Page 15 of House of Pain
When the door opened, an electric current passed through Alecto.
She slowly dragged her gaze to the door to find a pair of deep amber eyes staring at her. A breath hitched inside her throat.
Hewas real.
The Guardian they conjured last Friday night was real.
And right now, he was standing in front of the whole class, dressed in Venefica’s crimson uniform, two buttons of his white shirt loose, the tie hanging over his shoulder casually.There was a book in his hand, and while his stance was casual, face bored, his eyes were scorching fire.
He was also not alone. The Dean’s secretary, Miss Bellthrove, stood right beside him.She passed a paper to Professor Fallo, who read over it as she walked to her desk.
“We have a late newcomer, I see. Rogue Smolder,” the professor said, writing something down in one of her notebooks. “Take a seat, Mr. Smolder. You’re just in time for the new reading we’re starting, so I’m sure it’ll be easy to catch up with the rest of the class. And your classmates will be more than happy to help if you have any questions.”
Like Hel they would.
One glance at the classroom was enough for Alecto to see all the eyes turning towards him as he advanced further, strolling through the narrow paths between desks.
Everyone, even the boys, looked at him as if he was one of the Gods walking the earth.
He sure as Hel looked like one.
Too late, Alecto realized that he was striding towards her, to the only free seat left in the whole classroom.His book landed on the table first, and then the Guardian slid behind the desk, his presence sucking out the air around them.
The smell of the forest pine filled Alecto’s nostrils, and she had to grip her pen very hard to not lose her shit.Val, Jolene, Blaze, and Andro were all staring at her over their shoulders, their eyes wide.
Finally, Val’s lips curled up, and she winked before turning her attention back to Professor Fallo, who stood by the chalkboard writing something.
There was something in Blaze’s eyes that made Alecto’s stomach turn, but she turned away, ignoring him.Rogue’s gaze lingered on her, so she turned her head to the side.
“We’re going to be partners for this class.” His voice was rough and deep, rumbling from the depths of his chest, and Alecto’s toes curled inside her shoes against her will.
She cleared her throat. “So it seems.”
A wicked grin raised one corner of his lips, and a dimple appeared. “You don’t look so happy about it.”
He wasn’t real, was he?
He couldn’t be real—just a bundle of magic.
But the boy next to her seemed real enough. And he smelled real.
Flesh and blood, bone and muscle right beside her.
“It’s too early to say” was all Alecto said before turning her attention back to the professor.
7
Alecto flinched when Blaze pushed the Guardian against the wall next to the sink.Hard.“What the Hel do you think you’re doing?”
Immediately after the class was over, Val led them to the common bathrooms next to Professor Fallo’s classroom.
“This is not what we fucking bargained for,” Andro said, gesturing with his long hands.
A Guardian showing up at Venefica as one of the students wasdefinitelynot how they planned the whole thing.
Val walked closer to the Guardian and placed a hand on Blaze’s shoulder. Immediately Blaze backed off, walking away from the creature, allowing Val to take the lead.
“Rogue Smolder,” Val mused, tilting her head to the side. “It wasn’t written in the Book that Guardians get to choose their own names, let alone attend an academy of their own accord.”
