Satanic Shadows (The Broken Realms #1)

by Leigh Rivers

The Labrador sits nicely while I grab his leash and harness, but I pause when I hear a light knock on the door. Frowning, I peek out the eyehole, my shoulders slouching when I see Grayson. His shaggy blonde hair hangs over his forehead, his hood’s up, and he stands back as I abruptly swing open the door. “What are you doing here?” He shrugs. “You never replied to my messages, and we had plans.”

Bro...were you like waiting in the shadows?!

“Seraphine Winters!” She waves her hand, and invisible fingers wrap tight around my throat, yanking me to my feet as I choke. “Stop causing trouble and get to your class!” Her voice lowers as she turns to face my bully. “I can only apologize for her clumsiness, Mr. Dalton.”

tf

“I think the human likes being on her knees for everyone. Maybe she should stay there. It seems to be the only place she belongs.”

Welcome to Quarrierton Academy, where violence is praised, and the weak and mortal are punished.

“Dickhead,” I snarl in his direction as I reach for my papers. “Grow up.”

I pack up my papers and walk out of the classroom, stopping when I see him staring at the board with a deep grimace. It looks like the professor has already placed students into pairs, and when he glares at me over his shoulder, I know who I’m partnered with. “This is your fault,” he snaps before disappearing again.

“I swear, ever since I’ve been partnered up with him for nearly all my classes, he’s gotten clingier. I say we kill them both in their sleep.”

and Mel has done nothing but complain about Orsen, saying he should be expelled for sending her pictures of his cock. It’s big, to be fair. In my world, he’d be considered an extremely large eggplant,

I throw my phone at the wall, but it materializes above my head. “Ow!” I rub my scalp, glaring at the swirling darkness of laughter trailing to my ceiling. “Stop doing that!”

I can hear footsteps on his end, then a heavy fist against a hard surface, and to my absolute horror, I realize I can hear it happening twice. “Are you at my door?” He knocks again. “No! Go away!” He can’t hear me because I’m in his pocket.

“If I ever see you dressed this way again, I will personally drown you in the castle’s lake.” I drop my gaze to the obvious—large—tenting in his pants. “That must explain why you’re hard.”

You, Dane Dalton, are the pathetic one.”

I accidently took one back to my room and read it while I was bored, and now I know how to summon a demon.

I stand and pull my bag up my shoulder. “I can’t wait for the day someone knocks you off your imaginary pedestal. Go fuck yourself, Dane.”

The professor might kill me, but I’m walking out of here anyway. I hate her and everyone in this school. I’m the only human here, and that makes me a target. Yet, in every class, they’re learning how to adapt and act around my kind for a chance at survival. If they can’t handle me, a twenty-year-old girl with no family or close friends who works in a diner, they’re screwed.

Hating a human but going to live with them sewms kinda counterproductive to me

She walks to our table, and Dane ignores her as she rests her hand on his shoulder and speaks about safety measures within the academy. He tenses under her firm grip, his cheeks turning red, and for some reason, I feel the tension of his muscles in my own, the embarrassment, the need to get away. I frown, and he glances at me, shaking his head slightly, as if to stop me from making it obvious I can feel what he feels. I want to mouth, What was that? But I know not to. She’ll see, and knowing her brutality, she’ll demand to know what’s such a secret.

Dane is walking behind me. I nearly trip up as he leans down to whisper in my ear, “I need to talk to you.” “Then talk.” “Not here,” he replies as we wait in line to exit the room. Students have stopped to argue about their pairings, but no one is paying them any attention. “Nope,” I respond. “Talk here or go away.” He growls, and something warm slithers up my spine before disappearing. “Stop being difficult. I know you can feel me.” “That sounds wrong.” “I don’t care. It’s true.” I continue to ignore the person who wants me dead.

“As soon as you stop crying, get the fuck out of my room.”

Me: I look forward to your one-worded response in two working days.

Fighting a laugh, I tighten my fist in the duvet. “Go to sleep, immortal creature.” He chuckles deeply, and it rushes straight down my spine and gathers between my legs. He might as well have run his tongue against my core before plunging it inside me.

When I wake through the night, a heavy arm is snaked around my waist. Our bare legs are intertwined, and Dane Dalton, in only his briefs, is attached to me like a sloth to a tree. The shadows and silhouettes swim around my room, but instead of searching for something, looking for their source and savior, they’re calm. At peace.

“Insufferable,” he mutters. “We have eighteen minutes left. Stay quiet and pretend I’m not here.” “Pretend you’re not here? You’re like a man-sized heat pack!” He groans again. “Stop yelling.”

I can feel him breathing on my neck, and I’m confused as to whether it’s turning me on or if I’m slowly losing my mind by even thinking that this feels intimate.

A few moments pass, then I’m pulled against him again. “Just to be sure we did the full six hours,” he whispers against my ear. “Okay?”

suuuuurre

Against my better judgment, for the hundredth time in the past six hours, I arch my back and push my ass into his erection. The groan that leaves his throat vibrates all over me. From my chest, down my spine and right between my legs. Deep. Dangerous. Deadly.

The walls are empty of shadows as Dane reaches down and grabs my inner thigh, the other hand pushing under my pillow and snatching my throat. Firm, yet gentle—enough to show he can dominate me without even trying.

My erratic pulse is thudding against his palm. His fingers dig into my flesh as he dips his face to the spac...

“Do that again,” he orders quietly through gritted teeth....

“Fuck.” “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Dalton. I’ll see you soon for task three. Wear some ChapStick.” He narrows his eyes. Then the air shifts, taking all the energy with it, and Dane is gone.

The divine darkness does not exist without her.

The heir of all the realms will wield the power of darkness until its love returns. Death to her, death to all.

“Mortal.” I nearly drop the candelabra as Dane appears in the doorway, holding his side, black blood oozing between his fingers. “Do not open that, or we’re all dead.” I step towards him, away from the screeching screams. “What happened to you?” He doesn’t shove me away as I close the distance and take in his appearance. I set the candles aside, their glow highlighting the side of his face. A fresh bruise sits on his cheek. “I’m fine. I just need assistance.” The words are shaky, and his voice is off. Dark liquid drips from his nose. A lick of rage has my teeth gritting together. The words, seethed, are out before I can stop them. “Who did this to you?” “It’s amusing that you think you can do something I’m incapable of.” He gestures to the doorway. “And you’re in the wrong room.”

“You’re not one of those kinky demons who like dub-con, right? My safe word is not pineapple.”

🤣

“No.” His war cry.

“I just remembered I’m busy tomorrow, and I can’t risk failing.”

Right...okay

“Is there a reason why you’re sitting?” “I’m considerably taller,” he replies. “You would struggle to reach me if I was standing.”

“I loathe you,” I counter. “Detest. I wouldn’t hesitate to step on your foot with my sharpest stiletto. In fact, we need to dance together at the ball—I’ll do it then.” “Cute. I look forward to watching you embarrass yourself. Can you even dance?”

“He was likely screwing someone.” Poppy’s nose scrunches. “It’s forbidden to have any intimacy outside of your human relations assignment.” I sit down on my bed, exhaustion setting in. “Said who?” “Did you not read the back of the list of tasks?” I shake my head, get to my feet, and look for the scroll. Once I find it, I see the small printed words at the bottom of the back of the list. “So we can’t kiss or sleep with anyone else?”

Valin nearly messed up my entire year. What is his problem?

Before I can even stand up straight, the oxygen is ripped from my lungs as Dane appears in front of me. The closeness of him materializing in front of me nearly knocks me off my feet. He doesn’t speak or ask me anything; he doesn’t even give me a chance to jump in fright. I’m lifted from the ground by the waist, back smacking into the bathroom door as his lips crush into mine.

Remembering the way he touched me in my bedroom and nearly made me fail the entire academy, I throw my fist and catch him square in the jaw as hard as I can.

“And stay away from Valin. He’s looking to claim you, and I don’t share.”

ohhhh

Would it be acceptable for him to be inside me while I slap him?

🤣🤣🤣

“This is different.” I keep my hold on him. “I don’t give you permission to look at me.” Shit. I’ve read all of this—and her—completely wrong.

“For someone who can’t stand me and finds me disgusting, you have no issues jamming your tongue down my throat.”

Too soon. It’s too soon.

Maybe I can run to the bench full of weapons and cut his head off with an ax. Would it grow back, or would he just be headless and still an asshole?

“Yes.” Fuck, yes, I need your permission. I’ll always need your permission. “But only if you want to give it.”

Why the fuck is this happening so soon? We should have more time.

“You’ll never be free of me. That’s a promise. After we’re done with the academy, I will follow you to the ends of your world and make your meaningless life hell.”