I Am The Demon Prince

CHAPTER 9: The Commander's Gift

The freezing wind whipped across the courtyard, scattering falling snow over the frozen grass.

Alex climbed out of the rusted hatch, reached into the dark tunnel, then helped Tyler pull Jenna into the freezing night air. She leaned against Tyler, clutching her injured arm tightly against her ribs as her breath misted in the cold.

Bane Vaughan stood ten feet away with his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets. He watched them struggle with the casual patience of a man waiting for a morning bus.

Tyler laid Jenna on the frost and squared his shoulders. Raising his iron pipe, he pointed its metal tip directly at Bane.

“Back off,” Tyler warned.

Jenna forced herself to sit up, trying to pull her torn sleeve over her forearm. The glowing burn illuminated the dark fabric from within, casting a strange light across the snow.

“Do not bother hiding it,” Bane said. “The report is already sent.”

“If you want a fight, step up,” Tyler challenged, adjusting his grip on the rusted pipe. “I am not afraid of you or your silver knives.”

Bane offered a thin smile, shaking his head. “I am not here to fight.”

Alex stepped past Tyler and stared at the rogue warrior. He kept his hands at his sides to show he held no weapon, allowing the cold air to cool the lingering heat beneath his collar.

“What does the Order want with us?” Alex asked.

Bane looked him up and down like a customer pricing a used car, taking in the dirt on his jeans and the exhaustion in his posture.

“Everything,” Bane answered.

He turned and walked away into the falling snow, disappearing into the dark tree line without looking back. Behind them, the two night guards stumbled out of the tunnel opening. Shivering in the cold, they surveyed the courtyard with blank, confused expressions.

“Where are we?” the older guard asked, rubbing the side of his head.

“You got lost in the dark,” Alex said. “Go home and get some sleep.”

The guards nodded slowly before wandering toward the security office, retaining no memory of the underground cavern or the creatures waiting in the darkness.

Professor Grant Holbrook pushed his glasses up his nose and leaned over his cramped desk inside the library archives. He studied the glowing mark on Jenna's arm, growing unusually quiet.

The burn pulsed with a strange mixture of white light and black flame, casting shifting shadows across the scattered books covering the table.

“I have seen records of a mark like this exactly twice in my life,” Holbrook said, flipping open a worn leather journal. “Both bearers were hunted down by the Order.”

“I am fine,” Jenna said.

She tried to pull her arm back against her chest, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her muscle.

Alex watched the burn flare, then dim. He placed a flat hand over his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against his ribs. The mark on Jenna's arm pulsed in perfect time with his own heartbeat, tying them together through the residual magic of the tunnel fight.

“I did this to you,” Alex said.

He stepped away from the desk, staring at the floorboards. “I should leave the campus before I hurt anyone else.”

“Nobody is leaving,” Tyler said from the corner of the room. “We stick together.”

“Korrath is using me to destroy everything around us,” Alex argued, pacing the narrow space between the bookshelves. “He wants me to break the seal. He will keep hurting you to make it happen.”

Jenna rolled her eyes, pulling her sleeve down over her wrist. “Stop being dramatic, Alex. You saved my life down there. We knew the risks when we agreed to fight.”

“This is different,” Alex insisted, turning to face her. “The Order will hunt you now because of me.”

“The Order was already hunting me,” Jenna replied. “I failed my mission the moment I decided not to stab you in the lecture hall. We just need to figure out how to hide this mark before another hunter spots it.”

Holbrook sat back in his chair without speaking. He watched them argue, his face lined with quiet understanding. He recognized the bond forming between the demon and the hunter and he knew the tragedy that usually followed such alliances.

The university hosted a morning gala the next day to celebrate the opening of its newly renovated science wing. Students and faculty crowded the main lobby, grabbing free pastries and coffee from the catered tables. The room smelled of baked goods and expensive perfume.

Alex stood near the buffet with Tyler and Jenna, trying to blend into the noisy crowd while keeping an eye on the exits.

The university president stepped up to the microphone on the small wooden stage.

“We want to thank our newest benefactor, Helena Crowe, for her generous donation to the science department.”

A tall woman with silver-blonde hair walked onto the stage. Wearing a gray suit, she smiled warmly at the applauding audience, projecting an image of perfect professional grace.

Tyler dropped his paper coffee cup. Dark liquid splashed across his sneakers, staining the carpet.

“I know her,” he said, staring at the stage.

“From where?” Alex asked.

“Holbrook showed us a photo of her in his files,” Tyler answered.

Jenna turned pale and took a quick step backward into the crowd, bumping shoulders with a passing student.

“That is the High Commander of the Silver Flame.”

“What is she doing at a college gala?” Tyler asked, kicking his empty cup under the table.

“She is hunting,” Jenna said, grabbing Alex by the sleeve. “We need to leave right now.”

Before they could reach the exit doors, Helena stepped off the stage and began moving down the receiving line.

She shook hands with smiling faculty members, greeting the student representatives as she went. With deliberate purpose, she crossed the crowded room until she stopped directly in front of Alex.

She extended her hand.

Alex hesitated. He expected the seal on his chest to flare with defensive heat the moment a high-ranking hunter approached him. Instead, he reached out and took her hand.

The brand went entirely cold.

The magic within his ribs fell silent and still. It felt as though an older, stronger force had commanded his demonic power to behave.

“I have heard so much about your promise as a student, Alex,” Helena said, offering a polite smile.

“I just try to keep up with the coursework,” Alex replied.

“I am sure you will exceed all expectations,” Helena stated, maintaining a firm grip on his fingers.

She released his hand, then leaned close to his face, invading his personal space while keeping her public smile intact.

“Relax, Thraxul,” Helena whispered, her voice low enough for only him to hear. “I am not here to kill you.”

Alex stiffened but kept his face blank, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.

“I am here to keep you,” Helena continued, her voice smooth and cold. “And she is about to be the price.”

Helena pulled back, her gray eyes sliding across the crowded room until they settled directly on Jenna…