by Eva Brandt
“That is correct,” Faust said. “But in order to accomplish this, you must know the specific terms you need to mention in your contract with the human. Otherwise, you might find yourself enslaved.
“Throughout this class, we will go over several important concepts. One thing you must remember is that you should never underestimate humans. As such, we will study minor elements of human contractual law and how this can be applied to us. We will then look into methods of forming our own contracts and how we can assure a contract always turns out in our favor.”
As he spoke, Faust distributed the official syllabus and manual. I skimmed through the book, taking note of all its sections. I was both intrigued and terrified by the section on runes. I’d yet to learn much on that except a handful of Norse runes that I still had trouble writing. My immediate instinct was to skip to that page to see just how much catch-up work I still needed to do.
That was when I caught sight of something even more interesting. Familiar bonds.
The chapter on familiars was almost at the very end, but the sheer fact that it was included sent a shiver down my spine. Where did a familiar bond fit in? Was it a contract or a binding spell?
The way Lilith had explained it, familiar bonds were natural, beautiful things that were created when two creatures with a natural affinity for one another came together. Considering the fact that Shiro was my familiar, I was inclined to believe it. But if that was the case, why was the bond listed here?
Were familiars different when they were people? Clearly, they had to be.
I must’ve tensed, because Mikael reached for me and brushed his fingers over my arm. “Lyssa? Is everything okay?”
Meanwhile, Shiro placed his head on my knee and looked up at me with wide, pleading eyes. I realized that he’d leave fur all over my gown again, but I didn’t much care about that.
The two touches felt different. Of course they did. But where did that difference come from and what did it mean?
I snapped the book shut and forced a smile. “I’m fine. Just thinking that runes are going to be a problem.”
My excuse must’ve been believable, because Mikael relaxed. “I wouldn’t worry too much. The chapter we have to deal with while in Law isn’t that difficult. We have plenty of time to cover what you didn’t get the chance to study until now.”
It was Samuel Byte who interrupted my exchange with Mikael, and the question he asked made shivers course down my spine. “Professor Faust, isn’t there a law that would keep contracted familiars from approaching a demon if they are of a certain species? Like, for example… Nephilim?”
Instantly, the atmosphere in the classroom changed. All eyes turned toward me and Mikael. I forgot all about my previous concerns, because I had bigger problems.
“No, there isn’t a law like that.” Faust grimaced, and his previously professional demeanor vanished like smoke in the wind. “One other thing you’ll learn about this year is loopholes. For a long time, familiars have been a loophole anyone can use to get away with murder. If it helps, I have no doubt that there will be changes in the rules soon, to prevent such unpleasant incidents from occurring.”
“But doesn’t the Anti-Angelic Act trump all else?” another student asked. Much to my shock and frustration, it was Gemma. “Who really cares Mikael is a familiar, as long as he has a celestial parentage?”
“In an ideal world, you would be correct, Ms. Grimm,” Faust replied. “Celestial parentage should be the most important factor to be considered when discussing people we socialize with. But unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world and angels are still given a free pass far too often. Truth be told, nephilim should never even be allowed to exist.”
What the fuck? Mikael was standing right here. He showed no reaction to having just had his existence questioned. Maybe he was used to it. Maybe he’d expected it. But I would not let this stand.
“I disagree,” I said coldly. “In an ideal world, people would realize that they don’t know better than the Prince of Hell who allowed Mikael to become the head of his house and the sentient school that harbored him for years. But all of you are too arrogant and stupid to see what is right in front of your noses.”
I could see several of the students want to defend themselves, but I didn’t give them the chance. I got up and the furniture in the room started to rattle like something out of Carrie. “I don’t know much about this crazy conflict between Hell and Heaven, but I do know this. Last year, when we studied Demonology, Ammit often spoke about balance. Guess what? You can’t have balance in the world if only a type of being exists. Maybe it would be more comfortable for you, because without celestial creatures, you could run amok and feed on humans whenever you want. But not everything is about what you want. The Princes of Hell and its High Lords know that too.”
When I said that, three-quarters of the people in the room blanched. Even Samuel Byte went pasty white, which was hilarious, since he was already as pale as death. Literally.
I pursued my advantage and continued to speak. “Who are you to question what your betters have already decreed correct? Do you think the school founded by Satan himself would have allowed him to set foot on the island if he didn’t belong here? And what about the Watchers? Do you think they were blind when they granted him entrance?”
I fully intended to continue my rant and give Faust a piece of my mind too, but Mikael shot to his feet and grabbed my wrist. “With your permission, Sir, we’ll bow out of the class now.”
“Yes, Mr. Lost,” Faust replied, and for the first time, I noticed his hands were shaking. “Perhaps that would be for the best.”
Moving almost as fast as he had when he’d wanted to fuck me, Mikael gathered my things and made a beeline for the door. Shiro rushed after us, with TB on top of him, scanning the room for potential attackers.
In the end, we managed to leave with no incident, but Mikael didn’t stop moving even after we were outside. He dragged me down three winding corridors, and up two sets of stairs, and he only stopped when we reached the library.
I’d always enjoyed being here, ever since I’d first discovered the place on my first day in this crazy school. Mikael had been the one to show me this haven, because I’d helped him with TB. He wasn’t as aloof and cool to me now as he had been then. If anything, he seemed to be panicking.
“That wasn’t a good idea, Lyssa,” he said once we were safely inside the library, stabbing a hand through his hair in clear agitation. “I know you wanted to help me and I appreciate it, but you shouldn’t have said all that. You came very close to treading some pretty dangerous ground.”
“But Mikael, that’s absurd,” I protested. “Anyone with a brain can tell the Watchers should’ve known about your nature. The power they have can’t be fooled so easily.”
“Maybe, but it’s not something you should mention,” Mikael replied. “Please, don’t do it again.”
I might have tried to reason with him and point out how insane the whole thing was, but this was not my lucky day. The familiar figure of Dean Mephistopheles emerged from the shadows, his wings folded neatly behind his back. “I’m afraid I must agree with Mr. Lost. It would appear I’ve been remiss in your education, Ms. Michaelis and it’s time to hammer the point home.”
He sounded perfectly calm, but even so, I got the feeling I was in real trouble. Still, I wasn’t willing to back out so quickly. “I didn’t say anything untrue.”
“That’s precisely the problem and you know it, Ms. Michaelis. You’re too smart to not realize certain truths aren’t meant to be looked at too closely because they will not stand up to scrutiny.”
He wasn’t wrong, and I’d held my tongue before about the fundamental flaws of the demon world. But I had to draw the line somewhere, damn it. “I couldn’t just let them get away with saying things like that about Mikael.”
“I’m sure you meant well, but as you might have already heard, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” He smiled, exposing
sharp, glinting fangs that reminded me an awful lot of Leviathan. “Detention, Ms. Michaelis. You’re to come with me. Alone.”
By my side, Mikael went rigid. “Sir, I really must protest. We have another class after Law. Besides, if you want to give her detention, I should be—”
“Enough!” Mephistopheles cut him off. “Don’t pretend to be concerned about her classes when you know very well that, if there’s an issue, I can easily handle it. I’ve indulged your little game so far, but I will not allow this to escalate any further. If you cannot control this, I will. Take your familiar and that of Ms. Michaelis to your dorm and wait for her there. Do not make me force matters, because I will.”
TB hissed at him in anger and Mikael took a step forward, his eyes flashing. The air behind him blurred, and all of a sudden, I could see his wings there, beautiful and black, glowing with divine magic.
Uh-oh. No, we weren’t going there. I might have been reckless enough to point out some harsh truths to the other students, but this was much worse and ten times more dangerous.
I stepped between the duo and pushed them apart. “It’s okay,” I told Mikael quickly. “This isn’t a big deal. I’ve done detention before, remember?”
“Not with him, you haven’t,” Mikael replied, his voice thick with a mix of anger and apprehension.
“You asked me once to respect your choice, Mr. Lost,” Mephistopheles replied in my stead. “Now, if you don’t mind, respect my position and Ms. Michaelis’s decision. Leave.”
Mikael cursed under his breath, still infuriated. Then, much to my surprise, he turned toward me and smiled. “All right, then, Lyssa. I’ll wait for you at the dorms. But no matter what happens, I’m with you.”
I didn’t get the chance to decipher the meaning of his cryptic statement. Pivoting on his heel, he left, with Shiro and TB following him. Now alone with the dean, I began to question the true wisdom of my actions.
“Come with me, Ms. Michaelis,” he said. “We will be taking this conversation to my office.”
I gulped, but complied. Somehow, I had the feeling that whatever he and I spoke out would be far tougher than Ammit’s detentions.
Detention
“Well, here we are, Ms. Michaelis. What a complicated situation we find ourselves in.”
I was once again in his office, seated at his desk, much like I had been the day after Mikael had brought Shiro back from the dead. I forced myself to not fidget in my chair and said nothing, knowing the dean explain what he needed me to do for his detention.
Mephistopheles sat on the other side of his table, scrutinizing me with piercing crimson eyes. “You know, it’s rather interesting, but I don’t think you and I have ever been alone.”
No, we hadn’t. Whenever I’d spoken with him, I’d at least had Shiro with me. But now, without Shiro, I felt strangely… exposed. Not unprotected, per se, because I doubted Shiro could’ve kept me safe had the dean wanted to hurt me. Just a little apprehensive. “Is that relevant, Sir?” I asked.
His lips twitched slightly, as if he was laughing at a private joke. “Oh, I think it is, but you might not agree with me. Then again, you and I have that problem a lot. We don’t agree much, do we?”
“I have my opinions and you have yours, Sir. I think that’s to be expected from anyone. And in our case, at least, I don’t think our points of view were ever at odds.”
“Do you understand what you did wrong?” he asked me.
I understood what he thought I’d done wrong, since he’d made it more than clear earlier. I didn’t roll my eyes or argue with again, though, and not just because he would’ve been intimidating even when dancing around in a pink tutu on Caramelldansen. I’d already made enough of a mess today by losing my temper.
“I should’ve been more discreet in expressing my opinions while in class,” I replied. “It was unwise of me to point out something the demon world has been ignoring for centuries.”
“In other words, no, you don’t understand.” Dean Mephistopheles pursed his lips in obvious displeasure. “It’s disappointing, but not unexpected. You’ve always been stubborn.
“You need to be disciplined, Ms. Michaelis. It’s clear to me that Stefan, Mikael, and Callum won’t do it. In hindsight, I had no idea why I thought they’d be able to.”
Anger rushed through me at his comment. “I’m not a child.”
“No, you’re not, but I never said I considered you one. You still don’t grasp your position, even after a year of being here. I suppose it’s not completely your fault, but that doesn’t change our current state of affairs, does it?”
I wanted to slap the smug smirk off his face. That would’ve obviously been a bad idea, so instead, I provided him with my best defiant reply. “What are you going to do? Give me a spanking?”
And… Open mouth, insert foot. I had no idea what had made me say that, but I instantly regretted it. Mephistopheles’s expression changed. The glint in his eyes turned darker, more dangerous. “A spanking?” he repeated, humming thoughtfully. “I think that would be a wonderful idea.”
All of a sudden, he was on his feet and by my side. I yelped when he reached for me, because I hadn’t even seen him move. He pulled me upright and bent me over his desk, pinning me down with his own body and his clawed hands. He was so much larger than me that immobilizing my arms was child’s play. I felt dwarfed and overwhelmed under his massive bulk.
“I remember the day you came to the academy,” he whispered in my ear. “I’m still not sure how you wandered into the village on your own, but you did. What did you think when you saw me fuck that woman in the alley?”
Was that an actual question? If he expected me to answer, he would be disappointed, because my brain had taken a holiday the moment he’d grabbed me.
“Do you want that, pet? Do you want to be fucked?”
As he spoke, he caressed my sides with his free hand. I bit my lower lip, forcing back the automatic agreement. Yes, I did want to be fucked, but I was already involved with Callum, Stefan, and Mikael. Things were already complicated enough between us. I refused to cheat on them, even with my hot as hell headmaster.
“S-Sir, I appreciate the interest,” I stammered, “but I’m already in a relationship.”
“Are you really? And how does that affect me? Or this?”
He ground his crotch against my backside, and I realized that he had an erection. “Face it, Ms. Michaelis,” he whispered. “You’ve wanted this since that first moment we met. I could see it in your eyes. You might pretend you don’t, but that doesn’t make it true.”
“Being attracted to someone isn’t a sin,” I argued. “That doesn’t mean I have to happily spread my legs for that person.”
He laughed again. “No, it doesn’t. But you’ll do it anyway, won’t you?”
“I won’t,” I answered defiantly. “This isn’t what I want.”
“Liar.” Mephistopheles blew a gust of hot air into my ear, and I barely managed to suppress a whimper. “But don’t worry. It wouldn’t be a punishment if I gave you my cock so easily. No, I have something else in mind for you, pet.”
A shiver coursed down my spine at his threatening tone. I realized then I shouldn’t have defied him or made such a stupid comment. But it was too late for that now, and so, I had to take my punishment.
Before I even knew what was going on, he pulled me up, draped me over his shoulder, and carried me to the comfortable black couch in the corner. I honestly had no idea how he managed to accomplish this without putting out my eyes with the edges of his wings, but maybe it was just a demonic talent. When he sat on the couch, I ended up on his lap, facedown. He lifted my gown, exposing my naked butt cheeks.
As he caressed the curved of my ass, he let out a rumble of satisfaction. “Very pretty. I appreciate your taste in underwear.”
I disagreed. At that moment, I would’ve preferred for my panties to have provided a better barrier between me and my sexy headmaster. But they didn’t. When he tugged on the sil
ken string of the thong, my pussy clenched, begging to be filled.
God, he had barely even touched me and I was already so wet for him. This was beyond bad. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I wanted his cock so much I could scream.
Mephistopheles grunted and passed his fingers over my pussy, through the material of my sodden panties. I whimpered as I felt the tip of his claw nudge my clit. “You’re really testing my resolve, you know that?” he asked. “How am I supposed to not fuck you when you were made for it?”
That might well be, but even so, I had agreed to belong to my lovers and I needed to keep my word. No matter how attracted I was to my dean, I couldn’t allow that arousal to get the better of me. “Please…”
The word came out a little breathier than I had hoped and didn’t convey the message I’d wanted to send—that I needed him to stop. Fortunately, he understood anyway.
His clever fingers slid away from my pussy and back up, toward my ass. With a sharp yank, he ripped off my panties altogether. Holding onto me even harder, he brought his hand down onto my butt cheeks in a blow that made pain erupt through my body.
I yelped in a mix of shock and distress. Instinctively, I tried to pull away, but Mephistopheles didn’t let me escape. “You did ask to be spanked, didn’t you, Alyssa? And you were so very disobedient.”
Once again, his palm came down onto my bare ass, this time on the opposite cheek. I cried out again, but this time, it wasn’t just because of the pain.
Weirdly, the burn in my flesh pooled straight into my core. My nipples tingled with need and my pussy was throbbing almost as much as my ass was. He might be hitting me, but I was just as aroused as I’d been before, if not more.
When the third blow hit, the sound I let out was one of pleasure. Mephistopheles growled. “You really are temptation incarnate.”
I could feel his erection underneath me, and I wanted to reach for it, to impale myself on it, to take it in my mouth, in my body, in my ass. But at the same time, I knew I couldn’t do so, so I lay there in frustrated pleasure, shaking, aroused and in pain.