Chapter 13
LOTTIE
The music pulses through the party in the hidden room, with no one seeming at all worried about drawing the attention of the faculty. Either they don't care, or the hidden rooms use magic to keep the sounds contained. I don't think it really matters so long as everyone is having a good time.
I scan the room, spotting Sophia talking to the same demon as she did at the other party. She seems content, so I leave her to it. Another scan of the room reveals Nati and Anja, my other flatmates, deep in conversation with some other students. I guess that's what parties are supposed to be for.
Archie spots me, waving with his tail in a gesture that I recognise as him saying he wants me to come over.
I love it when he does that. I don't know what it is about his tail, but it seems to capture my attention whenever he uses it.
A flush travels through my body when I remember some of the ways he's done that over the past few weeks. He is very good with his tail.
I weave through the students, trying to be careful not to step on any extremities.
One challenge with everyone having wings, tails, and horns is that there's always a risk of those things getting in the way.
And with alcohol in the mix, there's always a chance that kind of thing could cause a fight.
A couple of demons approach Archie, both of them seeming as if they're going to flirt with him, but he shrugs off their attention and makes his way over to meet me. Without saying anything, he pulls me close and kisses me deeply, leaving no doubt to anyone watching that we're together.
"Hey," I whisper when we break the kiss.
"Hi," he responds.
"So, was that to keep people away from me, or to get them away from you?" I ask.
He chuckles. "Can't a kiss be two things?"
"Absolutely."
"And it's really three. I wanted to kiss you. Which is actually my main reason for doing it."
"I suppose I should accept that motivation," I tease, leaning in and kissing his cheek, while his tail brushes against my arm.
"I can't wait to announce that we're mates," he murmurs.
"It's a bit early for that, don't you think?" I ask.
He sighs. "Yes, but I want to tell them, especially when they keep coming up to me and flirting like that."
"Just have a little patience," I remind him. "We'll tell people when we're ready." I'm not even denying that it's going to happen at this point.
"We will."
"And I suspect that kissing me in public a few times will do the trick," I murmur, putting a hand on his chest. "I am getting some dirty looks right now."
"I hope not." He turns to spot the demon entourage. "I'm sorry about them."
"It's fine, they'll get the message eventually," I say.
He lets out a sigh. "I'll see what I can do. The advantage of knowing all of the demons around here should at least count for something."
"Oh, you know all the demons," I say.
"Yes..."
"Do you know who the demon Sophia is talking to is?" I ask. "I've seen her with him a couple of times, but she hasn't said who he is."
He frowns and searches the room for his sister. "I don't recognise him," he says when he finds them. "He must be from one of the other demon courts. We're not exactly it when it comes to demon royalty."
"How many demon princes are there?" I ask.
"Thinking of finding yourself another one?" he teases.
"I'm quite content with the one I've got." I lean in to kiss his cheek.
A loud cheer comes from the other side of the room, where some people are playing a game of some kind. Hopefully, Philippe won't come and drag Archie away again.
"We should get a drink rather than just standing here," I suggest.
"Mmm. Good idea." He puts a hand on my back, his touch grazing against my wing and sending a thrill through me as he guides us both towards the drinks table.
"So, how many demon princes are there?" I prompt, realising he hasn't told me the answer, but knowing it's just because he got distracted and not because he wants to keep the truth from me.
He shrugs. "Dozens? A hundred? Two? I actually don't know."
"How can you not know?"
"It's not really important to me," he admits. "Demon politics has never interested me. I never intended to stay in the demon realm, so I never paid a lot of attention when my tutors would talk about demon politics. Dad was never happy about it."
"Probably because he's the King," I point out.
"True." He grins. "But I don't plan to spend all my time in the demon realm, and I never have."
"I don't imagine I'll spend that much time in the fairy realm either," I respond. "A lot of them are like my parents, thinking that fairies don't need to have an education."
"It seems like a strange choice."
"That's fairies for you," I respond. "But I'm here, and that's the important thing."
"I'm certainly glad of it," he assures me. "What do you want to drink?"
"I think some fruit juice for now," I say. "I might have something stronger later."
He nods and pours some into a cup, handing it to me. He gets a drink for himself.
"Lottie!" Drake says as he approaches.
"Hey," I say to the dragon.
Archie slips his arm around my waist again.
"This is my friend, Drake. And this is my boyfriend, Archie," I say, introducing the two of them and watching Archie's face to make sure I haven't spoken out of turn. He beams in response, seeming pleased with the introduction.
"It's good to meet you," Archie says.
"Likewise." Drake doesn't seem at all bothered by the revelation. "I'm going to head back over to the game, I just wanted to grab a drink." He fills a cup and waves goodbye, leaving me and Archie alone.
"See, no flirting with the dragon. He's not flirting with me either."
"I know," he promises. "I'm more interested in being called your boyfriend." He grins widely.
"Well, you did kiss me in the middle of the party, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise."
"True. And now I'm going to do it again," he promises.
"Do what again?"
"Kiss my girlfriend." He pulls me closer, his tail around my waist as he leans in and presses his lips against mine.
The kiss is tender, and I return it, wrapping my arms around his neck and enjoying every moment. I never expected that coming to Rosewood Academy would result in me finding something like this, but I'm going to be glad of it for a long time to come.
* * *
Thank you for reading The Demon and the Fairy, I hope you enjoyed it!