Page 32 of Dancing With Demons

Nik cracked a mirthless smile. “How can that be offensive? Hell is terrible. My mothers weep for their trees, their forests, and the sun on their leaves every day. And every day I...” His smile melted away. “...wonder what I did in my past life that was so terrible, it landed me here.”

I squeezed his shoulder. “Hey, I don’t know what happened then either, but it’s like you said, that was another life and another person,” I said softly. “A very wise, and very mean, snake said that as long as you can repent and change, you can ascend.” I smiled at him. “Maybe there was a reason fate brought you to your dryad mothers. They raised you to be good, curious, and kind so that, maybe, this place won’t be the last stop in your story.”

A flush came over his furry cheeks. “You’re... really good and kind... too,” he mumbled so low I almost didn’t hear him. “If it’s okay...” Nik ducked his head and was practically speaking into his armpit. “Can I have your... DeadDrop link?”

“Of course!” Whipping out my phone, I held it out to—

A hard body forced between us, knocking my hand off his shoulder and sending my phone flying across the corridor.

“Hey!” I shouted at Ronin’s back. “Have you ever heard the phrase excuse me?!”

“Nope,” he tossed over his shoulder, striding off without a backward glance.

Another shoulder shove knocked me sideways, and then another.

I bit off a curse as Kama, Sauda, Raven, and Eris violently pushed past me and Nik—laughing their butts off as they glided after Ronin. If that wasn’t enough, their girl gang lackeys did the same—leaving me bruised and battered by a parade of beautiful people.

“Jerks!”

I was steaming by the time we made it out into the scorching hot and barren landscape that passed for outside in hell.

Seriously?! I thought I left mean girls and bullies back in high school!

Erlik snapped his fingers and his favorite lawn chair appeared. He got comfortable as he flapped a hand at us. “Run. Any stragglers will run another two hundred laps more.”

Sighing, I made to fall in line with the rest of the class. I tugged Dora along with me.

“Wait,” Nik called, stopping me with a hand on the wrist. “You haven’t asked, but aren’t you wondering how I passed the entrance test? The lava pit walk? The climb?”

“Uhh... I guess, but...” I flicked to the demons in the class, who were tearing off and leaving us in the dust. “Do you have to tell me now?”

His smile widened. Stepping back, Nik turned his face to the sky and let out a series of clicks, rattles, caws, and coos that broke my brain.

I had no idea what was happening... until a shadow fell over us.

Nik grinned at me. “My mothers couldn’t teach me dark magic, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t teach me anything. How’s this for two hundred laps around the school?”

“Wha—? Ahh!”

The carrion crows descended on us. Hooking their unnaturally large claws around me, Dora, and Nik, they lifted us into the air.

I was shrieking my head off.

Soaring over the running demons and the black-stone turrets—my red clown shoes skimmed nothing but burning air and my assured death if these crows decided to drop their baggage.

“Forest-speak!” Nik shouted over my screeching. “My mothers taught me all the languages of the creatures that perch on their branches, nest in their trunks, and scurry over their roots. Comes in handy, right?”

“Ahhhh!” was my reply.

“Woo!” Dora had three crows on each arm and a baby crow trying to nest in her hair, and she was loving every minute of it. “This is awesome! Char!” she cried, snapping my head around. “Char, put your hands out like this!”

I snapped out of my freak-out, gaping at her. “Char?”

Not Agata. Not Melody. Not Eustace. Did Dora just say her nickname for me?

“Nik, you too,” Dora cried, once again saying the correct name. “Arms out like this. We’re flying!”

Sharing a look between the three of us, and a glance up to the beady-eyed birds that tried to kill me... I put my arms out.