Thornhill Academy (By Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 60

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I raise a brow, not buying it, but her grin is infectious. Maybe she’s right. Maybe even demons have their soft spots, though I have a hard time imagining one sitting through a potions lesson without trying to eat someone. The heavy oak doors of The Serpent’s Vell come into view, carved with twisting serpents and inlaid with faintly glowing runes. The bass hum of music seeps through the cracks, and I feel it in my ribs. Whatever’s waiting inside, it’s definitely not going to be boring.

The moment we step inside, the world changes. The air is thick and warm with magic and music that vibrates through the floorboards. Lanterns hang low from the ceiling, their flames a deep violet, casting shifting shadows that move like they’re alive. The crowd is a mix of species; shifters with glowing eyes, witches with charm-laced jewellery, and, yes, a few demons whose horns glint under the light like obsidian. A band plays in the corner, the singer’s voice smoky and haunting. The bar stretches across one wall, carved from blackened oak and etched with runes that pulse faintly with every poured drink. Bottles line the shelves behind it, each one glowing a different shade of dangerous. Tessa waves to someone near the back, and I follow, my nerves sparking. The place is chaos and beauty all at once and somehow, it feels like it’s watching me back.

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12:49 Tue, Dec 30

Thornhill Academy.

Touch Her And Die.

Tessa leads me through the noise and bodies with the confidence of someone who belongs here. The further we go, the darker it gets. It’s a cozy, dark, full of laughter, low voices, and flickering candlelight that bends around shadows as if it knows better than to touch them. When she stops, it’s in front of a group tucked into the back corner, definitely demons. Every one of them radiates that slow, dangerous power that hums against your skin like static. Their eyes gleam in different colours, amber, crimson, violet, and their horns and tails are all unique, curling, barbed or faintly glowing. The one grinning up at Tessa, however, doesn’t fit the stereotype at all. Blonde, shaggy hair, green eyes so bright they almost look mortal, if not for the long twist of purple and green horns and the tail flicking lazily behind him,

like a happy dog.

“Rynor!” Tessa laughs as he stands and sweeps her into a hug that actually looks gentle.

“Hey, Tess,” he says, smiling wide enough to show slightly pointed canines. “What are you doing here?”

“I brought a friend!” She gestures toward me. “This is Ally. We’re celebrating… something.”

“Celebrating, huh?” His grin widens, tail wagging once before curling around his leg. “Then I guess the first round’s on me.”

“Sit, sit,” Rynor says, motioning to the empty seats across from his group. His grin is effortless, disarming, and I’m suddenly less nervous about being surrounded by actual demons. He gestures around the table as we take our seats. “That’s Nyx,” he says, nodding to the tall female with crimson eyes and black, curling horns that gleam like polished marble. Her tail flicks lazily, ending in a sharp, heart-shaped tip. “Korrin,” he continues, pointing to a lean, silver-haired demon whose eyes are slit-pupil gold and whose horns branch backward like deer antlers. “And that sulky one is Zev,” he finishes, gesturing toward a broad-shouldered guy with inky blue eyes and a tail wrapped around the leg of his chair like a python.

Rynor claps his hands together. “I’ll grab drinks. Don’t start any wars while I’m gone.”

As he disappears into the crowd, Nyx leans forward, chin resting on her hand, her tone curious but cautious. “So… what kind of magical

are you, exactly?”

Before I can answer, Tessa chirps brightly, “She’s a mind reader!”

The table goes still. Every pair of demonic eyes lands on me with varying degrees of discomfort; Nyx even straightens her tail off the floor like it’s preparing for attack.

I laugh lightly and raise my hands. “Relax. I’m not into snooping around or anything like that. Your thoughts are safe.”

That earns a few awkward chuckles and an exhale of relief from Korrin, whose tail finally drops back down with a soft thud. “Good,” he mutters, grinning despite himself. “Didn’t want you finding out about my deep emotional bond with Rynor’s tail.”

The group laughs, and just like that, the tension in the air starts to melt, Rynor returns, balancing a tray of glasses that shimmer faintly, each one glowing a different colour, the liquid inside shifting like molten metal. He sets them down with a flourish.

“Hellfire liquor,” he says proudly. “Brewed by imps, banned by angels, and guaranteed to make mortals question their life choices.”

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12:49 Tue, Dec 30

Touch Her And Die.

A

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“Perfect,” Tessa grins, already reaching for one.

I take mine a little more hesitantly, but the first sip burns straight through me like liquid flame, heat blooming in my chest before settling into a dizzy, magical hum under my skin. The others cheer when I don’t cough, and Rynor raises his glass to me with a

mischievous wink.

The music seems to pulse harder after that, the rhythm sliding into my bones. Maybe it’s the drink, maybe it’s the faint enchantment woven into the air, but the edges of the world feel softer, brighter. Laughter drifts from every corner. One drink turns into two. Then three. And when Tessa grabs my hand and pulls me toward the crowded dance floor, I don’t even hesitate. We twirl and sway under the violet lanterns, laughing so hard my ribs ache. The beat thrums through the floor and up my legs, the magic of it tangling with the faint buzz in my veins. For once, there’s no academy, no council, no wraiths or secrets, just the pulse of the music, Tessa’s infectious grin, and the feeling of finally, finally having fun.

The music was a pulse under my skin, lights wobbling like stars in a kettle. I was laughing, really laughing, letting the rhythm push the sharp edges off my nerves. Then two vampires slid into the swirl of dancers. Vampires that were all pale cheekbones and too-bright smiles. The taller one brushed past me, and suddenly the air around my throat felt wrong, like a glove turned inside out. He moved in as if we’d been arranged, hands settling at my hips. Heat and cold collided where his fingers rested. His mouth ghosted along the curve of my neck, and my laugh died in my throat. I tried to shrug him off, but his weight leaned into me, anchoring me to the spot. The liquor’s haze shuddered through me; my vision wavered, muscles turning traitorously soft. Panic prickled at the back of my neck. Tessa’s face tightened beside me, her smile gone, just as Rynor and his lot rose from their corner, the easy warmth of their earlier jokes gone hard. “Oi!” Rynor barked at a shorter vamp near Tessa, stepping forward, tail swishing like a warning. The tall one behind me tightened his grip. My breath hitched. I watched, helpless, as his fangs elongated, a slow, obscene show. The world narrowed to the stretch of pale teeth

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