When It Reigns (Cursed Reigns, #1)

CHAPTER FIVE

AERYN'S POV

"So, which pair of you killed the most demons tonight?" Instructor Bayer asked, surveying the room.

One hand shot up. "Five!"

Penn's went up next. "Ha! Try seven!"

Instructor Bayer tallied the number of demons killed on the chalk board behind him as the students shouted out their answers. A few more fives were shouted, some sixes, eights, and even a handful of tens were added to the tallies.

I ducked my head toward Bastion, whispering, "I saw you tell your mother something during the Consul meeting. Does she know –"

"Glastos. Would you like to share what you're talking to Washburne about?"

My face heated and I shook my head. "No, sir."

Instructor Bayer held a piece of chalk up to the board, asking, "Then how many demons did you and Caldwell kill tonight?"

I didn't think it was possible for my face to get any redder, but I felt my cheeks burn as I admitted, "Three."

Mutters of ridicule rose from my classmates. Penn turned to glare at the pupils directing their taunts at me as Racquel defended, "We only encountered three demons in Mavis, and Aeryn killed all three by herself."

Instructor Bayer added three tallies to the board without scolding me. Counting the number of lines on the board, he turned to the class, inquiring, "Is that everyone?"

"Twenty-six."

Bastion stiffened and all heads swiveled to the back of the class where the lonesome Zoran Masters stood with his arms crossed over his chest. His hair was cropped close on the sides and left longer on top, some strands forming a curl on his forehead. He sported a cutoff shirt despite the freezing temperatures, displaying the biceps that bulged due to years of rigorous training to someday fill in his mother's boots as the Commander of the Ice Force.

Instructor Bayer hitched a brow, studying Zoran with a critical eye. Without a word, he added twenty-six tallies to the board. He didn't turn back around as he announced, "Since Zoran went out without a partner tonight and acquired the most demon kills, he is the sole winner of this challenge and will be given a special advantage in tomorrow's challenge."

Pivoting to face the rest of us, he continued, "That makes one-hundred seventeen total demons killed tonight."

Cheers bounced off the walls of the room as we all clapped to applaud our achievement, and someone whistled. I joined in the smiles and felt proud of the progress everyone was making in just over a year at the academy.

Well, everyone except myself.

Instructor Bayer rubbed his mustache, scrunching his gray eyebrows. "I'm not sure why you are all celebrating tonight's venture. I sent pairs out to Mavis, Solas, Eaton, and Quincey; the three smallest towns in our empire and you came back with one-hundred and seventeen kills. That's over ten times the number of demon kills this challenge typically yields. The presence of demons is on the rise. It is nothing to celebrate. If anything, this staggering number should frighten each and every one of you. Not to mention," he said, reading off a list on the podium, "Garrison Martol, Feila DeSancti, and Trilly Axton have been reported dead. Several more of you are injured and another pair of partners were admitted to the infirmary immediately upon return."

Silence rang out as we shared looks of sorrow unease. Professor Bayer added, "Just because you can hold your own against twenty-six demons does not mean you can survive a horde of demon shifters and summoners. The demons you encountered tonight were weak since they were far from Armaeda and her essence in Ravos. So, if you come across a demon shifter or summoner, make sure to kill it before it kills you."