Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 43: The missing Groundling

It was past midnight. The rain continued to pour over the tall buildings and grounds that belonged to Sexton. Lightning struck, followed by thunder that shook all fragile elements, including the windows of Lucian’s room.

He sat at his desk, working on the last few notes of his thesis—a treatise for the future, which needed to be submitted as part of his class. He dipped the quill in the ink bottle before gliding it across the parchment. He enjoyed the solitude of these late hours, when the halls were still and he could immerse himself in his work without interruption.

When he was done, he placed the pages into his drawer and leaned back, stretching his neck backwards and staring at the ceiling. The flame crackled, and he straightened, getting up from his seat when his eyes fell to the couch in the room—it was empty.

He had given her the books to keep her from disturbing him, but she was still outside. He scowled before extinguishing the flame with his fingers, a quick sizzle sounding as he did, and then lay down on his bed.

Lucian closed his eyes, letting the sound of the rain surround him. But after a few minutes, his red eyes opened to darkness.

"But it would be a shame if something happened to her. You and I both know... the feeling of not being able to do something lingers far longer than the moment itself," Dane’s words echoed in his mind.

"I should never have agreed to this arrangement," Lucian muttered, his lips curling with annoyance. With a sigh, he rose from the bed, threw on his cloak, and stepped out into the corridor.

He prowled down the hall towards the dining room, but it was dark, cold, and empty. Not a trace of life stirred, as though the room itself were holding its breath. Turning away, he left, his steps echoing in the empty corridors as he made his way through the maze of dormitories.

At last, he stopped outside one of the rooms and knocked. The door cracked open, revealing Hailey’s sleepy eyes, which soon widened, her gaze shifting from surprise to apprehension at the sight of Lucian standing in the doorway.

"Lady Blake..." Hailey’s voice trembled slightly as she called her roommate.

his tone neutral—a tone that made Hailey instinctively uneasy. "Ruelle hasn’t returned

Blake joined her at the door. "She was summoned to see Headmaster Oak right after the game. I assumed she was busy or something, which is why she didn’t make it back in time for dinner.

she’s turned into an invisible ghost. No," Lucian replied, a flicker of irritation crossing

thought she would have been back by now..." Hailey murmured, her

ventured, glancing from Hailey to Lucian. "The

on her knitting or find some other quiet corner. She mentioned using the older classrooms sometimes—the ones no one visits. Do you think

remained blank. Without another word, he turned away from the

to Blake, whispering, "What if someone did do something to her? Like what happened with June? It could be Alanna or... or someone else."

wanting her roommate

Sexton, Lucian knew every nook and cranny of the establishment. His red eyes scanned through the abandoned classrooms, his ears picking up nothing but the sound of pattering rain against the windows and walls—until he

audible over the thunder—caught his attention,

with trembling hands. Her breathing had grown faster, more erratic,

as her hand slid down to her

she had been forgotten, as she had been so many times before—a prisoner to loneliness. Her eyes stung as she squeezed them shut, trying to block out the darkness. She wrapped her arms around herself, huddling tightly, but

sliver of light piercing through the darkness as the

was none other

his face was unreadable. His gaze held hers, steady, silent, assessing, as if he were searching for something, though she couldn’t quite tell what. For a moment, neither of them moved, caught in that

eyebrows. The dark cloak falling over his shoulders, his red eyes glinting,