16.

  At the campus Mess Hall, Benny was loading up on scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage, and stacked three pancakes on his plate to complete a well-balanced breakfast. “This has got to be the best food I have ever had,” Benny said, carrying his heavy plate to Cole.

  “The academy doesn’t skimp on food, if we’re going to be hunters we got to be on our A-Game, a full stomach is good for the hunt,” Cole said as he flipped the waffle maker and got his own breakfast out, “You want some syrup for those,” Cole asked, offering Benny first dibs, “This isn’t that sugary stuff from Wal-Mart, this is authentic new Hampshire maple, straight from the tree,” he said.

  “You go ahead and get yours, I’m…” Benny looked down at his overloaded tray, “I’m just going to take the whole bottle,” he said.

  “Fair enough,” Cole said, putting a few lines of syrup on his waffle and then handing the bottle to Benny.

  “Gentlemen,” Gregor said as he approached with his tray, egg white omelet, two apples, and a prune juice.

  Benny looked at Gregor’s plate and raised an eyebrow, “Man, you are not taking advantage of this spread at all,”

  “I like to keep a lean diet, by not weighing myself down with complex carbohydrates and saturated fats, my metabolism conduces itself to better performance in my studies,” he said.

  “I don’t know about you, but I need my energy. I got a full day today, I got an Exorcism class, then training before lunch, then I think a few burgers can tide me through another history lecture, I think we’re going over the third raid? Were any of your family in that one?” Benny asked Cole.

  “I don’t think so,” Cole said, “If they were I would probably know, I think the third raid happened around nineteen hundred, and it may have been responsible for the Spanish flu,” Cole said, “Don’t quote me though,” he looked around the room for a place to sit.

  “I see a booth by the south wall,” Benny said as Cole’s eyes found Tav, she was sitting alone, in the corner of the mess hall, and was having a modest breakfast, two pancakes, two eggs, two sausages and a glass of orange juice. “You guys go ahead,” Cole said, as he swallowed his nerve and took a step towards the back table.

  Gregor and Benny did the math, and saw the line Cole’s first step drew, they both followed it and saw the dark-haired brooding girl in the corner and then shot each other a look, nodding in agreement “Fair enough, see you at training,” Benny said as he and Gregor headed to the booth at the south end.

  Cole approached Tav’s table, “Seat taken?” He asked, smiling through his nerves.

  Tav looked up, she took a swig of orange juice to swallow the bite of food in her mouth and to give herself a minute to think, “I…I guess not,” she said.

  “So how are things going, I saw you in training, you’re really good with that trident,” he said, trying to pay her a compliment.

  “You saw a lot more of me than my combat finesse,” Tav said, unable to help to smile as a rosy blush came across her pale cheeks.

  “Again, I am really sorry, you can trust that I won’t be forgetting something in the locker room, ever again,” Cole said. He leaned forward, and whispered, “And I haven’t told anyone, not even a hint, not that anyone’s suspicious or asking about it, I told you, your secret is safe with me,” he said.

  Tav rolled her eyes, “I guess you’ve proved your honesty,” she said. The two heard a gaggling of giggles as three more girls entered the mess hall.

  “Uh oh, the angel is here,” Tav said as Angelica and her two sycophants got their breakfast as they gossiped and giggled about this or that total high school nonsense. The breakfast they got was even stingier than Gregor’s, egg white omelets, of course, one piece of fruit each, and some vegan bacon.

  “They’re getting that vegan gunk, I bet they have no idea how much salt is in that stuff,” Tav said.

  Cole laughed, “I know right, do you want to tell them?” he asked.

  “God no, I have to talk to them enough in the dorms,” Tav said, leaning back in her chair and bringing another bite of sausage to her mouth, “I know that the rumor is that some Demons like to eat people, but I can’t see how anyone could taste better than pork,” she said.

  “Yeah?” Cole raised an eyebrow.

  “It’s a joke,” Tav said, and then she laughed, “This is actually really nice,” she said.

  “What’s nice?” Cole asked, cutting into his waffle.

  “Someone who knows,” Tav shook her head, “I mean, I was so worried about how hard it was going to be when I came here, knowing that I would have to lie to everyone, classmates, dorm mates, even the professors, it’s hard you know, telling this lie, pretending I’m someone I’m not,” she looked down, and while her eyes were sad, her lips were smiling as she looked up to Cole. Cole looked back at her, with the power of her Glamor no longer affecting him, he saw a beautiful girl, Alabaster skin, violet hair, and pretty eyes with this unique kind of amber, even her horns had this certain appeal, the way they followed her hair line, arching back and going down the sides of her face, tilting down a bit and framing against her cheeks. “It’s just really nice knowing that there’s at least one person here I don’t have to lie to,” she said.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “You’re not lying, not really,” Cole said, “No one has straight up asked if you’re a demon, I mean a half-demon, you technically haven’t had to tell anyone a lie. I mean, sure you’re obscuring something, but that’s not a big deal,” he said.

  “Do you know what most people would do to me if they found out?” Tav said, “I’m also lucky that for some reason you haven’t marched straight to the headmaster and reported me, why are you doing this for me?” she asked.

  “Because you’re not a demon,” Cole said, “You’re just a normal student, just like the rest of us. I saw you in training, you could go for the top of the year, there’s not a doubt in my mind, hell, everyone thinks that I’m going to cinch that title off my blood alone, but if anyone is going to give me a run for it it’s going to be you,” Cole said, feeling bold and reaching over and putting his hand on hers, “You haven’t shown me that you’re any kind of demon,” he said, “What you did, on the hunt, that was incredible. If I ever raid hell, I’d want someone like you behind me,” he smiled.

  Tav pulled her hand away, “That wasn’t a big deal, I just really wanted the teeth,” she said, “You were the one that got it open for me, that’s the only reason I was able to get the killing blow,” she sighed.

  “You know, my friends and I were thinking of hitting the market again in a few days, not to sell, just to hang out, and have some fun, you should come with us. There’s a bar that serves hunters, even though we’re underage, we can have some drinks, maybe, dance a bit?” Cole raised an eyebrow.

  “No, that’s okay, I don’t have any business in the market,” Tav said.

  “It’s not business,” Cole said, “You’re going to be miserable if you spend the whole term cooped up in your room, you need to get out, I mean, your glamour fools the people here, I’m sure that no one would even think of calling you out in the mortal world,” he said.

  “Maybe, I don’t know,” Tav blushed, and looked away again, “I guess I could, you said there’s a bar? Yeah, maybe it might be fun to relax, I could definitely use some time away from my roommate,” Tav looked over Cole’s shoulder, and Cole turned his head and saw Angelica laughing with her friends.

  “You’re rooming with her, man,” he turned to Tav, “Hey, did you know she’s half angel?” Cole smiled, raising an eyebrow.

  Tav rolled her eyes, shook her head, smiled, and even let out a laugh, “No, I had no idea, she never talks about it, that is really, really interesting,” she said cocking her head to the side.

  The two shared a laugh, “She’s such a bitch, and I don’t think she has any idea,” Cole said, laughing again, “She thinks everyone loves her, thinks that everyone is supposed to love her, it’s kind of hilarious,”

  “It kind of is,” Tav said, “I have to bunk with her, I have to share a room, she wakes up at six a.m. every day, doing her beauty routine, and of course, she has to turn on all the lights, I have not gotten one decent night’s sleep since I got here, I’m so tired,” she said, “I wear makeup too, but it doesn’t take me two hours.”

  “That’s it, you’re coming out with us,” Cole said, “You need it, we’re going to the club, we’re going to drink, and we’re going to dance, I think that would be really fun,” he said, “You’re in the dark too much, we got to get you some sun,” he smiled.

  “Okay, I’ll come, it could be fun,” she conceded, “You’re sure we’re going to be allowed to drink?” she asked.

  “This guy is in the know, not a fighter but he took the mortal oath, in fact, a lot of the traders on this street have taken it, business is good when you’re working with Demon Hunters,” Cole said, “As much as I hate to admit it, flashing my family name does come with certain advantages, every Hunter and Mortal whose taken the oath from here to Georgia is willing to do whatever they can for my family,” he said.

  “You’re lucky, your family gives you credibility, mine just, well,” Tav rolled her eyes again.

  “It’s not as great as it sounds, besides, I’m not half the son of my father my brothers are, can’t even get my sword to light on fire,” Cole said, “It’s embarrassing, people want to see me do it, and I can spark it a bit, but I just can’t get it to ignite,” he said.

  “Maybe you just need a reason,” Tav said.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Well, have you asked your brothers how they got their swords to light on fire? I’m sure they had just as much trouble as you are figuring it out,” she said.

  “Colin said he got his first flame when fighting a Yagaroth, he was on a hunt and both the hunters joining him took poison spikes to the chest, they would have died if the demon wasn’t killed and an antidote from its venom wasn’t obtained, then there’s Chester, the first time he lit his sword he was fighting one on one with a possessor demon, brought in to be the muscle for this girl, little girl, about eight, she had a demon inside her and Chester was up for the fight once the Exorcism brought it out,” he said.

  “See, they all were under great stress when they did it, in dire straits, as much as I hope you never have to go through something like that, maybe something like that will get you to light your sword on fire. Everyone knows you’re going to be one of the mightiest Demon Hunters in our class, I’m sure if you pursue the career, you’ll find yourself in a life-or-death situation eventually, and then, you’ll sword will light up and you’ll save everyone, that’s what everyone says your destiny is, saving everyone,” she said.

  “Yeah, people say that but then there’s Cecil,” Cole looked down, “My oldest brother, he was able to light his sword on fire the first time he summoned a Claymore from the academy armory, he’s a natural. People look at me to be this great hero, he’s the one they should look at, if anyone is going to be the greatest of all time, it’s going to be him, and I’ll just be his little brother. That little man of wasted potential, never being able to live up to him,” Cole said.

  “You’ve got prophecy behind you, you’re the seventh son, not him,” Tav said.

  “Prophecy or coincidence,” Cole countered, “Seventh son of a Seventh son, it rolls off the tongue, but I don’t feel special. I don’t know if I can be the great hero of destiny everyone thinks I am. I don’t know if I can live up to it,” He looked to Tav, “All I know, is I want to keep going to class, do my best, and then when I get a break, I want to dance with you, if you’ll have me,” he smiled.

  “Okay, one dance,” Tav said, “But don’t go thinking I’m your girlfriend or something,” she said.

  “That’s fair, so we can dance, and you can be my not girlfriend, for now,” Cole said.

  “For now,” Tav said, smiling taking the last bite of her breakfast, “Class is starting soon, what do you have next,”

  “I got Alchemy, then I’ll be in training with Benny, then I got a free period,” Cole said.

  “I have Demon Psychology and History, and then I have a free period, so maybe we can get lunch together,” Tav smiled.

  “Yeah, let’s get lunch together,” Cole smiled back.

  The two had finished their meal, and Tav got up to bus her plate to the cleaning station, “Remember,” she said, “I’m not your girlfriend,” she smiled the smile of a sly demon and gave him a wink.

  “Yeah, I’m down, I’m really excited to not be your boyfriend,”