Chapter 11 Zypher
After the Dean’s announcement, I made my way to Daemonium House to check on the other demon students.
While I hadn’t brought it up to the others, I’d noticed a subtle shift in the way they were being treated since we’d returned to campus.
There wasn’t anything blatant so much as the other demons being given a wider berth than normal.
Even the usual gaggle of females intent on claiming a powerful male had stopped approaching me when I was alone.
Though that could have been due to making it clear that I was a mated male and not interested.
Daemonium House’s common room was crowded when I made my way inside.
It was as if every demon had gotten the unspoken memo that we weren’t wanted at the Academy and decided to hide in our assigned house.
The low murmur of conversation died away when they noticed me standing just inside the doorway, and a male from my year stood from his seat to approach me.
“My prince,” he said, crossing a fist across his chest and bowing slightly.
“Please, call me Zypher. There’s no need for titles here,” I replied. The male straightened and nodded at me in response.
Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself to address the room.
While the other students would likely spend the day being doted on by their families as they showed them around campus, the demons wouldn’t.
Our parents cared for us, of course, but once we came of age, we were all but shoved from the nest and expected to make our own way.
My father portaling us to my childhood home had been a rare exception that he’d only acted on under the guidance of the Oracles.
As it stood, I’d only expected to see him at the end of each term after the final trial.
If he weren’t a king showing face, to reassert his jurisdiction over the demon students and address any issues the students couldn’t handle themselves, he wouldn’t have shown up at all.
“I’m sure you all heard the announcement, but as you are all aware, it is…
unlikely our people will attend, as it is our way that our progeny find their own path, forge their own bonds and alliances, and face their own trials,” I said, as murmurs of agreement went up.
“As your prince, it’s my duty to address any issues you’re unable to resolve on your own. ”
“My prince… I mean, Zypher,” another male spoke up. “Does that mean you can do something about my missing friend?”
I frowned and turned my attention to the male who’d spoken. His porcelain complexion, messy fire-red hair, cat-like eyes, and shorter stature told me he was an imp, though not one I recognized from the previous term. “Explain.”
He clasped his hands together in front of his body, fingers fidgeting as he inched close enough that I caught a whiff of brimstone wafting from him.
“We’re First Years. We arrived at the Academy together a week before term started.
Everything seemed fine, even with the campus on lockdown, but I haven’t seen him since orientation.
His things arrived in our shared dorm, but not him. ”
“What is your friend’s name?”
“Vexis,” the imp replied. “I’m Mox.”
“And you’re certain he didn’t decide to leave the Academy?”
“Yes.”
“I will look into it and see what I can find out,” I promised. Mox mumbled his thanks and stepped back into the crowd of demons.
“Why isn’t your Dilectus here?” a she–demon demanded, before anyone else could speak. “She should be the one addressing our concerns.”
I didn’t have to search the crowd to find the female who spoke.
She matched my seven foot one height, towering over most of the others gathered.
Her pitch-black hair and matching eyes, even in her human form, made her easily recognizable as a Valkyren, a warrior species known for their strategic cunning and physical prowess.
For a moment, I regretted not asking Gabriel and Caulder to come along as my seconds.
It was their place as Bechora’s other mates to be at my side for things such as this.
“My Dilectus has more pressing issues to attend to,” I replied.
“What could be more pressing than ensuring the people she will lead one day have their concerns heard?” the Valkyren female challenged. “Does she think that her human upbringing puts her above such things? Perhaps you have chosen the wrong female as your mate.”
My hands clenched at my sides as white-hot anger over the insult tore through me.
For the first time in my life, I resented that our culture was so matriarchal that anyone would dare question why Bechora wasn’t at my side as I addressed the demons gathered.
Worse even was that the she-demon was right.
As my mate, Bechora was now my mother’s heir, and with that came expectations and responsibilities I hadn’t yet informed her of.
The realm at large may have believed my father to be the one who ruled over our kind, but every demon knew it was Lilith who did.
“As I said, she has more pressing concerns,” I gritted out.
“Psha! And I suppose those concerns are so important that she hasn’t taken the time to meet her people,” The she-demon tsked.
“Enough!” I barked. “Discussing my Dilectus is not why I am here. If you do not have a real concern, then your time to speak is over.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, squaring her broad shoulders as she straightened her spine.
“You may be the prince by birth, but you will find soon enough that your title isn’t enough to gain your Dilectus loyalty, when she can’t be bothered to fulfill her duties,” she said, before turning and pushing her way through the crowd toward the stairs in the back of the common space.
The room remained silent after her departure, with nobody else voicing any concerns.
Without anything else to focus on, my mind became a maelstrom of troubled thoughts.
I was failing my mate in ways she wasn’t even aware of.
I’d been so focused on the prophecy and figuring out her abilities, without pushing her into things she wasn’t ready for, that I’d inadvertently set her up for failure with my people.
Their displeasure would only become more obvious the longer I left her in the dark.
Hours later, I found myself outside of Thrackborne’s office. I was meant to be meeting the others, to discuss whatever it was Miles believed he’d found in the documents the dragon had given him, but instead I was knocking at the dragon’s door.
“Come in,” he called gruffly from inside. His eyes widened in surprise as I stepped inside and closed the door behind me before slipping into a neutral expression.
“I need to speak with you,” I said, moving to take one of the empty chairs across from his desk.
“What’s wrong? Is–”
“She’s fine,” I replied, cutting him off with a wave of my hand. “I’m here on other business. A student has gone missing.”
Caulder’s posture relaxed slightly with the answer to his unspoken question, but his brows furrowed as the rest of my words sank in. “A demon student, I presume? Are you certain?”
“As much as one can be. I was hoping that you could dig into this deeper than I’m able. The best I can do as a student myself is ask around campus, but he hasn’t been seen since orientation, so I doubt there will be anything I can glean from doing so.”
“That’s not so unusual,” Caulder replied. “Plenty of students make it to orientation and decide the Academy isn’t for them. Demons are one of the few species that can leave without having their magic bound, since your kind can wield it from childhood.”
“That may be the case, but I’ve been assured he wouldn’t have left. Even if he has, I’d much prefer to know for certain.”
“Right,” he replied, thoughtfully. “Do you have a name?”
“Vexis.”
“Vexis… and a surname? I can’t say for sure, but it may be difficult to find his file without his full name.”
“Just Vexis,” I replied.
Caulder sighed and gave me a nod. “I’ll see what I can find, but I’m not making any promises.
“That is all I ask,” I said, rising from my seat and heading toward the door.