Page 5 of Monster's Obsession

Neither demons nor mermaids sweated. Not normally.

Mrs. Caldwell smiled. “Daruka, this is Asmoday. He’s a fifth—”

“Sixth.”

Ack! That voice. Like honey and whisky and campfire smoke all curled up together. It stroked over my skin. I shoved my hood off my head and lifted my arms to let my pits breathe.

Mrs. Caldwell furrowed her brow. “You’ve been at Blackthorn for six years now?”

“I have.” Now he sounded like he was purring. And he was staring like he wanted to eat me.

Gulp.

“That’s a terribly long time,” Mrs. Caldwell noted.

“I can stay until I’m twenty-five if I want,” Hottie, er, Asmoday, said.

Asmoday. Even his name was sexy.

He thrust out his hand, and thank Lilith I’d set a precedent by not shaking Mrs. Caldwell’s. No way in hell was I touching this guy. No good would come of any sort of touching between me and Asmoday.

A boat horn blasted. Mrs. Caldwell raised her arm. “That’s us! Come along, students.”

She shunted us toward a dock I would have sworn wasn’t there five minutes ago, where an honest-to-goodness pirate ship, complete with skull and crossbones flag tied to the mast, was moored. The person I assumed was the captain stood at the end of the ramp, assisting us onto the boat. She wore a sweeping red hat with a giant feather plume and a red coat complete with a lacey cravat and ruffles at the wrists and along the hem. Her legs were encased in leggings and absolutely cool black leather booties with gold buckles. Every bit of exposed skin shimmered like it was covered with faery dust.

Totally unsurprisingly, her right hand was a shiny gold hook, which she touched to her hat in greeting. “Ahoy. Welcome aboard.”

“The ferry is a pirate’s ship?” I blurted.

“When the captain is in the mood to be such,” Mrs. Caldwell said, nudging me forward. “To be honest, I’m not sure if she’s a shapeshifter or she simply uses magic.”

“Not a shapeshifter, because the boat changes too,” Professor Holtsclaw pointed out.

“Excellent point, Professor,” Mrs. Caldwell said. “She’s a graduate of Blackthorn Academy,” she added, as if that might impress me.

I stole a glance at Asmoday. He didn’t even seem to notice the super sexy captain as he stepped onto the ramp and made his way into the boat.

Huh.

Wait. Probably because he was used to her. Mrs. Caldwell said he’d been at the academy for six years. If this place had breaks and holidays just like any other school, that would add up to a decent amount of contact with the captain.

“Where is your luggage, dear?” Mrs. Caldwell asked me as the captain magically eased the ramp into a slot beneath the deck. Then a stiff breeze caught the sails and pushed us away from land, all without a single human glancing our way.

“Oh, uh, I don’t have any. Coming here was sort of a last-minute decision.”

“Hm. I suppose we’ll need to find a wardrobe for you. I don’t imagine you want to wear that same outfit anytime you aren’t in uniform.”

“Uniform?”

Mrs. Caldwell’s smile turned almost feral. I’m guessing I wasn’t the first student to be repulsed by the idea. She nodded at Asmoday. I glanced over and then did a double take.

Gone were the leather vest and leather pants. He stood before me in a white button-down shirt, black slacks that fit his thighs and ass far, far too well, and a burgundy blazer with what I assumed was the school crest on his breast pocket.

And no, he wasn’t any less sexy in the school uniform, damn it.

“Girls can also wear skirts if they prefer,” Mrs. Caldwell added.

I glanced down at my black hoodie, stretchy pants, and black, low-top Vans. Did I look like a girl who would prefer to wear skirts?