Anger made me run through the school without a destination. I just needed to move. I needed to keep my muscles active, because I'd otherwise explode. 

"Jade, stop!"

Thar was following me. 

"Stop!"

His teacher voice made me halt. 

"You shouldn't have done that!" He caught up with me. 

"I know." I crossed my hands on my chest like I could keep the anger from coming out. 

We were somewhere close to the Potions department, in a dimly lit hallway. If we continued down, we'd reach the backdoor to the building. 

"You can't go around slapping a fucking-" Thar stood in front of me, his figure towering over me like I was a naughty child to be disciplined. "What if he lost control? What if he did something unpredictable?"

I snickered, anger tangible on my breath, "Like smoke in a faculty lounge? Or set fire to the Headmaster's office?"

"Jade." Thar grunted. "You can't do something like this without-"

"Stop!" I shouted. "Just stop for a second with the preaching and the holier-than-thou-ness."

He took in a breath and lowered his voice, "I'm worried about you." 

"I'm worried about lots of things." I chuckled dryly, and it died quickly, "And I haven't slept in three days, and I can't get the fucking demon out of my head. I can't exist like this anymore. And there's nothing I can do about it, so I snapped. I'm sorry."

Thar's gaze softened, "I know, but we have to go a certain way about this-"

I glanced behind him, and saw Leon walking down the hallway towards us, and everything Thar wanted to say got lost somewhere in the fog. Right, this was the way to the Headmaster's chambers.

I brushed past Thar and shouted, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" 

Leon put his hands in his pockets and shrugged, "Didn't you say you were going to stay away from me?"

His left cheek was red. The one I slapped. Good. 

"I am trying to stay away from you, but apparently, you constantly need someone to clean up your messes." I crossed my hands on my chest. 

Leon cocked his head to the side, "If you're referring to that one time you brought me back to life, let me remind you that was your own mess."

"Oh, you wanna talk about that?"

"Not fucking particularly."

"What the fuck are you doing?" I stomped on the floor. "My father wants to talk to you!"

"And I'm looking forward to the conversation."

"Leon," I hated the pleading in my voice. "I'm serious. What the hell was that?"

"What? I want to see what the old man has to say," he smiled. 

My eyes bulged, "He knows you're a fucking demon-"

"Hey!" Thar shouted, voice deeper than usual, "Not every goddessdamned person in this school has to know! If you want to scream at each other, take it outside!"

I looked between the two men. Thar was pissed, and it wasn't just because Leon outed himself to my father in front of everyone. Leon looked way calmer than he should have been considering he was about to get murdered by my father. 

I crossed my hands on my chest, turned away from him and marched down the hallway, to the backdoor. Leon followed me after a good ten-second delay, and when I pushed the door open it almost slammed straight into his face before he caught it. 

The cold outside bit my skin. Everything was white and light and peaceful. I faced him, my hands still folded over my chest. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" I demanded. "Seriously, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Leon chuckled, "Well, I have already been dead once, maybe that's what I'm supposed to be."

"Oh, shut up." I looked at him. "Stop with the pity party. I'm sorry I brought you back, okay? It wasn't my choice to make. But you have other choices, Leon. You could stop self-destructing, for once. Because talking to my father is self-destructive."

For a second, there was something wistful in his murky grey eyes, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by a sharper glint. 

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to tell him his daughter dearest turned me into a demon. You're safe."

"That's not-" I stomped with my feet on the cold concrete, "I'm trying to help you."

"Maybe it's time you stopped fucking helping me!" He shouted, and the murky grey in his eyes danced, which made me take a step back. "Last time you helped me, I woke up as a fucking demon! I have no idea what's happening to me, I don't understanding what the fuck I am, and I can't stay within school shields for longer than three days without getting sick!"

Because I was reckless, and impulsive, and selfish. 

Tears burned my eyes, but anger was too strong to look away, "Fine! I'm done helping you! You just go ahead and destroy yourself, go drink yourself to death, go fuck everything you lay your eyes on-"

"Oh, I would gladly fuck everyone I laid my eyes on, but unfortunately, I can't see anyone next to you."

My mouth stopped moving mid retort once I processed what he said. 

Silence enveloped us. His eyes turned bluer, or it may have seemed with the whiteness around. We were alone. My breath caught in my throat when I realised just how alone. I couldn't feel the demon. 

Leon took a step back, and fished out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. 

He lit one up and inhaled, "You should be staying away from me, if I recall correctly."

"You're right." I crossed my hands on my chest, suddenly freezing. "This is none of my fucking business."

"Exactly." 

Leon wouldn't look at me anymore as I walked past him. I didn't want to look at him either, unable to look at the consequences of my actions. But because I was angry, and bitter, and jealous, I couldn't leave without twisting the knife as deep as it could go. 

So I turned on my heel and faced him. 

He looked up from the floor. 

"I kissed Thar."

Leon's eyes turned murky grey again before he offered a stiff smile, "Your dad will be very pleased."

I held the breath I wanted to huff out, and stormed inside. My feet carried me over the H. Academy's property with purpose. I didn't even care if my father saw me running around while expelled. Since the party Leon threw in the faculty lounge was done, I knew Morta would be continuing her own party with Amma in her room. 

And I was right about the party. Not about the guest of choice. 

"What is Bella doing here?" I asked from the door, glancing at the two girls sitting on the floor, a few books in front of them, but glasses of gin tonic in their hands. 

I immediately realised they were already wasted.

"Eh, she keeps bugging me to let her sleep over, so I figured that might be easier drunk," Morta saluted. 

"Hey!" Bella flipped her hair over her shoulder, "I'm a lot of fun."

"Where's Amma?"

"With Eugene in the library," Morta said his name like it was something nasty to eat. 

I joined them on the floor, not caring about Bella and the fact I hated her suddenly, "I thought they weren't speaking."

"He kept moping in front of her door after the arm-cutting," Morta waved with her hand, almost spilling her drink, "And then she finally opened up a few days ago and they've been inseparable ever since."

"They're probably shagging," Bella said. 

Morta eyed her, "He's gay."

"He's bi," Bella raised her eyebrow.

"Ugh." Morta took a sip, "Everyone's fucking someone."

"No, don't," Bella shook her head. "I've fucked too many people. Don't do that."

A laugh fell off my lips while I made myself a drink, "I'll probably second that."

"Marissa Morrigan," Bella hissed her name, making me almost spit out the gin tonic. 

"She's so hot, man," Morta nursed the drink. "I can't believe she's sleeping with Leon."

My cheeks burned after the third sip of the gin. 

"Hey, you don't know that," Bella frowned. "By the way, Jade, I think it's time you told me what the hell is wrong with him."

I opened my mouth, but Morta spoke before me.

"Your," she pointed at both of us, "boyfriend is a demon, and you both missed all the red flags."

I took in a sharp breath-

"What the fuck?" Bella put the glass down, "How is he a demon?"

"Jade brought him back to life using demon magic."

"Hey, we're not supposed to tell everyone," I frowned. 

"Bella's just Bella," Morta shrugged, "She won't tell anyone."

"Of course I won't," Bella shook her head, "I'm just glad he's alive."

I downed half of the glass. 

"Though, I wonder, would you have brought Thar back?" She wiggled her eyebrows, eerily quickly getting over the demon thing. 

Great, they were drunker than I thought. 

"Of course I would have," I looked at her over the rim of my glass, "I don't get why everyone's so surprised."

"Hmm, now that you put it that way," Morta made herself another drink, "You are pretty reckless and you had the spell in your hand. You probably would have brought Bella back."

"Aww," Bella pouted, "I'm flattered."

"I didn't confirm," I grinned. 

"Oh, whatever," Bella rolled her eyes, "We could have been friends if you hadn't stolen my boyfriend-"

"I didn't-"

"Ladies, ladies," Morta cut in, "We are not here to catfight. We are here to bitch about our love lives."

Bella saluted towards her, "Love the energy."

"I kissed Thar," I blurted out. 

"Again?" Morta looked at me. 

"Again."

"I don't get it," Bella shook her head, "You have Thar Adara pining over you and you're dealing with Leon's bullshit?"

I looked at her, some of the confusion in my frown genuine, "You've been pining over Leon for years."

"Sure, but I don't have a Thar Adara pining over me."

"Oh, I figured it out," Morta sipped more gin. "I had an epiphany today."

I sighed, "Enlighten me."

"Thar is boring."

"What are you talking about?" I squinted, "Thar's far from boring."

"Please, don't ruin my fantasies," Bella sighed. 

"Not boring boring," Morta shrugged, "Just gonna-fuck-you-exclusively-in-missionary boring. Whereas Leon will fuck you in the ass."

"You're so crass," I murmured, my cheeks red again. 

"Hey, that rhymes!" Bella hiccupped. 

Morta raised her eyebrow, a smile pulling her lips up, "Or he already has."

"Shut up, he didn't." I was fucking flushed from all the gin. "Besides, maybe I need something that's gonna-fuck-you-exclusively-in-missionary boring. Being reckless made me bring people back to life, and it got a demon on my trail."

"There's a demon following you?" Bella took a huge sip of gin. "Not Leon, right? I feel excluded."

"Sure, but you also did some wild shit that helped out a great deal," Morta ignored her and stared at me, "I mean, we figured out there was a curse on the teachers practically all on our own."

The vibe in the room tightened. 

"Look, we have to do things right this time around," I said. "Go slow with it all."

"We haven't done anything in two weeks," Morta pushed, "We're never going to find out the demon's name and-"

"Hey," Bella interrupted, "Let's not turn this into a debate. We're here to drink and bitch about our love lives."

Morta shut her mouth. I drank some more gin. Right, this was neither the time nor place to talk about this, and we had way too much alcohol in our blood to be constructive. 

Fortunately, Morta's gaze softened as well, and she grabbed the glass, then huffed over the rim. 

"I'm fucking gay for Marissa Morrigan."

Bella and I burst out laughing, and for a few more hours, everything was fine.