Dacia Wolf & the Fallen Prince

by Mandi Oyster

  Cody, Dan, and Samantha beat Aurelia and me back to the room. Samantha sat at the computer working on homework. Cody and Dan leaned forward with controllers clutched in their hands. Their cars raced across the television screen. Dan’s crossed the finish line first. He pumped his fist in the air.

  As soon as Cody finished, he looked over his shoulder at me. “Hey. How’d it go?”

  I tugged my hand through my hair. “I need to talk to you.”

  Cody’s face fell, and he patted the seat next to him.

  “There’s a new guy on campus.” He looked at me funny but let me continue without interrupting. “He’s in all of my classes, and he seems to be interested in me.”

  “And?” His voice was distant.

  I grabbed his hand. “I love you. I don’t want anything to do with anybody else. And, I don’t trust Damon. His eyes remind me of Mavros.”

  “That doesn’t sound good,” Samantha interjected.

  Glancing over my shoulder at her, I said, “No, I’m more than a little concerned.”

  “If he is Mavros and the amulet works, we should find out in Mythology,” Aurelia said.

  Cody pulled his hand out of mine and slumped down, leaning his head on the back of the couch. “Do I hope it’s more competition or that Mavros is in all your classes?” He covered his face. “The fun never ends.”

  Walking to class, Cody held my hand, but he seemed aloof. I shouldn’t have done it, but I wanted to know what he was thinking. After a slight hesitation, I eavesdropped on his thoughts.

  More competition? I’m nothing special, nothing like her. If he’s Mavros, there’s nothing I can do about it, but if he isn’t, he better be ready for a fight.

  Samantha, Dan, and Aurelia walked in front of us, talking amongst themselves. I pulled back on Cody’s hand, slowing him down. “I know you don’t want to meet Damon.” I kept my voice low, hoping to keep the conversation between us. “I know you’re trying really hard not to let this bother you, but I want you to know he means nothing to me. He never will.”

  “Thanks, Dacia.” He squeezed my hand. “Means a lot.”

  The classroom was empty when we walked in. I sat in the back with Aurelia and Cody on each side. Dan and Samantha took the seats in front of me.

  I drummed my pen against my desk, watching the door, wondering how Damon would act. I only had to wait a few minutes to find out. Even though I didn’t want anything to do with him, I couldn’t help but admire the way he walked into the room with an air of confidence nobody deserved to have.

  His eyes met mine, and a smile lit up his face. “Hello, Dacia.” He sat down in front of Cody and angled his desk toward mine.

  “Hi, Damon. These are my friends: Cody, Dan, and Samantha.” I pointed at each of them as I said their name.

  He kept his eyes focused on me. “Nice to meet you.”

  Samantha reached around Dan, sticking her hand out for Damon to shake. “Welcome to Phlox University. I hope you like it here.”

  “Thank you.” He took her hand, never taking his eyes off me.

  All through class, every time I looked up, Damon was staring at me. A cocky grin pulled his lips up.

  Cody’s fists were clenched. He ground his teeth together.

  I ran my hand along his leg, trying to get him to relax and prayed Damon wouldn’t do anything during class.

  As soon as Dr. Cedar dismissed us, Damon said, “Are you sure you don’t want to go out with me this weekend?”

  I stared at him with my mouth hanging open. “Uh, seriously?”

  “Yeah.” He stepped closer to me. “I know you think Cody’s the love of your life, but you might find out differently if you give me a chance.”

  Cody stepped forward. I grabbed his belt loop and thought to him, Please don’t. It’s what he wants.

  I took Cody’s hand, leading him out of the room. Damon fell into step beside me. “I’m with Cody, and I’m not going out with you. So, please give it a rest!”

  He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Okay, for now. You’ll think about me. You’ll wonder what it’d be like to be with a real man.” His fingers brushed my cheek as he lowered his hand. “In the end, you’ll choose me.” A smile covered his face. It was a smile that promised trouble.

  “What an ass,” Cody said through clenched teeth as Damon walked off in the other direction.

  Cassandra stomped past us with her friends. She spun around, her face red with anger. “So, one guy’s not good enough? You have to have them fighting over you?” She threw her arms up. “I don’t get what they see in you.”

  In my first semester at Phlox University, I’d had enough of Cassandra to last my entire lifetime. I didn’t need her holier-than-thou-attitude. “I imagine they see that I’m not you, and that’s more than enough to satisfy most guys.”

  “One of these days, you’re going to realize that you’re not all that.” She waved her hand up and down, emphasizing her point.

  I shrugged off her insult. “I’ve known that all my life. I think you’re the one who’s finally figuring it out.”

  She stepped closer. Bryce’s hand shot out, clutching her arm. “It’s not worth it, Cassi. Let’s go.” She shot me a look that could kill and stormed off.

  I watched her stomp away, wondering if she would ever be civil to me. “It’s a good thing Mavros wasn’t interested in her. She’d have joined him without a second thought.”

  “Yes.” Aurelia looked at me, then at Cassandra and her friends. “Either Mavros enjoys a challenge or he wants to ensure that he will not be threatened once he is able to stay on Earth.”

  Cassandra was far enough ahead of us that I started walking again. “Wouldn’t others like me stand against him?”

  “They would.” Aurelia strode beside me, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble. “However, you are the most powerful human on Earth right now.”

  “I don’t want to be.” I kicked a rock into the trees. “I just want a normal life.”

  “Well, if Mavros wouldn’t have chosen you, he might’ve won already.” Samantha walked backward in front of me. “I know you don’t want this responsibility, but I’m glad you’re here protecting us. You’re good at it.” She turned back around without missing a step.

  “She’s right.” Dan looked over his shoulder at me. “If somebody else had the power that you have, they might not use it for good. Luckily, besides being powerful, you’ve got morals.”

  Would you think that if you knew I’d read Cody’s mind or if you knew how Mavros made me feel? I wondered to myself.

  “My turn.” Samantha glanced around to make sure nobody was paying attention to us. “When I shook Damon’s hand, the amulet lit up like the Fourth of July. He’s definitely Mavros.”

  “Good to know.” Cody blew out a relieved sigh. “Only one guy to deal with.”

  “The bad part is I had to shake his hand before anything happened.” Samantha fiddled with her bracelet. “We won’t know when he’s near like Dacia did with Nefarious. The amulet won’t be very helpful.”

  “I hoped it would work, but it looks like Samantha is right,” Aurelia said.

  I pulled my hand through my hair, wishing that something could work in my favor. “Well, there’s not really any sense in wearing it if that’s the case. If you want to give it back to Sarah, we can.”

  Samantha shook her head. “I’ll keep it on for a while. You never know what’ll happen.”

  “In the meantime—” I looked at Cody, knowing he wouldn’t like what I was about to ask “—what am I supposed to do about Damon?”

  “Easy.” Dan shrugged. “Tell him you know who he is.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck afraid of what Cody would think of what I was about to say. “Maybe I can use this to my advantage.”

/>   Aurelia tapped her finger against her lips. “Maybe if you string Damon along, you can keep Mavros from summoning you at night.”

  “Ugh.” Cody groaned, clenching and unclenching his fists. “Why can’t Dacia just be with me? Why does this have to be so difficult?”

  “If it keeps me from going out to him at night, is it worth it?” I knew this was tearing him up, but I also knew he wanted what was best for me. “It’s not like I want to be with him, but I think he’s safer as Damon than as Mavros.”

  “Mavros is willing to do whatever it takes to get Dacia alone with him.” Aurelia’s voice was gentle, her eyes sympathetic. “When he is Damon, he does not have the same effect on her. For some reason, he has not tried to control her yet.”

  “It’s not like I have to go out with him.” I fidgeted with the panther pendant, unintentionally drawing Cody’s attention to it. “I need to be nice to him in class and let him think I might go out with him.”

  “It should keep him satisfied for a while,” Aurelia said, “maybe even long enough that we can figure out what to do.”

  Cody’s shoulders slumped. “Don’t like it, but I’ll do what I can.” He sounded defeated.

  Marcy turned onto the sidewalk in front of us. Her ponytail bounced against her shoulders. Seeing her made me realize Cody and I needed to be elsewhere. Grabbing Cody’s hand, I stopped him. “We need to see Sarah.”

  The others watched us.

  “Why?” he asked.

  I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Last night.”

  “Doesn’t need to know I was a jerk.” Anger or maybe regret colored his voice.

  “Marcy caught you in the hall. We need to let her know it won’t happen again.”

  “Yeah.” He let go of my hand and turned around. “I suppose.”

  Cody and I walked to Sarah’s office in silence. His head drooped, and his face was stony. I hadn’t even made it through one day without hurting him. Could we make it through four more weeks, or would our relationship crumble all around us?

  Cody stood in front of Cacomistle Hall. He took a deep, steadying breath and reached for the door.

  “Wait,” I said.

  He lowered his hand and watched me in the reflection.

  I reached for his arm, and he tensed. Dropping my hand, I said, “I’m sorry, Cody. I don’t know what else to do.”

  “Yeah.”

  The wind picked up, whipping my hair around my head. “I don’t want this. I don’t want him.”

  He slowly turned. His eyes were red. “Will we make it through this?”

  “Oh, Cody.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my forehead against his chest. “I love you, and nothing’s going to change that.”

  His hands brushed over my shoulders and down my back. “I’m scared.”

  “Me, too.”

  Hand in hand, we walked inside. Alicia sat behind the desk. Her blonde hair stuck up like a porcupine’s quills.

  “Hi.” I went up to the desk. “Can you let S— Dean Aspen know we’re here?”

  She nodded, waving toward the seating area with her manicured fingers.

  We’d barely sat down when she said, “Go on up.”

  Sarah stood at the door, waiting for us. “Well, you saved me a trip.” Her expression was stern, her voice grave. She ushered us in and paced in front of us. “Marcy was here this morning ranting about you, Cody. Why were you causing a commotion?”

  “We were fighting.” He stood with his hands shoved in his pockets, staring at the floor.

  “At three in the morning?”

  His shoulders tightened, and his jaw twitched.

  “That’s when I got back.” I waved at the couch. “Why don’t you sit down?” I told her everything, not leaving anything out.

  “Cody.” Sarah’s expression had softened.

  He looked at her. His face was a blank mask.

  “I understand this is difficult for you.”

  A strangled smile fell from his face. “That’s an understatement.”

  “If you are going to stay there, to keep Dacia safe, you are going to have to follow the rules.” She folded her arms over her chest. “You cannot be seen there again.”

  “I’m sorry, Sarah. I won’t.”

  I was impressed with Cody for not making excuses.

  “You’ve put me in a difficult position.” Sarah stood and paced behind the couch. “If you get caught there again, I’ll have to expel you for the rest of the semester. That won’t do anybody any good.”

  “She was wearing his coat and a necklace.” He stared down at his hands. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Jealousy got the best of me.”

  “Make sure Marcy sees you leave tonight and every other night.” She patted Cody on the shoulder before sitting down and focusing on me. “The amulet isn’t helping?”

  Rubbing my hand along my forehead, I looked at Cody. I didn’t know how much more he could handle. “Cody can’t wear it. If he touches me, it burns him.”

  She tilted her head, and her eyebrows pressed together. “Why?”

  Cody squeezed my knee, then stood and walked into the hall.

  “I suppose for the same reason it glows when I touch it.” While Cody wasn’t in earshot, I told Sarah about Damon and our plan for me to lead him on for as long as I could.

  i

  That night when Mavros summoned me to join him, I woke Cody. “I need your help. Mavros is calling me to him. I don’t want to go, but I can’t help myself.”

  “Whaddo you need? Tell me, and I’ll do it.”

  “Hold me tight, and don’t let go.”

  He wrapped his arms around me, and I nuzzled into his chest. His head rested on mine, but I still felt Mavros’ pull. I kissed Cody’s neck, making my way up to his mouth. His lips were soft and warm against mine. The heat between us ignited, and he returned my kiss with unbridled passion. I wrapped my arms around his neck and twined my fingers through his hair, tugging him closer to me. His hands traced down my back. One hand traveled down my leg, pulling it up over his.

  Mavros continued summoning me, but the draw lessened.

  “It’s working,” I whispered.

  A smile played across his lips. “I can do this every night.”

  “You’d probably do this every night even if it didn’t help.” I ran my hands over his chest, memorizing the feel of his body.

  “Yeah.” His voice was husky. “I would.”

  “He won’t forgive me for this.” I kissed his chin. “I’ll pay for it.”

  “Sorry.” He pulled me closer, tilting my face up. The tips of his fingers glided over my cheeks, and his lips brushed across mine, drowning out Mavros’ call.

  Eventually, Cody and I drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 22

  What Choice Do I Have?

  Mavros and I are at the lake in the mountains. Cool wind raises goosebumps over my exposed flesh. The moon hangs low in the sky. A pink glow spreads over the Eastern horizon.

  He stands with his back to me. I stare into a campfire, watching the embers. They flicker from red to orange to gray and back again.

  “Dacia, why do you insist on doing this to yourself?” His voice is low with a hard edge. “Why won’t you accept you were meant to be with me so we can move on?”

  “Because I wasn’t meant to be with you.” I rub my arms, trying to warm them. “I was meant to be with Cody.”

  He pivots to face me. “I don’t want to kill you, Dacia. I want you to be with me … forever, but if you continue along this course, I will have no choice.”

  I look up at the stars, knowing that if I meet his eyes, he’ll control me. “You always have a choice. You can always change your path.”

 
His steps crunch over the rocks. “But, why would I want to?”

  “You said you wanted to be good.” I close my eyes, lowering my head. “You said not all demons are evil. Prove it. Let me have the life I want. You’ll return again. Maybe next time, she’ll want you. Maybe she won’t have given her heart away already.”

  “And, maybe she’ll return me to the Abyss.” He stops in front of me. The tips of his boots nearly touch my bare feet.

  I take a step back. “That’s the chance you’d have to take. So, are you good or are you evil?”

  “I’m a demon.” He leans in, whispering in my ear. “What do you think I am?”

  “You can be anything you want.”

  “Look at me, Dacia.” His voice compels me.

  I fight the urge to lift my head, to look into his face, but the pull is too strong. My eyes are drawn to his. Long, dark lashes frame obsidian irises. Desire washes over me.

  “Do you really want me to go away?” His voice is silky smooth.

  “No.” I reach my hand out, cupping his cheek. His skin is soft and warm. “I want you to stay with me forever.”

  “Why do you keep trying to send me away?”

  I drop my hand to my side and whisper, “Cody.” His name breaks Mavros’ hold over me.

  “Ugh, I’m so sick of that name.” He turns away from me. “If you send me back to the Abyss, you sentence Cody to death, and it will not be a quick one at that, my love. I will make him suffer … just as you are making me suffer.”

  I stumble back. “So you’re leaving me no choice?”

  “Well, as you so kindly told me earlier, you always have a choice.” He spits my words back at me, then turns to face me again, looking into my eyes. “I know it’s in you to make the right choice. When the time comes, Dacia, you will choose me.”

  Chapter 23

  Making Friends

  The sun peaked in through a crack in the curtains. My legs were tangled with Cody’s, and his arm was thrown over me. He looked peaceful and relaxed, but I felt like a thousand spiders crawled through my stomach.