Fortune Academy: Year Three - J.R. Thorn Page 0,71

what he’d started.

Fighting the urge to close my eyes, I surveyed each door and tried to find a clue I was missing.

“They all look the same,” I complained. I ran my fingers over each one, feeling a cold sense of nothingness on the other side that masked which one held Cole captive.

“Use the mate-bond,” Dante suggested. “If he can get to us, you should be able to reverse it.”

I closed my eyes and released a long breath. It didn’t matter. I sensed Kaito, Orion, and Dante, as well as my other Virtues on campus. Logan has sensed something was up and was on his way here. While I appreciated his concern, I didn’t want the wolf to get caught up in this, not when there wasn’t anything he could do.

Hendrik was also aware of our situation and he sent snaps of energy through the bond, punishing me for even thinking of freeing Cole. He joined the wolf on their mission to stop me from making what they thought was a huge mistake, which was exactly why I hadn’t brought them with me.

I suspected the Melinda had told the Dean on us by now, which means she’d be on her way too.

Now was the time to act. Now was the time to set my final Virtue free.

Trusting my gut, I went to the door on the left and started to raise the handkerchief, but Kaito rushed in and stopped me. “Not this one,” he said, panting as if he fought for breath.

“What?” I asked.

He pointed to the opposite door. “It’s that one.”

“How do you know?” I asked, not fully ready to trust him. “If you’re messing with me I’ll—”

“I’m not,” he insisted, gripping my arms and walking me back a step. “Look, I don’t agree with your decision, Koneko-chan, but I believe in you.” He turned me around so that I faced the door. “I am a demon, which means Cole and I are more similar than I care to admit. You were right when you said I should have understood, even if I’m not ready to forgive him. Even if I never forgive him. It doesn’t matter. This isn’t about me. You are my mate and this is what you want, so this is what I will help you achieve.” He leaned in and kissed my neck, his lips brushing my ear as he lingered and waited for me to open the door.

I held my breath as I raised the cloth and I watched as the blood vanished before my eyes, sending the runes flaming with Hellfire as the door opened.

And the demon from my nightmares waited for me on the other side.

“Like a moth to a flame,” the demon said, his voice a sensual wave of rolling thunder that hit me straight in the stomach.

I swallowed hard as he exited his prison. Bands of red energy snapped from his ankles and wrists. He didn’t have any clothes to wear, or if he had been wearing any I imagined the fire running over his body had burned them up months ago.

And holy shit, was he beautiful.

Even the bat-like wings looked majestic as he spread them, stretching them out after being confined to the small space for so long. He brushed back his hair and glowing red eyes focused on me. He unleashed a devilish grin as his tail whipped the fog behind him, kicking it up into the cell. “You should have listened to your mates, little angel. I have no interest in being your puppy dog.” He glanced up, taking note of Dante, Orion, and Kaito, with his gaze resting on my mentor the longest. “Hello, old friend.”

“You’re no friend of mine,” Kaito snarled. “You’re weakened after six months of the Dean draining you, so don’t even think of trying to overpower us. Lily can—”

Cole moved so fast that I didn’t have time to stop his fist from meeting Kaito’s face. My mentor lashed to the side as the blow hit hard.

I reacted just as the demon turned to go for Dante. The Hunter was already on full alert and held up his dagger, but Cole blasted through it like it was a piece of glass. Shards of metal went flying and a shockwave fanned out as the blade’s magic broke like a popped bubble.

My attempt to stop him fell short when something locked around my wrist and yanked me back. I fell to the ground as the wind knocked out of me, only to find Cole’s tail pinning