Page 70 of Demon Apathy: Sunderverse
“Maybe… something happened to her.”
“You think?” He pulled away from the car, looking as if he hadn’t considered the possibility. After a moment’s thought, he shook his head. “Nah, this is Khargon we’re talking about. She’s the kind of demon thathappensto someone, not the other way around. I’d better find her, though. Get in, I’ll take you back to the league.”
I checked the time on my phone. Not too bad. I’d only wasted an hour of study time dealing with Solar. Maybe I would still be able to pass my test tomorrow.
25
Icrammedfrom9PM until 2 AM with only a small break to sneak out to the kitchen for a snack. I even convinced Jenna to go with me, and we successfully avoided every hall monitor. After studying, I slept a few hours, showered, ate breakfast on the go, and showed up to Demonology on time.
I managed to stay awake during class and mentally review what I’d studied. Then it was off to History of Demon Hunting, and the dreaded exam. It was the first serious test since I’d been back, and I was pleasantly surprised as I read every question, and the answer immediately came to me. I scribbled my responses with confidence. It was a novel feeling to know everything and not feel the need to peek over other people’s shoulders.
Surprisingly, in the end, I had ten minutes to spare and double-check everything. When I was done, I extended my exam toward Professor Saphira Fennix, feeling quite proud of myself. I paused—not letting go of the paper.
Witchlights!
Professor Fennix tugged on it. She was an African American woman who always wore colorful headdresses and whose beauty was fit for a magazine cover. Her classes were engrossing and peppered with her sharp sense of humor. I really liked her and wanted to do well for her.
“Are you sure you’re done, Ms. Sunder?” she asked with an amused twinkle in her dark eyes.
Realizing I was still holding on to the test, I blinked, let go, and smiled awkwardly. I walked out of the classroom, frowning at the floor. I was still staring downward when Jenna came out.
“What’s the matter?” She bit her lower lip, wincing. “You didn’t do well?”
“No, I think I did. It’s just…” I leaned closer and whispered. “I feel… proud of myself, and that can’t be good, can it?”
Jenna sputtered a laugh, surprising me. “I don’t think you’re at any risk of a relapse, Lucia. It’s okay to feel proud of yourself when you’ve done the work. And you did the work. Big time!”
“Yeah, I guess.” I’d been studying like a fiend and would be caught up on all the missed work pretty soon. Still, I would check with Drevan to make sure my previous faults weren’t catching up with me.
“Now, you need to catch us up on the Drevan situation.” Jena pulled me along to the common room, where we sat in a far corner. She quickly texted Sage and Benjamin to let them know where we were, and they joined us as soon as they finished their exam.
“How did you guys do?” Benjamin asked, taking a seat next to Jenna.
We went over the questions and discussed the answers. When we were done, I felt even more confident about my performance, while the guys looked preoccupied instead.
“I’m sure you all did great,” Jenna enthused. “Plus there’s no need to worry about it until we get the results.”
Sage shrugged, brushing his worry off. He was too cool to let anything as simple as a grade bother him. Benjamin, on the other hand, didn’t seem to find it that easy.
“All right,” Jenna wiggled in her seat, “now you have no excuse. Tell us what happened last night.”
When I got back, I’d refused to talk about Drevan and Solar. I’d been determined to study for the exam without distractions. Now, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get away with anything but a detailed report of where I’d been.
Sage rolled his eyes and acted disinterested as I started. However, soon he was leaning forward, elbows on knees, listening intently. Benjamin did the same, all his concern about the test forgotten.
“And you haven’t heard from Drevan?” Jenna asked.
I shook my head.
Benjamin looked puzzled. “Do you really think something happened to Khargon?”
“I doubt it,” I said. “I get the impression she’s tough as nails. Whatever the case… we have to start all over. All that effort was wasted, and now Solar is huddled up in Queens, laying on a beanbag and playing video games.”
“Sounds fun to me,” Sage put in. “I wish I was doing that. I’m tired of cramming. It’s so boring. When are we going to finally see some action?”
Benjamin and Jenna nodded in agreement. She even gave me a knowing glance, reminding me that this was exactly how I’d felt in the beginning and what had gotten me in a load of trouble. I was surprised to see she seemed to be feeling the way I had, though. Before, she’d appeared content to simply bury her nose in a pile of books, but maybe that had changed.
“So how are you going to get back on track with Solar?” Benjamin asked.
