Thornhill Academy. Chapter 91

**Allison**

Okay, so, yeah, they’re demons. But now that they’re standing and not storming through the door like a ten-man stampede, they’re… not as terrifying as I thought. Big, sure. Tall, broad, every one of them looks like they were sculpted out of obsidian and bad decisions, but compared to him? Compared to the hulking wall of midnight-blue muscle beside me? No. No one is as big as Rhaziel.

They shift uneasily under my stare, waiting for something, probably for me to command fire or banish them or whatever demon Queens are supposed to do. Instead, I clear my throat and take a hesitant step forward. “Uh, hi.”

Ten heads twitch up...well down in perfect unison to me. Gods, even that’s a little intimidating. But I force a smile anyway and hold out my hand to the first one. “I’m Allison. You are?”

There’s a low rumble behind me. A sound like thunder trapped in a chest. Rhaziel has moved closer; I can feel the heat of him at my back, the faint vibration of that growl echoing through my spine. The demon in front of me with broad shoulders, sharp horns, but kind eyes, lifts his hand carefully, like he’s approaching a bomb about to go off. His clawed fingers are inches from mine when the sound behind me deepens into a snarl. The poor guy freezes, eyes wide, and then swiftly drops his hand, bows his head and takes a respectful step back.

“Hello, my Queen,” he says quickly, voice polite and trembling all at once. “It is a pleasure to meet you finally. My name is Torvak, and I am here to serve you.”

My mouth twitches. “Oh. Uh, thank you, Torvak.” I try not to wince at the growl still vibrating from behind me.

I move to the next one, tall, sleek, with silver horns that twist backward like antlers. I offer my hand again, determined. “And you are?”

He glances at me, then at Rhaziel. His throat bobs and slowly, so slowly, he inclines his head instead. “Marek, my Queen. An honour.”

The air feels thicker as the shadows pulse around us. I swear I can feel the heat of Rhaziel’s glare behind me.

I move to the third soldier, stubbornness winning over self-preservation. “Okay, your turn—”

Before I can finish, a large, clawed hand catches mine mid-air. The world narrows to that single point of contact. Rhaziel’s fingers thread through mine possessively, his grip firm but careful. His thumb presses into the back of my hand as his eyes lock on our joined fingers like they’re the most sacred thing in existence. The markings along his forearm light up in molten blue, travelling up to his chest. He’s frowning...no, pouting, like a predator who’s just had his favourite meal threatened. His voice is rough, more growl than words, when it finally slips out. “Mine.”

It’s not loud. It’s not even entirely directed at anyone. It’s just a sound of certainty that shakes something deep inside me. Every demon in the room bows their head again. And me? I just stare at our hands, pulse hammering, and mutter under my breath, “Well… that’s not going to make introductions any easier.”

The corners of his mouth twitch, almost a smile. Almost.

For a moment, no one moves. The air feels thick enough to swim in. The soldiers look like they’d rather vanish into the floor, and I’m pretty sure my face is ten shades of red. Rhaziel doesn’t even seem aware of the audience, though; he’s completely, unapologetically focused on me. He lifts our joined hands slowly, reverently, until the back of my hand rests against his bare chest. His skin is hot, warmer than human, like the surface of a sun wrapped in silk, and beneath it, I can feel the heavy, steady thud of his heartbeat. It’s impossibly slow and strong, like the earth itself is keeping time inside of him. The markings that lace across his torso pulse once, glowing brighter where our skin meets. I swear I can feel the hum of his magic, thrumming through his veins, crawling up my arm in waves of heat. My breath catches, and then he purrs. Actually purrs. It’s not delicate, or soft, or anything remotely human. It’s deep, a low vibration that rolls through his chest and straight into me, rattling my bones and scattering a thousand tiny butterflies through my belly. It’s the kind of sound that could probably shake mountains if he wanted it to. It should terrify me but it doesn’t. Instead, I laugh...well, giggle, really. I can’t help it, the sound just slips out of me. Rhaziel’s head snaps up at once, eyes locking on mine. His expression softens instantly, with a proud, dangerous smile curving his lips. It’s… boyish, almost. Out of place on a face like his, but so endearing I forget to breathe for a second. He looks so ridiculously pleased with himself, like making me laugh is the greatest victory of his life. His tail even gives a small, delighted flick behind him, betraying his composure completely before it wraps around my legs and draws me closer to his side. The purring grows louder then, richer, vibrating through our joined hands. He presses my palm a little firmer against his chest, over his heart, and murmurs, “You see? It recognises you.”

I blink up at him. “It?”

“My heart,” he says, the words so honest and unguarded that something warm blooms in my chest. The room has gone silent again, but it’s not awkward this time. It’s something else, something reverent. Every demon in the hall has lowered their eyes again, and I stand there, staring up at the terrifying, beautiful King of nightmares who purrs for me and holds my hand against his heart like it’s sacred.

“My King…” one of the demons said, voice wavering. His dark tail flicked nervously behind him. “Forgive the interruption, but a Marrowling has surfaced near the eastern quarter. It’s feeding on dream-shadows. Three guards have already gone missing.”

A sound rolled out of Rhaziel’s chest deep enough to make the walls tremble..The soldier visibly flinched and bowed even lower.

Rhaziel sighed, his massive shoulders rising and falling as if holding back a storm. Then those glowing eyes found mine. “This must be dealt with immediately,” he said, calmly. “The Marrowling should not have been able to cross this far into the capital. Something is disturbing the balance again.”

“Oh,” I said weakly. “Yeah. Sure. Okay.” I nodded like I totally understood what a Marrowling was, even though I absolutely didn’t. “Um… should you maybe, I don’t know, take me back to school first?”

His head tilted slightly, those curved black horns gleaming in the firelight. Then, slowly, terrifyingly slowly, he smiled.

“Back to school,” he echoed, like he was testing the phrase for the first time. “You stand in a kingdom built from nightmares and stars, and you wish to go back to your school?”

I blinked at him. “Well, yeah. I mean...I have classes. People will notice if I just… vanish.”

He chuckled low, “You will remain here, where it is safe, Hummingbird."

Ah...Shit.