Chapter Six #6
“We thought—” Radu laughed, shaking his head.
“We hoped that if we swore to prey only on the worst of humans, a ceasefire could be called, but it was not to be.
In their final and complete victory over us, the strongest witches from all the world over, came together and created a spell that banished every supernatural creature to hell, and slammed the gates behind us—sealed them closed from the inside for an eternity.
“As you may or may not know, a witch’s spell can be reversed, but only if you know what the spell is,” he explained.
“Not only do we not know the spell to open the gates and free us all, but because their gathering was held in the utmost secrecy, we don’t know the witches who were present on the day, or their magic types.
“Knowledge that would’ve been helpful if hell wasn’t so determined to keep the prey that falls into its clutches,” he said.
“When a witch dies, they have the same afterlife options.
They either ascend or fall. If they ascend to the heavens, they do so as they are—remembering themselves and their past life.
“But if they are banished to hell, they are stripped of age, knowledge, and memory, and revert back to helpless infants. This is done purposely,” he said, making my brows snap together.
“For if you remember your sins, you can repent of them. And if you repent, there is always the chance you can be rescued from hell, and taken to the realm of peace.”
He smirked. “Naturally, the lords of hell have no interest in giving any of you that chance.”
A few demons traded scowls and furious looks.
It really seemed like they were hearing all of this for the first time.
Lucifer did tell me that it was dangerous to put demon children in school.
If it was left up to their parents to educate them until they entered Abaddon Academy, it could explain why they left a few things out, like that, for example, they were doomed.
“And so because the gates of hell now only open in one direction, and because we don’t know the spell that banished us all and closed the gates on our side, and because we can’t interrogate or identify any of the witches who died and entered hell, and because heaven won’t do the denizens of hell any favors and tell us the spell, and because only demons can leave this place and only when they are specifically summoned by a mortal...
” Radu gifted us a lazy shrug. “We’re fucked. ”
I stared at him unblinkingly. Was all of this true? How was this the history of the world I live in? How could all of this have happened, but humans today only think of witches and supernatural creatures as characters in fantasy novels?
Humans fought a war for the mortal world... and they won.
“So all of you clueless, ignorant demons who whine about being invaded and demanding the Others go back where they came from, consider that none of us are fucking going anywhere until we take down the real threat”—a look I’d never seen before entered his previously blank eyes—“the witches.”
Sighing, he hopped off the desk. “But how we do that is anyone’s guess.” He flapped a hand over his shoulder. “All right, that’s all for today. Class dismissed.”
I shook myself, breaking free of the trance. The other students must’ve felt similarly dazed because they were packing up and exiting the room in a much more quiet and subdued tone than when they came in.
Murmurs drifted to my ears.
“Could that leech be telling the truth?”
“It’s not possible. My folks said the gods locked the gates of hell. It’s obvious only gods could have done it. A bunch of juiced-up mortal bitches would never get the best of us.”
“Nah. My old man said the leeches invaded hell to escape the sun. The werewolves came running here with their tails between their legs to escape wolf hunters, and those feathery pansies tried to pull a Lucifer,” a fox demon said to a group of guys hanging on his every word.
“They were booted from heaven, so they tried to take over the mortal realm—that’s what all that psycho baby-switching bullshit was.
They were slowly invading the population, and the mortals didn’t even know it.
All they saw were their own chubby little brats,” he said.
“But when that didn’t work either, they tried taking over hell, and got their asses handed to them. ”
“But what’s the difference between the gods locking the gates, or the gods giving the witches the power to lock the gates?
” his elephant-skinned companion asked. “Isn’t it the same fucking result?
And if the fairy scum only came here to take over, why didn’t they leave when they failed?
Same for the leeches. Why wouldn’t they just live in a damn hole?
Wouldn’t that be better than chasing after wolf tail just so they don’t wither up and blow away? ”
“Dumbass,” Fox Demon snapped. “All that we’re trapped, we’re starving bullshit is just that.
So they can play like they’re the victims after they invaded our turf.
If the gates were really closed on our side, how come demons can walk right the fuck through them whenever they’re summoned.
And if mortals hate and fear us so much, why would they call on demons whenever the mood strikes them?
” He tapped the side of his furry head. “Think, man. The leech is a liar—just like all the rest of them.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
With that, the demons filed out—dropping their textbooks in the trash on the way.
I shook my head. I’m sure that was done in protest against Professor Radu, but the same professor literally told them everything in that book was nonsense propaganda, so who exactly are they sticking it to?
“Men,” I muttered. “Playing pointless power games in all realms.”
“It’s only pointless if you lose.”
Ronin’s sudden voice in my ear spun me around. I narrowly avoided bonking my nose against his, but I didn’t avoid losing my notebook. Flipping through my notes, he ripped out the pages.
“Hey!”
Cool as ever, he crumpled the pages, tossed the ball up, and snapped his fingers. A flash of light and heat singed my cheeks.
I could only gape at him as the burning remnants floated down.
“I will not need notes for this class. That leech’s lies aren’t worth the effort of being put to paper, and you should’ve known that. I will forgive you this lapse just this once, but don’t let it happen again.”
“You—!” Slicing myself off, I took a deep breath before Sabrina squeezed it out of me. Meeting his eyes, I beamed in his face. “You’re right, of course you shouldn’t have to waste your time with his lies. But...” I heaved a sigh. “It’s a shame the leech will get the last laugh.”
Ronin paused turning away.
“Yep, yep, yep,” I said mournfully, “he’s going to make all us demons look a right damn fool.”
Eyes narrowing to slits, Ronin turned back. “Explain.”
“Well, every test and assignment is going to demand his lies as the correct answer. And if we refuse to give that answer, it gives him the perfect excuse to fail a class full of demons on the subject of their own history.” I shook my head. “Bet he’ll enjoy it too.”
Ronin’s lips peeled back from his teeth. Flicking off me, he glared at Radu who was kicking back in his desk chair with his hands behind his head—smoking his afterlife away.
Radu looked back at him... and winked.
“Rewrite it,” Ronin demanded, smacking my notebook against my chest. “Every word.”
“Of—”
Ronin strode away.
“—course.”
I dropped my smile the second he hit the door. “Jerk.”
Gathering my stuff, I glanced at the schedule I copied in the front of my book, and then glanced at my watch. As suspected, Radu let us out way early—which gave me some time to continue my search for Dora.
I touched my cheek. “Goodness, this smarts.” I drew my hand back. “And I’m still bleed—”
“Don’t!”
“—ing.”
“You fool!” Sabrina cried. “Say you’re not bleeding! Say you’re not—!”
Wham!
A force like a pickup truck slammed into me, blowing me off my feet.
I crashed spine-first into the table behind me and crumpled on the floor, my back singing with pain. Wha— What was—?
The force of Radu’s hit sent him tumbling head over heels over the desk and crashing into the chairs. Snarling, he thrashed against the wood and chair limbs—furiously tearing at the tangled cardigan that entrapped him. Through the chaos, our eyes met—
—and I screamed.
White eyes dyed pure, soul-sucking black turned his orbs into mirrors.
Angry purpling veins cut fissures in his once perfect, unmarred skin.
Dripping, dagger-tipped fangs sprouting from a maw of razor-sharp teeth.
It was right then I knew that I’d been tricked.
Lucifer could not be what the legends and stories described...
because the true face of the devil was before me.
“Say it!” Sabrina shouted.
“It— It’s not—!”
I blinked, and his shadow consumed me. Balancing hands and feet on both tables, Radu bore over me like the winged specter of death.
“It’s not—!”
Another blink and he was on me, crushing life and breath out of my chest. Panic blotted out my senses as he grabbed my head and shoulders, and snapped them apart—exposing my neck.
“—b-blood,” I wheezed. “I’m n-not... bleeding!”
He stilled.
“I’m not bleeding,” I screeched—heart pounding in my ears. “I was just k-kidding— Please... let me go.”
Radu stared at me. The inky blackness that flooded his eyes the second he went on the attack, reflected my sweating, terrified visage.
“But... but you said...” His voice was a low, dreamy hiss as if he was coming out of a trance.
“You said you were... bleeding,” he growled.
“And for a second you smelled so...” Radu salivated, dripping burning saliva on my face. “Good.”
“But I wasn’t!” Throwing out my arms, I knocked him off and scrambled away.
He followed my retreat like a hunter tracks a deer.