Page 1 of Darkness Defined

Chapter 1

Superno House

MATT

Afadedgreendoorwith age-spotted glass opened and the jerk that had hauled me out of the half-way house shoved me unceremoniously into an office. “Administrator Smith will see you now.”

I ripped my arm free of the unnecessarily tight hold and glared at him as he retreated out the way we’d come. The door snicked shut, then I turned my attention to the room’s occupant.

A portly man seated behind a metal desk paused his perusal of open files to give me a once over. His thinning, gray hair was combed over in a vain attempt to hide the balding, and the dark circles under his eyes spoke of a persistent exhaustion. Add to that the frayed edges of his coat and it was clear he cared more about his job than his appearance. Still, his eyes were borderline vacant as he took in my bedraggled appearance.

I fought the urge to shrink as his empty gaze took stock of me from my too small shirt that didn’t quite cover my stomach and frayed shorts with more holes than cloth, down to my worn-out shoes.

“Matthew Duncan.” Whatever insecurity I’d been nursing vanished with his monotone use of my full name. He gestured at the lone chair across from him. “Have a seat.”

I did my best not to sneer and begrudgingly sat. I’d been off of the streets for three hours—max. Immediately stirring up trouble with the guy in charge wouldn’t endear me to anyone, not to mention it would guarantee they put me on a shit list.

The administrator grunted at my lack of response and looked back at the page before him. “I see you’ve had a rough go of things.”

Understatement of the year.

He lowered tiny, round spectacles from their perch on his forehead and resumed his inspection of the folder. “Let’s see… in the system since you were born. No luck with foster families or adoption agencies. Numerous incidents of running away, disrespecting authority, and physical violence. I guess we should be glad you’re not a fire demon with that sort of temper.” He sighed and set the folder on his desk. “Still, a demon is a demon.”

I waited for the half-hearted laugh to emphasize the sorry joke. Instead, he went on as serious as he had started.

“You’ll need to understand that this sort of behavior,” he jabbed his index finger onto the hefty folder, “will not be tolerated here. Superno House may be a home for wayward supernaturals, but we run a strict campus.”

I frowned, but he either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

“We have cared for everything from your standard witch with budding powers to demons of the highest carnal class. When I say this will be your last stop, I mean it. However, your stay here can be much more pleasant if you,” he peered through his glasses at the report again, then flicked his gaze back up to me, “could enlighten us as to your particular demon class.”

I crossed my arms, leaned back in the uncomfortable chair, and propped my feet on the edge of his desk. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Language, Matthew.”

My feet flew off the desk and landed with a thud on the floor… except no one had touched them. I searched for some kind of clue for how he could have done it with no more than a flick of his fingers.

Smith let out a long sigh. “While yours might be the most enigmatic, I’ve dealt with tough cases before. We will determine what kind of demon you are.” He removed his glasses and started cleaning them. “Though with no physical manifestations to provide guidance, the discovery may be less than pleasant.”

I bristled. I’d been called a lot of things over the years, and honestly, “demon” wasn’t new. Whatever he called me, all I needed was ten months. Ten months until I could no longer be considered a ward of the state. It was the only goal that mattered: freedom. I ignored the bait and simmered in silence, tuning out the nonsense he was spewing about how things were different here. It was all lies. Superno House would be no different from any of the seven orphanages.

Orphans had their own hierarchy. Those that had been around the longest typically occupied the top of the food chain while the newcomers landed on the bottom—or were made to. Funnily enough, it was those attempts that usually resulted in me getting kicked out of whatever place I’d been dropped. I smirked to myself. It wasn’t my fault the other boys couldn’t hold their own.

“Are you paying attention?” Smith huffed. “Listen here, Matthew-”

“I go by Matt.”

His eyes narrowed. “I will not tolerate rudeness. We may not know what kind of demon you are yet, but we will. When we do, this untouchable status you think you’ve cultivated will be gone. The children here are not the easy pickings you’re used to.”

My dislike of the man solidified. I was not a bully.

Unexpectedly, the tough teacher act dropped and Smith sagged in his chair, exhaustion pulling him deeper into the dilapidated cushion. “I understand how frustrating being passed around can be. Once we’re able to determine how best to help you with your abilities, then the anger will fade. You have my word.”

I stared blankly back.

“Has anyone explained why you’re here?”

I snorted and crossed my arms. “Got caught after running away from the last place.”