"Dear Eden Wynne,
You are to meet the Arcane Council at the West Tower once the sun leaves the sky. Bring the demon you have summoned and command him not to harm anyone. We come in peace."
Eden read the letter in his grasp and immediately crumpled it. The paper caught fire in his hand and turned to ash.
"Are you coming or not?" he asked Sylas, who was still in the closet trying on the clothes Eden had given him earlier that morning.
"It's not like I'm excited to follow you around," Sylas's voice rumbled from within the room.
Eden sighed, clutching his bag tightly. He was already feeling nervous about meeting the Arcane Council. They were the elite ruling mages who monitored all summoning, binding, and magical education. And his older brother was one of them.
He was still surprised his brother hadn't come to visit him personally.
"You're going to make us late. What are you even doing?" He marched over to the closet only to stop dead in his tracks.
Sylas stood there wearing nothing but a pair of fitted black slacks and boots. His torso was bare, thick with defined muscle and carved abs. His arms, his biceps—
Eden blinked hard and swallowed. His face heated instantly as he spun around.
"Just put on the damn shirt!"
"Can't it be black or red? I don't like light colours," Sylas muttered, still staring at the shirt in clear distaste.
Eden took a deep breath and turned to look at the demon again. "After the meeting with the Council, we'll go into the city and shop for some clothes for you."
Sylas glanced at the mage. His golden eyes noted the blush on Eden's pale skin and the way those violet eyes kept blinking up at him. With a roll of his eyes, he finally pulled the shirt on, then snatched up the black coat and shrugged into it.
They left the chamber together. But as they moved down the corridor, Eden quickly realized something. It was very hard to walk around with a six-foot-eight demon trailing silently behind him like a predator. Everyone was going to stare.
With an irritated sigh, he made a sharp turn into a deserted hallway and stopped walking, spinning on his heel to face the demon.
"Can't you get rid of your horns?" he asked.
"I don't want to," Sylas replied, raising a brow. "Would you remove your head if I asked you to?"
"Why would—" Eden's eye twitched. He stopped himself and glared. "That's different. I'm your master. You're supposed to obey me."
"You have to earn it. Don't make me repeat myself. It's exhausting," Sylas said with a flat frown.
Eden gritted his teeth. "Then go away."
Sylas smirked. So the little mage hated attention? How entertaining. He didn't really care, but he figured it was better to keep a low profile for now.
With a flick of magic, dark smoke curled around him, and his form shifted.
In an instant, Sylas transformed into a sleek midnight-black cat, slightly larger than a normal house cat, more like a miniature panther with gleaming golden eyes that narrowed with judgment.
Eden stared. His eyes twitched again. "You had this form?"
He could not believe this demon had been lounging in his bed all day in full adult form when he could've looked like this.
"Aren't you late for your class?" Sylas's voice echoed smoothly in his head.
Eden scowled. "Let's go."
When they arrived at the classroom, there was no professor in sight. The room was rumbling with noise, students talking loudly, their familiars scattered around. But the moment Eden stepped in with the shadow cat at his side, the entire class fell silent.
All eyes turned to him and the creature walking calmly next to him.
The silence was heavy.
Eden ignored it completely and headed to his seat. But just as he reached for his chair, one of the students behind him yanked it away.
Eden fell hard to the ground.
Laughter erupted from some of the students, while others just stared, curiosity gleaming in their eyes.
"Ah!" Eden groaned in pain.
Meanwhile, Sylas burst into laughter inside his head, his voice echoing with amusement. "Do you remember when you told me you weren't a weakling?"
Eden glared furiously at the shadow cat.
"Shut up!" he snapped in his thoughts.
Sylas quieted… but then added with a purr, "Do you want me to eat them?"
"No. I can handle myself," Eden hissed, pushing himself off the floor.
He turned to the mage who had pulled the chair. A dark-haired boy with icy blue eyes and a large white snake coiled around his neck.
"Give me back my chair, Reis," Eden said flatly.
Reis tilted his head, eyeing Eden like a predator sizing up prey. "Why should I? You didn't even send me a letter to tell me you finally got a familiar. They say it's a Royal-class… a demon, right?"
Eden swallowed hard. The news had already spread. Likely from the witnesses at the training hall.
Reis had always been one of his biggest tormentors in class.
"Can they feel your presence?" Eden asked Sylas silently.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because it's more fun to trick dumb mortals," Sylas replied smugly.
Eden rolled his eyes. Sylas could've just said he was suppressing his aura in this form.
"Are you rolling your eyes at me, Wynne?" Reis sneered, suddenly grabbing Eden by the collar.
Eden's expression darkened as he grabbed Reis's wrist. "Let go of me."
Reis didn't. Instead, he slammed a fist into Eden's stomach.
The pain burst through him like fire, and he doubled over, coughing violently.
Before he could catch his breath, another punch landed in the same spot. Then Reis shoved him away and kicked at his legs, sending Eden crashing to the ground. His head struck the edge of the table with a sharp thud.
Stars danced in his vision. He was dizzy, breathless, and aching. He raised a trembling hand to his forehead and felt blood.
Sigh. He didn't want to move. The humiliation burned more than the pain.
That was when Sylas, still in his sleek shadow cat form, calmly padded up to his side and leaned over him. With one paw, he leaned in and licked the blood off Eden's face.
"What are you doing?" Eden whispered weakly in his head.
"Do you want me to eat him now?"
Eden blinked, stunned. "I thought you said you weren't going to help me."
"You look so pitiful right now," Sylas said lazily. "It makes me want to help you."
Eden's breath hitched. His voice was low and raspy. "Fine. Do it."
There was a pause… then excitement flared through the bond, making Eden's heart skip. "As you wish, Master."