The Deal with the Demon Prince

*Chapter Six*

*Chapter Six*

Aurora had woken up with a killer headache threatening to tear her skull apart. The headache was slowly alleviating now, but it still made it hard for her to think. Cade and Gabriella hovered around her, asking her if anything was wrong. Aurora couldn't bring herself to tell them. It wasn't because she didn't trust them; it was because she didn't trust herself enough to tell them everything without a mental breakdown.

For the entire day, she could feel someone watching her.

"You can go back to the dorm early if you're not feeling well," Gabriella suggested.

Aurora shook her head. It wasn't like going back to the dorm would help in her case. This was definitely not physical, or her body would have healed her already. Scratch that, her issue here was not a silly headache but something much larger. Her eyes dashed to the side where Cadence and two of her friends were chatting animatedly.

Aurora had a feeling that something was off, but she shrugged the feeling off.

"That's her, right?" Stephanie, a short but curvy girl said in a high-pitched, squeaky tone. She nodded towards the back of a raven-black haired girl who sat quietly in front of a table with Cade and a blonde girl. Stephanie focused on the small pocket mirror in front of her, checking her flawless makeup.

Cadence grinned smugly.

"You guys all know he's mine, right?"

There was something close to adoration in Cadence's eyes. For that person, she would risk her life. For him, she would do anything, literally. She quickly composed her features.

"Dude, I wouldn't even dare to talk to him," Stephanie replied. "She either has guts or simply has no idea what happened before she came."

Anger distorted Cadence's beautiful features.

"First, she's his partner. Second, she acts as if she's known him for eternity. How dare she," Cadence said through clenched teeth, "a mere human, take my Adrian away from me!"

"You're not joining us, are you?" Veronica, a tall but way too skinny girl asked with concern.

"I can't miss the chance, Ver."

"But you're ordered to behave," Veronica said worriedly. "For god's sake, you even had to hang out with Cade!"

"It was just once," Cadence muttered, embarrassed.

"Nevertheless, it was still an order."

"Veronica, shut up."

"All right, we show her a bit of what we're capable of and scare her away, right?"

"Steph, don't be a chicken. You've asked that like three times already."

"I'm not a chicken!"

"Whatever. Just get her to the deserted area behind that lab that's not used anymore afterschool, and I'll somehow meet you guys there. Don't go over the top, I don't want her to be accidently killed."

"Sure," the two girls chirped and stood up.

"Happy?" Adrian growled, slamming his fist onto the locker and creating a dent. The sound reverberated within the empty hallway, echoing around him like a ghost haunting him.

"Relax, my Prince. I have nothing to do in this."

Adrian forced himself to calm down. He knew that anger would not help him solve anything.

"Not directly," he snarled, his canine elongating, and two rings of crimson encircled his blue irises dangerously.

"You can't disobey your father's law. Well, your acting was certainly way too over the top. Were you trying to make her realize?"

Adrian gritted his teeth and spun around, his demonic features morphing back into the more human-like ones.

"Adrian, do remember that he still has full control over you. If I were you, I'd stick quietly to his plan and not try anything smart."

"Well, I'm not you," Adrian growled in return, storming down the corridor.

He had to do this. He must think of a way for her to realize it.

She had come to class earlier because she couldn't take Cade and Gabriella's worried looks. She didn't exactly know what it was, but there was definitely something they're not telling her. She didn't want to pressurize them so she decided to just pretend as if nothing was going on and hope that they would eventually tell her themselves.

Aurora pushed open the door to a class that she thought had no classes and stopped when she caught the sight of two figures at the end of the class.

Cadence was pressed tightly between the wall, and one of her hand was wrapped securely around a certain blond while her other hand was tangled in his hair. There was no point in saying who that blond was, and they were in a furious make out session. Aurora slowly backed away from the door, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

She blinked.

The image was gone. Aurora sucked in a sharp breath. Was she hallucinating? How was that possible?

Just to be on the safe side, Aurora entered another empty classroom. She plopped herself down on the chair and flipped the book open. The words appeared vague and foggy as the strange illusion played itself over and over again in her mind.

Abruptly, she heard the door open and saw a shadow fall over her notebook. Aurora jumped a mile in her seat. Quickly trying to pretend as if nothing had happened, she proceeded to scribble down her equations. A pair of hands slammed down on her desk, firmly but not intimidatingly.

Aurora calmed herself down, remembering the reason why she was ignoring him. Her chin was suddenly lifted up, and she paused in writing the equation. This time, it was her gaze that was stoic.

"So," Aurora said quietly but firmly, "you know who I am now?"

The sapphire eyes that burned with emotions that Aurora couldn't decipher were replaced by shock. Aurora stood up and gathered her books. Without a second glance, she walked past him.

"W-Wait!"

"Adrian," her voice came out firm, "I promise I won't bother you anymore once I fulfill my part of the deal."

Glancing over her shoulder, she gave him a small smile before exiting the room. It was a smile that said she really meant what she said. The smile vanished once she turned away from him.

"Damn it!" he groaned. "At least listen to what I have to say!"

The image of her smile replayed itself in his mind, triggering another similar memory. The frustration disappeared, only to be filled with trepidation.