Abriel was not known for coming to class. He usually prowled the grounds, trying to find a stray ditcher he could pick off. But for the last three days, he had religiously attended all of his classes, hoping to see a soft face framed by silver hair.
The third day. It was the third day and he hadn’t seen Zakeri, and the students who knew what had happened shot glances at each other from across the class, worried. Cormac and Ashe and Kavara, Malred and Yoppa, they all knew Zakeri had been hurt. Abriel and Cormac had seen how he looked after, how he fell into his familiar’s arms, unconscious. But no matter how bad he had been hurt, he should have healed by then. He should have been back in class the very next morning, driving Abriel crazy, laughing with Cormac.
Instead, Cormac sat next to Ashe, their fingers entwined and their heads together as they wondered whether Zakeri was going to make an appearance. And Abriel, he sat in the back corner, his usual air of gloom and danger intensified by his sense of guilt and growing concern for the missing silverette.
Even the teacher, Miss Kali, seemed concerned by one of her students’ continued absence. Still, she had to continue her lessons on the practice of making deals to take humans’ souls. It was the day she was going to partner up her students, and she picked up her clipboard to take down the names of the pairs. Cormac and Ashe, Kavara and Hassan, Yoppa and Malred; soon all of the students were paired up, except Abriel.
“Well, Abriel, it looks like you’re pairing up with m-”
Miss Kali was interrupted by the door opening. A young girl bounded through, wearing pink and white socks and a very obviously displayed pair of pink-laced white panties under a shirt that was stained with blood on the right shoulder. Abriel and Cormac’s eyes widened at the sight of the shirt, recognizing the bloodstains, and the girl they knew was Zakeri’s familiar. The rest of the students were wide-eyed at the sight of her tufted ears and long white tail, obvious signs of what she was- and who she belonged to, if they had ever paid attention.
“Sorry we’re late, and for… her.” There was the familiar voice that had Daeva’s top six turning to look behind the partially human familiar.
Zakeri leaned against the door, looking drawn and pale despite the smile turning up his lips. The look of intense relief on the teacher’s face was echoed by the faces of many of the students, six in particular. Guilt was removed from slumped shoulders, and most of them beamed brightly at him. Until he fixed them with a deadly glare of the type even Kissa hadn’t seen before. Mortified, intimidated, they looked down at their desks with red faces, hiding their double zeros against their stomachs. Only Cormac and Abriel could meet his eyes, his defender and the demon he had spared.
“I’d thank you to show up on time to class from now on, Zakeri,” Miss Kali said cooly, pushing her glasses up her nose and giving him her fiercest glare, trying to cover for how badly she’d lost control of her emotions when she walked into the room. Luckily, most of the students hadn’t noticed, but they whispered rumors when she continued, “Now, please come up to the front of the class. I have a matter I need to discuss with you.”
Abriel watched from the back of the class, his feet on the desk and his chair tilted back. His eyes narrowed as Zakeri leaned on the desk, all of his weight on his left arm. Whatever Miss Kali was saying, it wasn’t something he liked; he was arguing with her, shoving his hair back when it fell into his eyes, a fierce scowl on his face. Kissa, trying to help, bumped into him to offer comfort; Zakeri jumped, pain blazing across his features as he bit his lip to keep from making a sound. Guilt, sharp and cold, stabbed Abriel when he saw how tears hovered in those endlessly dark eyes.
Zakeri’s eyes met Abriel’s, and the dark ones widened. His lips moved in a silent curse, and he swiped at his face, continuing the movement up to his hair so it didn’t look like he’d been drying his eyes. Then he turned his back on Abriel completely, blocking his sight of Miss Kali as well so he couldn’t try to read their lips. Abriel glanced around, hoping somebody was paying attention so he could force it out of them later. But he seemed to be the only one who cared; even Cormac wasn’t watching, chattering at lightning speed with Ashe, a huge grin almost splitting his face.
Finally, the teacher and student separated, but it was clear neither of them liked where the argument had ended. Miss Kali turned her back to the class for a second, collecting herself. Zakeri glanced at his usual seat, hurt flickering in his eyes when he saw it taken by a silverette with a fluffy tail and fake ears perched on his head. He looked away with an angry jerk of his head; Cormac caught it out of the corner of his eyes and half stood, reaching out a hand, obviously meaning to make amends- a fact that wasn’t enjoyed by the smaller silverette, whose tail curled close to him.
It didn’t matter how either of them felt; Zakeri was already walking to the back of the class, ignoring Cormac’s silent apology. He was ready to take a seat on the opposite side of the room from Abriel when Miss Kali cleared her throat. “Zakeri,” she said his name. He turned to face her, murder in his eyes.
“What?” he snapped, not caring that the whispered rumors continued with new frenzy.
She sniffed her disapproval at him, nudging up her glasses with the knuckle of her index finger. “If you’d been here for the last three days,” she said caustically, “You’d know I was partnering you all up today. Because of your late arrival, the only other student left without a partner is Abriel. As such, you two will be partnered together for the rest of your time here at the Institute.”
Cormac was on his feet in a second, outraged; Kissa growled low in her throat, the sound of a threatening jungle cat rather than her usual kitten’s hiss. Abriel sat impassively, arms crossed over his chest, pale blue eyes fixed on Zakeri. They spoke his challenge for him, daring Zakeri to quietly accept Miss Kali’s partnering- or to bail out and prove himself a coward.
Zakeri didn’t say anything. He just turned on a heel and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The rest of the students stared after him in shocked silence, but an amused, satisfied smile played about Miss Kali’s lips.
“Abriel, please go fetch your partner and bring him back to class.”
“I’ll go!” Cormac was halfway to the door before he spoke.
“I said, Abriel will go.” Miss Kali’s voice came out low and dangerous, and every head in the room whipped in her direction. Nobody had ever heard Miss Kali so much as raise her voice, and that threatening tone was even worse. It was, apparently, a day of firsts.
“Yes, Miss Kali,” Abriel said respectfully. The front legs of his chair came down with a thud that echoed through the silent room. He glared at Cormac, and the redhead backed down, reclaiming his seat next to Ashe with a sullen expression. Smug and satisfied, Abriel collected his sword from where it rested against the wall, and followed after the angry silverette.
Zakeri was walking slowly, a hand on his head revealing his weariness and his wavering steps showing he was already becoming dizzy, so it was easy for Abriel to catch up. “Zakeri!” Abriel shouted his name, a challenge.
Zakeri turned to find Abriel with his sword drawn, flames dancing along it and flickering at the end of his tail. “What do you want?” he sighed, too exhausted to deal with the dramatic demon.
“Why didn’t you kill me again?” Abriel snarled, both hands wrapped around the hilt of his sword.
Zakeri laughed, tipping his head back, his weariness making his caution fly away. “Please,” he scoffed, meeting Abriel’s eyes- the dark-haired demon flinched at the contempt in them, “As if I could kill anybody that pathetic.”
Abriel snapped; the blue hellfire flared hot and bright, and he lunged forward with an animal snarl. Zakeri stood his ground, smirking, while the sword drove through his middle. But it never touched him. Not a drop of blood spilled, and he didn’t feel a hint of pain, even though Abriel had driven the sword in to the hilt.
Abriel stared at Zakeri, horrified. “You, you’re a…”
Zakeri laughed again, an off kilter sound. “Surprise.”
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