Book 4
Visit Mandi Oyster online at
www.MandiOyster.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MandiOysterAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandioyster/
Copyright ©2020 by Mandi Oyster
Cover Illustration by Mandi Oyster
Typography & formatting by Mandi Oyster
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
This book is dedicated to everyone who has
ever called me Queen Mandi the Magnificent.
You’re all royalty in my eyes.
Long may we reign!
Chapter 1
New Students
They were in all of my classes. Beautiful and distant. They stood out. My classmates thought they were models. I knew they were other, but what exactly, I couldn’t be sure.
I’d noticed the first one in the hallway outside my dorm room. She had long blonde hair that fell in waves down her back. People darted down the halls, but she stood absolutely still. Her gaze never left me as I walked to the bathroom. When I finished my shower and stepped back into the hallway, a second one had joined her. Dark lashes framed seafoam green eyes that drew me in and kept me from turning away.
I ran into another student.
She stumbled. “Watch where you’re going,” she grumbled.
I shook my head and stepped back. “I’m so sorry.”
While my friends and I walked to Mythology class, the others watched me from beneath the trees and on the benches, men and women alike. They gathered together, following behind us.
When we got to class, Aurelia and Cody sat to either side of me, and Dan and Samantha sat in front of me, blocking me from the others.
Cassandra Nightshade and Bryce Sumac entered the room hand in hand. Cassandra nodded at me and took the seat next to Samantha.
My eyebrows pinched together, and I looked from her to Cody. With his jaw clenched, he glared daggers at the two of them. I twined my fingers with his, trying to soothe him. It would be a long time, if ever, until Cody forgave them.
The beautiful people sat along the aisles and by the exits, effectively blocking my escape. They turned awkwardly in their seats to ogle at me.
Dr. Cedar walked into the room and came to an abrupt halt. He rubbed his chin while looking at all the extra students. “Anyone not prepared to learn about mythology can leave now.”
He waited by the door, but nobody budged. I was tempted to get up to see if the beautiful people would follow my lead.
“Well”—he walked the rest of the way into the room, rubbing his hands together—“if you’re all staying, let’s get started.”
About halfway through class, Cassandra tossed a folded piece of paper onto my desk. I stared at it. Part of me wanted to know what it said, and the other part wanted to ignore it. Curiosity ended up getting the best of me. I picked it up like it might explode, holding it by the edge. Cody put his hand over mine and shook his head.
Dropping it, I went back to taking notes, but the paper seemed to call my name. I snatched it up and read it before Cody could stop me.
What’s with the entourage? And what happened to Damon?
Seeing his name made my heart clench. My throat felt painfully thick. I pictured Damon’s tousled hair and cocky grin. I remembered his confidence and his humor. Tears pricked my eyes. I held my pen above the sheet, not sure if I should answer. Finally, I settled on:
I’ve never seen them before. He went home. He won’t be back.
My hand shook when I wrote the last line. I needed to get over it, but I didn’t know how. I never should have befriended him to begin with. I’d known all along that he was the demon Mavros, but he’d been funny and charming, and even though he’d said I’d never meant anything to him, I felt differently.
I held the note out, considering crumpling it up, but I tossed it back to her instead.
When class ended, Cassandra turned and looked at me. “I know there’s more to them.” She pointed at the watchers. “And her”—she nodded at Aurelia—“and Damon. You don’t have to tell me. You don’t have to trust me, but I might be able to help somehow.”
Shoving my things in my bag, I contemplated ignoring her. I had no idea what to say. She knew about my powers. Like me, she had also been demon-marked. The difference between us was that I could defend myself from the monsters, and she couldn’t. Maybe she deserved a second chance.
“Thanks. You did help.” I smiled at her and Bryce. “Keeping them from sitting right next to me. Giving me a break.”
“No problem.” She tossed her ebony hair over her shoulder, grabbed Bryce’s hand, and sashayed out of the room.
Samantha watched them leave, her mouth slightly open. “What was that about?”
“I don’t know.” I rubbed my arm, wondering if I’d ever know what was going on.
The beautiful people loitered in front of the exits, watching me, waiting for me to make my move. Dr. Cedar sat upright at his desk, keeping an eye on everyone in the room. I was sure he could feel the tension. I wondered how he’d react if he knew creatures of legend stood in his room and others walked among
