"Luappo, are you distracted?" Seraphus approaches our desk and I quickly shake my head.

"No, I'm fine."

Seraphus shifts his gaze to my friend, and he licks his lips sassily and winks at Seraphus.

"Should I kick you out the door, Morrick?"

"If only with company," he smiles.

Seraphus' eyes flash with rage and the smile is wiped from the werewolf's face.

"I'm sorry, Seraphus, I'm not always rational after a full moon," Morrick lowers his head guiltily.

"Let's continue the lesson. And no one discusses sex in my class anymore," Seraphus barks.

Oh, shit. He heard. He heard everything. I want to die right here on this spot. Let someone else's power kill the hell out of me.

I assumed Seraphus would reprimand me as well, but he smiles softly at me and continues the lesson. I take notes, still keeping my head down. It's best not to look at him. That's enough.

Yet after a while, I warily raise my head, watching Seraphus. Oh, Mother of All, I hate and adore his lessons. The demon doesn't get out of my head when I have free time to even think about anything. I do think about him.

My heart races as I struggle to control the overwhelming desire that consumes me whenever Seraphus is near. Waves of heat wash over me, causing my cheeks to flush and my palms to grow sweaty. It's as if an electric current courses through my veins, igniting a fire within me that I can't extinguish.

I have already passed three of his classes and only theory so far, for which I got the highest grade and his praise. And that's not enough for me. I want him to be proud of me, to admire me, or at least to see me. Often I banish thoughts of Seraphus from my mind, because he's the Greater Demon. He's my teacher. He's a close friend of our headmaster. But that doesn't seem to matter to my body and mind at all. They want him. Every time, I secretly peek at the way he taps his black sharp fingernail on his bottom full lip while thinking about something. It makes my insides clench with the urge to bite it. And when he turns his back, I stare at his broad back and rounded ass. A gorgeous ass, covered in black pants. And he always smells so good. When he walks into class or I see him in the dining hall, I immediately react to his scent. It's inexplicable. It's hot and prickly a little bit, sometimes sweet and tart, and sometimes it gives off the scent of a dark, moonless night and a campfire. Even now, I feel like his scent has permeated everything around me, and it drives me crazy.

With each passing moment, my body becomes more attuned to his presence. The sound of his deep, velvety voice sends shivers down my spine, and the way his piercing eyes lock onto mine leaves me breathless. It's a dangerous dance, one that I can't resist even though I know I should.

Only thanks to the gargoyles that always arrive with him can I distract myself from my body's reaction and loud, rapid heartbeat. I've already realized that the gargoyles belong to him. They serve him, but for some reason, they often live with me. I feed them, sometimes they entertain me, and I talk to them. And sometimes they disappear, but they always come back. No one sees the gargoyles but me. So I try not to react to them when they even mock one of the students.

"I realized what his problem is. He has a crush on Seraphus. He's into old-timer," I hear a sarcastic whisper behind me.

While we're writing the algorithm for creating a simple dark ball illusion, this trio has been silent, but now... I freeze when I hear Vox. They couldn't have noticed, could they? They don't know anything about me and they can't enter my dreams either. They can't affect me. So how did I give myself away? Even Fima and Morrick didn't suspect until now.

"Seraphus, Lua is jerking off to you and doesn't even hide it!" Ailes shouts out and everyone in the class immediately laughs and my friends hiss.

The demon raises his head and squints his eyes and moves closer to our row. I gulp in fear and freeze.

"What did you just say, Ailes?"

"Lua jerks off to you in every one of your classes. He apparently only has a hard-on for you," Ailes chuckles mockingly. All the blood drains from my head, and my hand freezes on the gargoyle's belly. I just want to disappear out of embarrassment.

"Get out of here," Seraphus barks at Ailes. "This is unacceptable. And you will be punished since you don't know how to take rejection with dignity, just like you put on a show in my class."

"But... I'm telling the truth. Look where his hand is. And it's there all the time, in every class of yours," Ailes snorts.

"Luappo?"

My throat is dry, and I struggle to look up at Seraphus. I flick the gargoyle's belly and wake it up, causing the little one to jump up and stare sleepily at Seraphus and me. The others fly over to him, climbing out from under my desk.

"I didn't do anything like that," I whisper.

Seraphus sighs heavily and glares judgementally at the gargoyles.

"Show yourselves," he orders. The gargoyles grimace, and then something must have happened, because a gasp of surprise rippled through the classroom.

"I was just stroking one of them. It calms me down and has become a habit. They often sleep on top of me when I'm studying. And I don't... jerk off," I explain quietly.

"Asshole," Fima tsks and glares at a shocked Ailes, and Morrick only shakes his head.

"Now you'll be out of my class, and I won't allow you in any of my classes, Ailes, until you've listened to the set of class rules two hundred times and written them down in a separate notebook that I'll check. This is your punishment. Get out," Seraphus's menacing voice, which is the first time I've heard it like that, makes my insides tingle just as much as everyone else's. Fima even turns pale, and Morrick rolls down as if he's about to hide under the desk.

Ailes quickly gathers his things and flies out of the classroom to the giggles of the gargoyles. They show him their tongues, someone shows their ass, and I hold back a laugh.

"Continuing the lesson. And you," Seraphus points to the flock of gargoyles, "don't bother him from studying. Either sit quietly in the corner or go to your seat. Understood?"

The gargoyles flap their wings rapidly and become indignant before the first snap of Seraphus's fingers. They simply disappear. Seraphus shifts his burning yellow gaze to me.

"I told you not to encourage them."

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"Okay, back on topic. Finish writing and we'll get to practice." Seraphus turns away and my gaze falls to the curve of his back. Mother of all, how handsome he is.

"Do you really see gargoyles? Seraphus's helpers?" Fima asks in a whisper.

"Yes."

"Wow. That's unique. No one can see them unless Seraphus wants or allows them to appear. You have to possess at least dark power at level four to see such creatures." Morrick glares at me admiringly.

I shrug, not knowing what to say. I had no idea before that they really couldn't be seen. But now I understand Seraphus's surprise when we first met.

Oh, Seraphus.

During the whole time of our meetings and classes, he behaved very politely to me, made sure that I was on time and always asked me if I understood everything. The other teachers did that for me, too, but Seraphus, with his intense and deep gaze, his scent, his rich and calm voice, his manner of not walking but floating in the air, attracted me more than the others. And that's not good. I know it's bad to feel desire for your teacher, though I've heard of some students sleeping with their professors as mere entertainment. But Seraphus...he's the one everyone fears. He's the Great Demon. I've heard enough rumors about him. He's been banished from his family, which is royalty. That he left because of lost love. That he was the unloved son of the demon ruler, and he's the eldest son, heir to the entire demon kingdom. Or he was a terrible student and his father left him here as punishment. In general, rumors about why the hereditary prince of demons became a teacher in the House of Knowledge for two hundred years. I have heard enough. But I don't believe any of them. Seraphus prefers solitude. Sometimes he dines with the headmaster, and that's all. But often he takes his food and leaves. I see most of the students seeing him off with enamored looks and also fear him. No one still knows how powerful Seraphus really is. He leads multiple courses at all levels. He's the only one who works so hard.

"Lua?" Fima shoves me, and I come back from my misguided thoughts about the demon standing in front of me, waiting for something.

I run my eyes over Seraphus, then over Fima and Morrick. What do they want from me?

"Yes?"

"It's your turn to create a dark sphere between your palms," Seraphus prompts me.

Shit. I have no dark magic in me, and I'm about to embarrass myself.

I raise my hands and, taking a deep breath, concentrate on visualizing the dark orb. But nothing happens. Just nothing. I can't even concentrate properly, because I'm distracted by the smell of Seraphus, or the taunts behind me, or the thought of eating.

"I can't." I shake my head and hide my hands under the table.

"That's okay. You'll get it once you unwind the dark energy inside you," Seraphus says softly. Only I don't believe it. I've tried a hundred times to pass the protective dome while practicing necromancy with Seraphus and protect myself from the dead. But nothing works for me.

"Hey, don't worry, all the light ones have this problem at first," Fima puts an arm around my shoulders.

"I don't feel the dark energy inside me," I admit in a whisper.

"No one feels it at first. It's just there," Morrick shrugs.

The class ends, and I'm almost the first one out of the classroom, feeling terribly embarrassed that I didn't do well. Normally, I'm good with the other classes, but I'm a sucker for dark magic. And the worst part is that Seraphus sees my failures. I'm ashamed of myself for being so inept.

"Lua, we'll come to your room after dinner, okay?"

"But..."

"Fine. We'll bring you dinner," Fima kisses my cheek, interrupting me, and my friends quickly hide among the students.

I sigh heavily again, and I go back to my room. I just want to be alone and hide. I hadn't really thought about what it was like to fail at something and feel ashamed in front of someone you really liked. I liked Lua, but I love him like a brother and that's all. I also hoped that true feelings would flare up between us and then we'd run away, we'd make it work. But nothing flared up. Even when Lua decided to kiss me, he kissed my cheek. I couldn't. I don't understand how others get close without feelings. It's important to me...

I'm grabbed sharply by the shoulders, and I yelp in surprise. The pain from hitting the wall rushes through my body, and I cringe.

"There I got you," Piros laughs low. Well, I'm definitely a loser.

I lift my head wearily at him.

"Look, let's make a deal that you pick another day for whatever it is you're thinking of doing to me, okay? Not today. I've had a very difficult last few days, and today I failed my practical. I'm not in the mood for you, Piros," I say calmly.

Piros frowns with utter bewilderment in his eyes. Apparently, he expected me to mumble like the others, apologize, cry, or do something else that would prove to him how intimidating he is. But I'm exhausted.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you hate me for putting you in your place in the dining hall and sending you out to look for gnome shit. And you're following me around the house for revenge. All right, I accept your revenge, but not today. Not today, Piros, I don't even have the energy to stand," I jerk my shoulders and he lets me go.

I continue walking back to my place when I hear quick footsteps and let out a groan.

"Piros, get off of me for tonight at least. What do you want? What?" I growl angrily, stopping and nearly hitting him.

"Uh... revenge," he reminds me, but completely unsure.

"I told you I'm in. Pick another day when I turn in all my missed classes. Okay, get back at me. Tell me the date, and I'll be there for you to insult me, humiliate me, ridicule me. You want to do it in the dining hall, I don't care. I'll come and sit on a chair and you talk, yell, and you can even throw that fire of yours at me, growl, hiss. I don't care, you hear me? I can take it. But if you're hoping that by chasing me you'll scare me, no. I'm not scared of you. If you expect me to be your slave, don't even think about it. If you touch me with your finger, I'll rip it off. I didn't touch you, so don't touch me. Take my advice to read books to increase your vocabulary when you humiliate me in front of everyone. Deal?"

He silently presses his lips together and looks at me resentfully.

"Oh, Mother of All, I'm so sick of you. You bratty, arrogant children of the rulers are only thinking about how you can get more slaves for yourselves. And that is a utopian strategy. You don't need slaves, you need friends, and then the war will be won. Slaves are enemies in the future. Their revenge can be much worse than your momentary power over them. Use your brain. Use your damn brain, Piros. You've got a mind in there. Use it for what it's worth. That's it. I'm tired. I want to sleep and not see any more of you. You're driving me crazy. Well, would it make you feel better if you fucked me? Would it make you better, smarter, faster, prettier? No. It will only boost your ego, because violence is violence and it's a crime against nature. You're rapists."

"Hey, calm down, Lua, I'm not raping anyone," Piros hisses.

"Oh, really? And those you enslave with your power, making them do what you want them to do, hmm? You hurt them with your power and force them to be patient with you, to endure the pain over and over again. So you're a rapist like the rest of them. And you disgust me."

"Okay, wait," Piros shakes his head and squints. "Wait. You're actually messing with me, Lua. I don't rape anyone. They don't mind. And they're enjoying it."

"Is that what you think, or do you know for a fact that they enjoy being your toys, being humiliated by you, being your slaves?" I squint angrily.

"They're cumming!" He shouts out indignantly.

"It still doesn't mean anything. Unfortunately, our physiology sometimes betrays our minds. It's the body. It can be affected when you know how. But the heart, soul and mind will remain scarred. So you have no proof that you're not a violent rapist like the others. And anyway, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I'm tired and I'm leaving. You do whatever you want, I don't care. Leave me alone. When I'm ready, mock me then. But not today. And don't you dare follow me around, Piros," I throw him a scornful look and storm off toward my room.

I hate them. I hate them because they think they have the right to rape our souls and bodies and be proud of it. I hate them for the fact that such crimes go unpunished just because they have gold. I hate them for that. I hate them.