Page 142 of Academy of the Wicked, Year One

"Maddening chaos?" Mortimer questions.

"Oh, I have bipolar disorder. From the witch side. Don't worry, I only summon the dead worthy of enacting my revenge, so no big deal."

They gawk at me again.

"Maybe I should stop talking," I mutter. "Let's just put our hands in and cheer to a new academic year?"

Nikolai approaches instead, asking for my wrist.

Confused, I watch as he raises it, snapping his fingers. Vines materialize, wrapping around his hand first, sprouting thorns that draw his blood.

The crimson drops fall onto my pulse point, transforming into an intricate tattoo like a thorned rosary.

Cassius appears behind me, offering his hand wrapped in black thorns. His blood joins Nikolai's at my pulse point, forming a miniature scythe symbol.

The gesture feels sacred, and significant in ways I don't yet understand.

The tattoo finalizes with a pulse that sends shivers through my entire body.

"Why...did you two just do that?" Mortimer asks, surprise evident in his voice.

"What exactly did they do?" I look between them. "Because I don't know shit."

"The mark claims official ownership," Nikolai explains. "The symbol will make it very clear to anyone, royal or not, that you belong to royal suitors and can't be messed with unless they wish to ignite a war."

"W-War?!" I stutter, looking between them in shock. "Like your people," I gesture to Nikolai, then Cassius, "and your Duskwalker masses will literally start a war with anyone who crosses me? Why would you do that?"

Nikolai's expression hardens.

"No one messes with what I claim as mine,"he says simply but the power pulsing in his voice is very clear."Even if I have to be an ass outside these walls, there's no way anyone is dunking you like a basketball for entertainment."

"This will project such consequences," Cassius adds darkly, "and we'll fix that with the mere thought of hurting you."

"How?" I ask. "Find and haunt them until the reaper claims their soul?"

Their serious expressions make me pause.

"Wait, you can do that?"

"Cassius can," Nikolai confirms. "And I have more than enough money to pay it off."

"I knew you two were possessive motherfuckers," Mortimer mutters, "but your loyalty is rather nice to witness firsthand."

"Hey," Nikolai protests, "you've been a loyal pet to us."

"Why do they call you a pet like you're an animal?" I ask Mortimer.

"Oh. Isn't that obvious?" Cassius points at him. "He's our group's pet dragon."

I stare, dumbfounded.

"Pet... what now?” I must have misheard or hallucinated that mention because there ain’t no way. “DRAGON?! Like the breathing flames of fury type?!"

"A King Dragon, to be fair," Nikolai adds casually. "And yes. By supernatural law, we must claim him as our 'pet' for security and protection. Other paranormals like hunting royal beings – they're harder to catch outside but easier to kidnap here. If they survive long enough to escape with them."

"Well shit," I whisper. "Duskwalker prince, Fae prince, and a Dragon King under one roof?!"

"GREE!"

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