Page 22

22

SKEL

M y fingers traced small circles on Pandora’s thigh as we sat in Ironwood’s classroom for Practical Applications of Ceremonial Magic.

Bram’s gaze was locked on where my fingers moved on Pandora’s thigh, and there was a burning hot desire in his eyes that had been present ever since they marked each other. I knew he wanted her as bad as we all did. He was the only one of her mates that hadn’t been intimate with her.

He’d come a long way from where he’d been, though.

My tablet buzzed on the desk in front of me, and I tapped open the message from my dad.

Nelson Grimshaw

Skel, can you come to dinner tonight? You should bring Pandora. We haven’t seen you since dinner at Death’s manor. We miss you both. Honestly, I know you said Pandora was doing okay after what happened, but I would like to see her. She’s family, too, you know.

Pandora leaned over to read the message and brought her lips close to my ear before whispering, “Tell him we’ll be there.”

A chill ran down my spine as I nodded. “Thanks, princess.”

I hadn’t heard from Kat much since what happened at Death’s manor when Pandora was cursed. It irritated me. She’d texted twice to check in on Pandora, but that was it. Maybe irritated wasn’t the right word. It hurt me. Then again, we’d been out of each other’s lives for an entire year pretty much. No wonder we didn’t talk as much as we used to.

We were both still healing from it.

Pandora’s hand slid into mine, the one that had rested on her thigh. “Your feelings over Kat are valid, Skel. She’s your sister, and honestly, her avoidance was never a reflection of you but of her inability to cope with a situation she caused.”

“You’re right,” I muttered, my heart swelling at how she knew exactly what had been bothering me.

Kat did her best to heal in her own way. I’d felt the sincerity in her soul—the guilt, the pain, the regret. All of it.

I had to do my part in forgiving her.

“Are you two finished?” Ironwood’s irritated voice snapped me back to reality. “I am lecturing, and demonic hearing makes it difficult to do so when I have students talking.”

“Sorry, Ironwood,” Pandora murmured guiltily.

“Sorry,” I muttered, but I was not feeling guilty about it. The professor was a fucking idiot.

“Don’t let it happen again.” His eyes softened on Pandora before he cleared his throat. I wanted to gouge his eyes out for it. “Back to the topic at hand. Protection charms can be created out of regular items. We went over this in theory, but we’ve had a term between theory and practical, so can someone tell me if we can do ceremonial magic for protection on an already enchanted item?”

Voidfire’s hand shot up, and he nodded at her.

“Yes, you can. Ceremonial magic isn’t an enchantment. It’s just a layer of magic, whereas enchantments have magic imbued into the item.”

“Correct.” He smiled. “Now, everyone, take out your personal item you wish to place protection magic on.”

“It’s in here,” Nebula told Pandora from her bag.

She reached in and pulled out the ring her dad had given her that just randomly showed back up, infected with dark magic. “Thanks,” she whispered.

I took out my lip ring, and Bram took out his septum ring.

Jenni placed a ring on the desk in front of her before winking at Pandora. “It’s my fated ring from Daryl.”

Fated ring?

I’d never even thought about a fated ring. It was a centuries-old tradition that was lost about seven decades ago. It was just a gift a supernatural would give to their soulmates after mating, and it symbolized their love just like a mate mark did. Though, it was lost to time.

Now, a mate mark was all that was necessary.

Pandora smiled. “It’s beautiful.”

Did we need to get her one?

Bram and I shared a look, and it was clear we were thinking the same thing.

“I consider this necklace to be the same meaning the fated ring is to you,” Pandora told her, letting her fingertips brush against the necklace we’d all put our blood inside for her that Reed got her. “It symbolizes all of my mates.”

“You should do protection magic on that instead,” Jenni told her. “It’s special.”

“You’re right,” Pandora agreed, dropping the ring back into her bag.

“I’ve got it.” I reached over and unclasped the necklace for her.

“Thanks, Skel.” She caught the pendant from around her neck as the chain unclasped and smiled as she gently laid it on the desk. The chain pooled under the pendant itself, and the stones set within it held my focus. Six in total—one for me, four that symbolized her other mates, and one for her. Each birthstone was a symbol of our fate together.

“Anything for you, princess.” I lit the candle on my desk, and it cast shadows over my lip ring.

It was difficult to focus on the ritual because I couldn’t keep my eyes off Pandora, like usual. I watched her—entranced with the way her fingers trembled slightly as she pressed them to the pendant, how her magical essence wove into the stones like strands of liquid light. The glow reflected in her eyes as her power sank over the necklace, sealing her intent for protection.

She had placed protection magic over it. The magic settled, quiet but potent, a hum that resonated through the pendant.

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to pick up my simple silver lip ring and keep it in my palm. I searched inward for that well of power beneath my ribs, where my magic pulsed in sync with my heartbeat. My fingers closed over the lip ring, and I let my magical essence flow with the intent of protection. It seeped into the silver, slow and steady, like a ribbon of visible heat spreading through the metal.

It vibrated in my palm, absorbing the magic before it stilled.

The glow faded from between my fingers, leaving behind a whisper of warmth in the metal.

I rolled it between my fingers before lifting it to my lip, slipping it back into place. Smirking, I ran my tongue over the ring’s familiar shape. The magic tingled faintly against my skin, letting me know I actually managed to do it right.

I glanced over at my mate again, catching her gaze as she went to grab the pendant. It slipped from her grasp. It clattered, sliding off the desk and onto the stone floor, right in front of Ironwood’s feet.

“Careful.” He bent down and plucked it up, handing it out for her.

Rage spread through me at him holding a pendant that symbolized our relationship with our mate.

“Thanks, sorry,” she replied sheepishly, reaching out and placing her fingers on it to pull it away.

But he didn’t let go right away. Instead, he leaned in far too close, his fingers shifting to meet hers. “It seems you may need some extra instruction to get this right. Would you like to stay after and work on it?”

His desire for her flickered in his soul.

Bram and I both growled, our demon forms slinking out.

“Um, no, thanks.” She tugged the pendant from him and clutched it to her chest. “I managed to protect it. I just dropped it after.”

He smirked, nodding. “Sure, well, if you ever need anything, just let me know. I’d be happy to tutor you if you need it.”

“She doesn’t,” Bram replied, getting up and standing behind Pandora. He reached around her to grab the ends of the chain and clasped it around her neck. “She’s smart as fuck.”

“That’s true,” I agreed, glaring daggers at the idiot professor. “Even if she needed help, she could just ask Hunter. You know, her fucking mate.”

“Just an offer.” Ironwood rolled his eyes before turning away and walking toward Voidfire, who actually seemed to be struggling. “Would you like to stay after for tutoring?”

She let out a relieved sigh and nodded, staring up at him as she batted her lashes. “Yes, please.”

“That was fucking weird,” Jenni mumbled.

“Yeah.” Bram let out another low demonic growl.

Pandora squirmed in her seat, clutching the pendant as it hung around her neck. “Did you feel his soul’s intent?”

“Fuck yeah we did,” Bram and I muttered.

He desired our mate.

“He’s got another fucking thing coming if he tries anything with you,” Bram stated, glaring at his back.

We would kill him if he ever tried.