight.
The chill was brutal, a sharp contrast to the warmth inside, and Eden gave a full-body shiver.
“I told you to dress appropriately.” Ares finally let him go, but only long enough to shake off his thick peacoat. He draped it over Eden’s shoulders and then linked their fingers, rolling his eyes when Eden tugged his hand free.
“Not here,” he said.
“You aren’t seriously suggesting I’m not allowed to touch you on campus,” Ares drawled. “Does that include Castle Black?”
Students rushed to and from buildings, taking the sidewalks as quickly as possible without risking slipping on some of the icier paths. A few of them had already noticed Ares and were risking stolen glances, but for the most part, they went ignored.
Still.
“I’m new here,” Eden explained, “and I’m a professor.
I need them to respect me. It’s already going to be hard enough, considering my work with Astral Realms. We aren’t dating.
There’s no reason for you to hold my hand ever.
And I don’t need you doing stuff like this.
” He tried to remove the coat, but Ares slapped his palms over his shoulders, keeping it on.
“I’ll agree to a few days. Let you settle in and meet your students. But that’s the most I can promise, Paradise.”
He glared and stuck his foot down. “This isn’t a negotiation, Lucifer. I don’t know what you think is going on here, but you’ve been acting strange ever since last night. We had sex. That’s all. It happens. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”
It didn’t mean anything. It’d been a payment for services rendered, nothing more.
It couldn’t be anything more.
Eden still hadn’t decided how far he was willing to take this.
“Strange how?” Ares cocked his head, clearly perplexed.
He glanced around to make sure no one was too close, then lowered his voice anyway and said, “You’re acting like my boyfriend. Which you are not.”
“Aren’t I though?”
Eden stared at him, but Ares didn’t falter. “Did you sneak that clause into the contract as well?”
“No.”
“Then no, you aren’t. I don’t recall that being a part of the deal we made.”
“When? The night I killed Galen Stone for you?”
“Keep your voice down!”
“Why? No one here cares what I do.”
If the warning Celeste had just given was any indicator, that wasn’t true at all. They cared, they just wouldn’t risk their own necks to try and stop him. Which led him back to the other odd part of that conversation…
“Why do they take that whole nickname of yours so seriously?” he asked. “And is it only members of the founding families, or is it the whole campus?”
“Nickname?”
He snorted. “The Dean acted like you were a real god just now.”
“Oh, that.” Ares turned and started down the stairs, leaving Eden to either linger dumbly or follow.
With a growl, he went after him, catching up on a center path that cut across the north quad. “Lucifer.”
“People like to talk. Does it really matter?”
Eden weighed his options, but curiosity had always been his biggest weakness. Hell, wasn’t that how he’d ended up in bed with Ares? He’d wanted to know what the Black Hart really had to offer. If it was worth it.
It had been, but that was beside the point.
He didn’t really have anything left to offer in exchange for answers.
Despite his complaints, Eden knew better.
Ares had lured him here with the promise of revenge and a job he’d always wanted.
He’d known what he was doing when he’d made that deal with the devil, knew that, on some level, ownership was going to come into play, whether Eden agreed to sign over his life or not.
If Ares really wanted to hold his hand and make their relationship known to everyone here, there was nothing Eden could do to stop him.
But answers…Answers he could get.
“Fine, don’t tell me.” It was risky, but recalling how the Black Hart had reacted to Noon’s mere presence gave him an idea. It was a bad one, but he was going to go for it anyway.
Damn that curiosity.
“I’ll just ask Nyoka,” Eden concluded, like it was no big deal. Like he’d spoken to the man whose name he’d only just learned a dozen times before.
As expected, Ares came up short, freezing in place. The flicker in his red gaze warned Eden he was already close to pushing too far, but fortune favored the bold and all that jazz.
“What?” He turned on his heels so he could face off with the stubborn Black Hart, slipping his hands into his front pockets to add to the casual air he was trying to project.
“Since you won’t tell me yourself, that leaves me no choice but to seek answers elsewhere.
What was the other one? The one you called yesterday? Ellery, right?”
“Paradise.”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t like being cornered.”
He lifted a single shoulder. “Who’s cornering you?”
Ares took a single step closer, calculating. “All right. Tonight then.”
“What about it?”
“I’ll tell you tonight. In exchange for…” His gaze swept down Eden’s body.
“No way.” He shook his head. “I have my first class tomorrow. I can’t hobble into the room.”
“We’ll make it work.”
“No.”
Ares snorted and then walked past him, the tense moment over as quickly as it started. “I guess you don’t want to know that badly.”