I flipped through the pages of the ancient tome, feeling energized after our intimate encounter. My body hummed with renewed vigour, the lingering pleasure making it easier to focus on the complex magical theories. Brutus lay sprawled on the floor, his massive chest rising and falling with exhausted breaths.

  "Nothing like a quick snack to refresh the mind," Aria chirped, already back at her desk. Her fingers traced the intricate diagrams of a lightning spell with renewed interest.

  Isabella nodded, adjusting her perfectly arranged clothing as if we hadn't just been tangled together moments ago. "Indeed. The energy boost is quite remarkable."

  "I have to say," Aria's eyes sparkled mischievously, "I love how Lily, despite always being the reluctant one, is the wildest one in the end."

  My cheeks burned at her words, though I kept my eyes firmly fixed on the tome before me.

  "True," Isabella's lips curved into an elegant smile. "But there's a certain charm to it. That contrast between hesitation and abandon..."

  "I can hear you both, you know," I muttered, trying to focus on the text.

  Aria's laughter filled the room. "That's exactly why we're talking about it! Your reactions are just too precious."

  "Oh, shush it, both of you," I said, pulling the tome closer. The ancient pages crackled under my fingers as I tried to focus on the intricate magical formulas.

  Aria lounged back in her chair, her violet eyes sparkling with mirth. "You know what? She's right. We should stop teasing her so much." She stretched like a satisfied cat, her movements deliberately provocative. "If we keep at it, she might actually get used to it. Then what would we do for entertainment?"

  I shot her a withering look, but she just grinned back, completely unfazed.

  Isabella didn't say anything, but that knowing smirk played across her lips as she returned to her own studies. Her silver hair caught the light as she bent over her book, that aristocratic composure back in place as if nothing had happened.

  I let out a heavy sigh and turned back to my tome. The pages detailed complex theories about magical resonance and energy manipulation. Despite my companions' playful distractions, I needed to understand these concepts before facing Cain.

  I closed the ancient tome with a satisfying thud, my head swimming with magical formulas and theories. The past two days had blurred together in a haze of intense study sessions punctuated by passionate breaks that left us all breathless but mentally refreshed.

  Aria twirled her fingers, purple sparks dancing between them. Her eyes gleamed with newfound power as she made the electricity arc and twist into complex patterns. "Let's find that bastard vampire and show him what we can do."

  "Your control has improved remarkably," Isabella noted, watching Aria's display. She set aside her own book, its pages marked with numerous strips of fabric. "We haven't had much time to truly master these techniques, but what we've learned should give us an edge."

  I flexed my fingers, feeling the mana flow through my body with greater clarity than ever before. While I hadn't focused on any specific spell, my understanding of magical fundamentals had deepened considerably.

  "I wish we had more time," I admitted, thinking of Faith. My stomach churned at the thought of what Cain might be doing in London. "But we can't wait any longer."

  "First things first," Isabella stood, smoothing her dress. "We need to find out who dared lay hands on your slave and ensure they understand the gravity of their mistake."

  "She's right," I nodded, setting the tome aside. "We have time before Kyriakos contacts us. We should deal with those who hurt Bellas first."

  Aria's eyes flashed dangerously. "Especially if it was just some worthless imp guards who thought they could get away with it."

  "Agreed." Isabella's voice carried a cold edge. "Such behaviour cannot go unchallenged."

  We straightened our clothes and fixed our appearances, though part of me wanted to march straight there. But appearances mattered - we needed to look composed and deadly, not dishevelled and angry.

  The academy halls stood eerily quiet during break time, our footsteps echoing off stone walls. Most students had returned home, leaving only a skeleton staff to maintain the grounds.

  "Let's ask Bellas when it happened then check the guard rotation records," Isabella suggested. "Find out exactly who was on duty."

  I nodded, my anger building as I recalled the bruises on Bellas's skin. How dare they damage my-

  The thought stopped me cold in the middle of the corridor.

  My stomach twisted as realization hit. When had I stopped seeing Bellas as a person? When had I started thinking of him as property - my property - to be protected and maintained?

  I remembered my initial horror at the slave markets, my revulsion at treating people like possessions. Now here I stood, angry not because someone had hurt someone close to me, but because they had damaged my pleasure slave.

  The worst part? I couldn't summon that old revulsion back. It felt... natural. Right. Of course demons would own mortals. Of course I would protect what belonged to me.

  "And here I thought you'd finally stopped getting lost in your head." Aria bumped my shoulder with a knowing smirk.

  I rolled my eyes. "Old habits. Come on, we've got guards to find."

  We entered our dorm room to find Bellas in his usual corner, his muscled body glistening with sweat as he performed push-ups. My breath caught slightly at the sight - even now, it felt strange how in this form, the sight of defined muscles and masculine features sent tingles through me that I couldn't quite suppress. The same went for feminine curves and delicate features, but those at least made sense to my former self.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  "Bellas," I called, keeping my voice steady. "We need to talk about what happened to you."

  He immediately stopped his workout and knelt before us. "Yes, Mistress?"

  "Who did this to you?" I asked, studying the fading bruises on his skin.

  "I apologize, Mistress, but I don't know," Bellas replied, keeping his head bowed.

  Isabella stepped forward, her voice carrying an edge of steel. "Try thinking harder when your mistress asked you something."

  Bellas flinched slightly. "I'm sorry, but I truly cannot tell the imps apart from each other. They all look so similar to me."

  Aria burst into laughter, the sound echoing off the stone walls. "Oh, how silly mortals are!" She wiped a tear from her eye. "At least tell us when it happened."

  "It was a week ago, Mistress. Six days to be precise, around noon," Bellas answered promptly.

  I frowned, considering his words. While imps did share similar features, they weren't that hard to distinguish between. Then again, maybe they all looked alike to elven eyes.

  "And where did this happen?" Aria leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with interest.

  "At the slaves canteen, Mistress."

  "Thank you, Bellas," she said. "You may return to your exercises."

  I turned to Aria as Bellas resumed his workout. "So, shall we check the guard rotation records?"

  "So it would seem," Aria's lips curved into a mischievous smile, her purple eyes glinting with barely contained glee.

  We left our room, passing several imp guards in the hallway. Their small forms pressed against the walls as we walked by, heads bowed in deference. These guards weren't really meant for protection - their primary duty was to observe and report any suspicious activities.

  Aria broke into giggles beside me, her violet eyes sparkling with mischief. "They don't know it yet," she said, covering her mouth with one delicate hand to stifle her laughter.

  The record room was dimly lit, with rows of shelves containing neatly organized scrolls and ledgers. Isabella moved with practiced efficiency, quickly locating the relevant section.

  "Here," she pulled out a thick leather-bound book. "Guard rotation records for the slave quarters."

  Aria peered over her shoulder as Isabella flipped through the pages. I watched them scan through the entries, my enhanced vision easily picking out the neat columns of names and times in the flickering light.

  "Found it," Isabella's finger traced down the page. "Six days ago, slave canteen duty... three imps. Mako, Piki, and Zern."

  "Now we just need to check today's assignments," I said, reaching for the current roster.

  Aria snatched it before I could grab it, her violet eyes scanning the pages eagerly. A wicked grin spread across her face.

  "All three are tending to the gardens today. Together." She closed the book with a satisfying thud.

  "Wait, aren't they supposed to be patrolling the grounds?" I asked, confused about their duties.

  Isabella shook her head. "The imps pull double duty when there aren't many students around. They tend the gardens and keep an eye on things, but they're not real guards. Just glorified groundskeepers who report anything unusual."

  "Perfect," I said, feeling my lips curve into a predatory smile. "Time to show those imps what proper respect looks like." The thought of punishing them sent a pleasant thrill through my body.

  Without another word, we turned and headed for the academy gardens. Our heels clicked in perfect rhythm against the stone floor, three succubi moving with deadly purpose.

  The Academy gardens opened before us, a verdant landscape of twisted, otherworldly beauty. Crimson flowers with obsidian centres swayed beside luminescent blue ferns that seemed to reach toward us as we passed. The paths wound between beds of plants whose shapes and colours had no earthly equivalent, all bathed in the soft glow of crystal formations that provided light.

  Aria giggled suddenly, her fingers trailing over a black rose. "This brings back memories."

  "Yeah," I said dryly, "when Valentina tried to drug us with feral-inducing nectar."

  Isabella snorted, her silver hair catching the red light filtering from the crystalline ceiling above. "Only Valentina would try something that stupid. Even for a pureblood, her self-preservation instinct is remarkably underdeveloped."

  "I didn't say they were pleasant memories." Aria shrugged, her violet eyes sparkling with amusement. "But hey, at least the garden is nice."

  I paused near a fountain where liquid that looked more like mercury than water cascaded over black stones. "With everything that was happening back then, I didn't really have time to appreciate the beauty of the gardens."

  The garden truly was magnificent. Flowering vines wrapped around twisted archways, their petals shifting colour as we watched. Small glowing insects—or perhaps they were tiny elementals—danced between the plants, leaving trails of sparkles in their wake.

  "We should find those imps," Isabella murmured, her attention returning to our purpose. "They're supposed to be patrolling this section."

  We moved deeper into the garden, past a cluster of plants that hummed a soft melody when the breeze touched them. The path divided around a massive crystalline tree whose branches held fruits that pulsed with inner light.

  "There," Aria whispered, pointing toward a secluded alcove where three small figures moved between the flower beds.

  The imps were easy to spot—each no taller than a human teenager, with leathery wings folded against their backs and small horns protruding from their foreheads.

  "Let's get this over with," I said, stepping onto the path leading to the imps. My heels clicked against the obsidian stones, drawing their attention.

  The three imps froze mid-task, their small wings twitching nervously as we approached. One dropped his pruning shears, the tool clattering against the stone path.

  Isabella stepped forward, her presence commanding even in the casual Academy uniform. "Do you know why we're here?"

  The shortest imp, probably Piki based on the records, shook his head. "N-no, my ladies. We were just tending to the g-gardens as assigned."

  "Really?" Aria's usually cheerful voice carried an edge that made the imps shrink back. "Because we heard some interesting stories about the slave canteen six days ago."

  The imps fell to their knees, wings pressed flat against their backs in submission. "Please, please don't hurt us!" The tallest one, likely Mako, pressed his forehead to the ground. "It wasn't our idea! We were forced!"

  I felt an uncomfortable twist in my stomach. Despite everything I'd learned about demon society, watching these smaller creatures grovel made me feel like a schoolyard bully. "What do you mean, forced?"

  "We couldn't refuse," Zern whispered, his voice trembling. "Not a pureblood. We're just imps."

  "This pureblood," I said slowly, "would she happen to be about my height, platinum blonde hair, tendency to throw tantrums when she doesn't get her way?"

  The imps' eyes widened in shock. "How did you know?" Piki blurted out before clapping his hands over his mouth.

  Isabella's laugh echoed through the garden. "Of all things, I didn't expect Valentina to resort to bullying Lily and Aria's toy to get back at Lily. That's pathetically indirect, even for her."

  "She's getting desperate," I agreed with Isabella, crossing my arms. "But what should we do with these three?"

  The imps trembled before us, their wings twitching with nervous energy. Piki's tears left dark spots on the obsidian path.

  Aria's violet eyes narrowed. "They still hurt our slave. That can't go unpunished, regardless of who ordered it."

  "Please," Mako whimpered. "We didn't want to—"

  A sudden burning sensation against my chest interrupted him. I pulled out the communication rune, which now glowed with an intense blue light.

  "Kyriakos," I muttered,

  "Well," Aria smirked at the imps, who were still prostrated before us. "Looks like it's your lucky day. Consider this a warning – if anything happens to our slave again, we won't be interrupted next time."

  The imps nodded frantically, relief visible on their small faces.

  "Let's find somewhere private," Isabella suggested, already turning away from the grovelling creatures. "The library should be empty at this hour."

  We left the imps in the garden, their profuse thanks following us down the twisted path. The rune continued to pulse against my skin, reminding us of more pressing matters than dealing with Valentina's latest scheme.