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He shrugged. “I’ve read it enough to pass our religious classes at the Academy.”

Perine hummed pensively. Lost in what he assumed were deeply turbulent thoughts, she stared out the window at the ceremony ignoring his presence.

Clearing his throat to draw her eyes back on himself, he rose languidly. “I’m getting myself a drink. Would you like something?”

“I wouldn’t say no to snacks.” She grinned unabashedly… as if she were comfortable with him. Comfortable with him? He scoffed at the idea, immediately dismissing it.

“Sweet or salty? Wait, never mind, I think we have some jian dui—your favourite, if I remember correctly.”

“How do you know that?” Her face was more shocked than he’d expected, as if she were horrified to realise that Oleander paid such close attention to things she liked.

He only smirked in reply, then headed off to join his siblings in the growing revelry.

Chapter

Eleven

PERINE WILDER

Candlelight from a thousand flames flickered over the atrium’s lush, overflowing greenery. It was the kind of room that made her want to curl up on the sofa for hours with a good book.

Peri savoured her bespelled cocktail as she looked out over the moon gardens for which Brightmore Manor was famous. An ethereal glow illuminated the garden below, silver flower petals opened wide to drink in the moonlight, and fluffy white fairy-puffs hovered above beds of blooming moonflowers. Peri eased deeper into the velvety cushions, feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time.

Realising how swiftly her mood had shifted, she frowned at the vibrant pink drink in her hand. Raising it to her nose, she noticed the unmistakable smoky aroma of the Bendigo flower. She pulled her bag onto her lap and rummaged through it until she found the reference notebook on the plants of Hell that she had written for herself. Flipping through the pages, she found Bendigo.

Bendigo flowers can be brewed and added to tea or other liquids to help the drinker feel composed or tranquil. It also promotes logical thinking. Extremely rare and expensive. No ill side effects known.

Hemlock hadn’t just made her a drink out of politeness—he’d made her a cocktail to help her. A secretive, supportive gesture.

Oleander flopped back down next to her, a soft smile tugging at his lips. Maybe he’d silently decided to call a truce for the evening, and if that were the case, she was glad of it. Something nearby smelled delightful, and Peri caught herself leaning forward unconsciously, towards Oleander.

The moment she’d realised what she was doing, she jolted back, shaken and confused. Oleander did not smell delightful! Well, except that—truthfully—he did. She’d just somehow never realised it before. At first, she noticed only the smoky warmth of cinnamon, but then brighter notes emerged—florals, bergamot, and a rich earthiness that seemed to draw her irresistibly towards him.

Rather than untangling her complicated feelings about Oleander, she fixed her attention on the jian dui he'd left on the nearby table. She snatched up a handful of the fried sesame balls and crammed them into her mouth in rapid succession. Obviously, it was the stress of the day making her feel so absurdly positive about a demon she knew to be an infuriating, exasperating, infernal nuisance.

Then, to think about literally anything else, she said, “I have more questions.”

Oleander took a long drink and then fixed her with a reproachful look. “Just because I’ve inhaled purification smoke doesn’t give you free rein to use it against me.”

“Of course not.” Her fingers were tapping against her thigh. She quickly fisted her hands and pulled herself as straight as she could in the thick cushions. “I promise not to ask anything too personal.”

“Fine. But don’t be surprised if I decide against answering anything too nosy or pretentious. We’re supposed to be having fun right now.”

She made a sound that was supposed to be a nonchalant hum of agreement, but wavered and caught in her throat. “I just have one tiny question about your Circle that I’ve been wondering about.”

He waved his hand for her to proceed.

She cast him a nervous glance. “Does everyone in the Rune Circle do a purification smoke ritual or only your family?”

Oleander sighed. “We all practice the ritual, since in the Rune Circle everyone’s required to enter the Room of Spectral Transference at some point and you need to be in your most honest state to telepathically connect with humans in the mortal realm.”

This part Peri vaguely knew of… it was magic developed by the Devil long ago that had granted demonkind their immortality.

Her mother used to sing her a hymn about it to lull her into sleep:

Indolent and greedy creatures

Until death knocks at their door