KJ's alarm blared at 6:30 AM, and he groaned, rolling over to silence it. For a blissful moment, he forgot about the events of the previous day, until he heard singing coming from the bathroom. Singing that was causing the mirror to crack and the shower curtain to ripple in impossible ways.

  "Lilixia," he muttered, throwing off his covers. He rushed to the bathroom and knocked frantically.

  "Just a minute!" her cheerful voice called over the sound of running water. "I'm practicing human hygiene rituals!"

  "Stop singing!" KJ hissed through the door. "You're warping reality!"

  "Oh! Whoopsie!"

  The singing stopped, and the bathroom fixtures settled back into their normal state. KJ leaned against the wall, rubbing his eyes. Day one of demon babysitting was off to a great start.

  When Lilixia emerged from the bathroom, she was wrapped in a towel with her hair piled high on her head. Steam billowed around her like an entrance effect.

  "Morning, roomie!" she beamed. "Human showers are amazing! In Hell, our showers are just liquid fire and screams."

  "Could you please—" KJ gestured at her towel-clad form, his cheeks reddening.

  "Oh! Right! Humans and their modesty taboos. So cute!" She snapped her fingers, and suddenly she was dressed in a purple plaid skirt, white blouse, and knee-high socks. "Is this appropriate school attire? I studied human teen fashion documentaries last night while you were sleeping."

  "Did you... watch Mean Girls?"

  "Yes! Such an accurate portrayal of human adolescent social dynamics! 'On Wednesdays we wear pink' and all that." She twirled around. "But I chose purple because it complements my hair better."

  KJ sighed. "It's fine. Just... try to blend in, okay? No reality warping, no demonic powers, no mentioning that you rule over a legion of nightmare creatures."

  "Scout's honor!" Lilixia made a gesture that was definitely not the Scout's salute. "Though technically I was never a Scout. I did eat one once, but that's a different story."

  KJ decided to ignore that concerning statement. "I'm going to get ready. Meet me downstairs for breakfast in twenty minutes."

  "Roger that, bestie!" She gave him an exaggerated military salute and skipped down the hallway to her room.

  KJ shook his head and headed to the bathroom. As he brushed his teeth, he couldn't help wondering how he was going to explain Lilixia to his friends. Or his teachers. Or anyone, really.

  Downstairs, the scene was already descending into chaos. Emma sat at the kitchen table, glaring suspiciously at Lilixia, who was attempting to help KJ's mother make pancakes.

  "And in France, we add a special ingredient," Lilixia was saying, reaching into her pocket.

  KJ lunged across the kitchen. "NO!" he shouted, grabbing her wrist before she could pull out whatever hellish substance she was about to add to the pancake batter.

  Everyone stared at him.

  "I mean... no, don't spoil the surprise," he improvised. "Save your special ingredient for... a special occasion."

  Linda looked between them with confusion. "O...kay. Well, pancakes are almost ready. KJ, can you grab the syrup from the pantry?"

  As KJ moved to the pantry, Emma continued her interrogation of Lilixia.

  "If you're really French, say something in French," she challenged.

  "Emma," their mother warned.

  "Non, c'est bien," Lilixia replied smoothly. "Je peux parler fran?ais couramment parce que je suis fran?aise. Satisfaite, petite détective?"

  Emma's eyes narrowed further. "That sounded too good. Like you're actually French."

  "That's... the point?" KJ interjected, returning with the syrup.

  "I'm watching you," Emma informed Lilixia, pointing two fingers at her eyes and then at the demon.

  Lilixia responded by doing the same gesture but opening a third eye in the middle of her forehead for a split second. Just long enough for Emma to see it but no one else. The young girl's mouth fell open.

  "MOM!" Emma started, but KJ quickly intervened.

  "Emma has a math test today!" he announced loudly. "She's been studying really hard!"

  "I do?" Emma said, confused, before KJ kicked her under the table. "Ow! I mean, I do."

  "That's wonderful, honey," their mother said, serving up pancakes. "I'm sure you'll do great."

  KJ shot Lilixia a warning glare, which she responded to with an innocent smile and a mouthed "sorry!"

  After breakfast, KJ's mom informed them she would drive Emma to middle school before taking KJ and Lilixia to the high school.

  "I've already called the school to let them know we have an exchange student," she explained. "The principal was a bit surprised, but they'll have a temporary schedule ready for you, Lily."

  KJ nearly choked on his orange juice. "You called the school?"

  "Of course! Did you think I was going to let Lily just show up unannounced?" His mother gave him a puzzled look. "What kind of parent do you think I am?"

  "The best kind!" Lilixia chimed in. "So responsible! Much better than my father, who is, as you know, just a humble water bottle factory manager and definitely not the literal embodiment of all evil."

  KJ kicked her under the table again.

  "Ow! I mean, my father is strict but fair. Very French. Much baguette."

  Linda smiled uncertainly. "Well... finish up, everyone. We leave in fifteen minutes."

  The car ride was tense, at least for KJ. Emma kept staring at Lilixia from the backseat, occasionally whispering "I saw that" though nothing unusual was happening. Lilixia, meanwhile, had her face pressed against the window like an excited puppy, gasping at the most mundane sights.

  "Look! A fire hydrant! And a stop sign! And a human walking a small furry prisoner on a leash!"

  "That's a dog," KJ muttered.

  "I know! They're so much cuter than hellhounds. Our dogs have three heads and breathe acid."

  KJ's mother glanced at them in the rearview mirror. "You have an... interesting sense of humor, Lily."

  "Thank you! I've been working on it for several millennia—I mean months! Several months!"

  They dropped Emma off first. As she got out of the car, she gave Lilixia one final suspicious look.

  "Remember what I said. I'm watching you."

  Lilixia responded with a cheerful wave. "Have a magnificent day of human learning, tiny detective!"

  As they pulled away, KJ whispered, "Did you seriously show her a third eye?"

  "It was just a little one," Lilixia whispered back. "And she was being so cute with her suspicions! I couldn't resist!"

  "This is exactly what I was afraid of," KJ groaned. "You need to take this seriously!"

  "I am! Super seriously! Look at my serious face." She arranged her features into what was possibly the least serious expression KJ had ever seen.

  Before he could respond, they arrived at Westridge High School. The building loomed before them, a standard brick structure that looked particularly imposing today.

  "Here we are," Linda announced. "KJ, make sure Lily gets to the office to pick up her schedule. And Lily, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call. KJ can show you how to use the school phones."

  "Thank you, Madame Linda! Your hospitality warms my heart like the fires of—I mean, like a cozy fireplace!"

  As they exited the car, KJ's mother called out, "Have a great day, you two!"

  KJ waved until his mother's car disappeared around the corner, then turned to Lilixia with his most serious expression.

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  "Remember the rules. No powers. No demon stuff. No mentioning Hell."

  Lilixia was barely listening, her eyes wide as she took in the bustling campus. "There are so many tiny humans! Look at them with their backpacks and social anxiety! It's just like the documentaries!"

  Students were already staring at the purple-haired new girl who was bouncing on her toes with excitement. KJ grabbed her arm and steered her toward the main office.

  "Just act normal," he pleaded. "Please."

  "Normal. Got it." She straightened her posture and began walking with an exaggerated robotic motion. "I am normal human teenager. I enjoy normal human activities like texting and hormones."

  KJ facepalmed. "Just... follow my lead."

  In the office, they were greeted by Mrs. Patel, the school secretary, who handed Lilixia a schedule and a temporary ID card.

  "Welcome to Westridge High, Lily. We don't often get exchange students mid-semester, but we're happy to have you. Your counselor has matched your schedule with KJ's as much as possible since you two already know each other."

  KJ looked at the schedule and felt a wave of relief, followed immediately by dread. They had four classes together, which meant he could keep an eye on her, but it also meant four opportunities for catastrophic demonic incidents.

  "Thank you so much!" Lilixia said, mercifully without the fake accent. "I'm super excited to experience authentic American education!"

  "Well, you two better hurry. First period starts in five minutes."

  As they exited the office, KJ spotted his friends Dylan and Jordan by the lockers. They waved him over, their curious gazes fixed on Lilixia.

  "Hey, KJ!" Dylan called. "Who's your friend?"

  KJ took a deep breath. "Guys, this is Lily. She's, uh, staying with us for a while. Exchange student."

  "From France!" Lilixia added helpfully, the accent making an unwelcome return.

  Jordan's eyebrows shot up. "Dude, you never mentioned an exchange student."

  "It was very last minute," KJ explained weakly.

  "So, did you do that thing?" Dylan asked, lowering his voice. "That ritual we talked about?"

  KJ felt his stomach drop. The demon summoning. The whole reason Lilixia was here in the first place.

  Before he could formulate a response, Lilixia jumped in. "Oh, he totally did! And it was a complete success!"

  The boys looked impressed. "No way! Something actually happened?"

  "Nothing happened!" KJ interjected desperately. "It was stupid. Just some candles and Latin gibberish."

  Lilixia put an arm around KJ's shoulders. "He's just being modest. It was quite spectacular, wasn't it, KJ?" Her golden eyes flashed briefly beneath her human disguise.

  The bell rang, saving KJ from having to respond. "We gotta get to class," he said quickly. "First period is English."

  "Nice meeting you, Lily," Jordan called as KJ dragged Lilixia away.

  "Your friends seem nice," Lilixia commented as they hurried down the hallway. "Especially the one with the anxiety aura. Very tasty."

  "Please don't talk about my friends' auras being tasty," KJ muttered. "And please don't tell anyone about the summoning. Ever."

  "Fine, fine. But just so you know, I am very impressed you managed it. Most humans mess up the pronunciation so badly they end up summoning minor imps or, in one memorable case, a very confused penguin."

  KJ stopped outside the English classroom door. "Just... try to blend in, okay? Answer questions if the teacher calls on you, but don't volunteer information about Hell or demons or anything supernatural."

  Lilixia made a zipping motion across her lips. "Not a peep about my dominion over the eternal darkness or my army of nightmare creatures. Got it!"

  KJ sighed and opened the door, leading her into first-period English.

  The morning went surprisingly well, all things considered. Lilixia was on her best behavior, only causing minor incidents. Like when she got too excited during a chemistry demonstration and made the Bunsen burner flame turn purple and form the shape of a tiny dancing demon. Fortunately, everyone except KJ thought it was an interesting chemical reaction.

  Lunch, however, was where things got complicated.

  KJ had just set his tray down at his usual table with Dylan and Jordan when he heard a commotion from the cafeteria line. He turned to see Lilixia engaged in an animated conversation with Heather Collins, the head cheerleader and notoriously mean queen bee of Westridge High.

  "This is bad," KJ muttered, starting to stand.

  "What's going on?" Jordan asked around a mouthful of pizza.

  "Lily doesn't know about the social hierarchy here," KJ explained, watching with growing horror. "Heather's going to eat her alive."

  But as he approached, he realized he had it backward. Heather looked uncomfortable, even nervous, while Lilixia chatted happily, apparently oblivious to the cheerleader's status.

  "...and that's why I think your soul has such a lovely lavender tinge to it!" Lilixia was saying. "It's quite rare, you know. Only about one in ten thousand humans have it. It means you're capable of great compassion, though you hide it well."

  Heather's usual confident demeanor had vanished. "How do you—what are you talking about?"

  "Oh, just making friendly conversation!" Lilixia beamed. "Also, that boy you're pretending to dislike? The one in your math class? His soul reaches for yours whenever you're near. It's super cute! You should ask him out instead of being mean to him."

  Heather's face had gone pale. "Stay away from me, you freak," she hissed, but there was no real malice in it—only fear.

  KJ quickly intervened. "Lily! There you are! I saved you a seat at our table."

  "Thanks, bestie!" Lilixia waved cheerfully to Heather. "Think about what I said about Kevin! Life's too short for humans—I mean, for everyone—to waste time pretending!"

  As KJ pulled her away, he whispered urgently, "What was that about? Were you reading her soul?"

  "Just making small talk," Lilixia shrugged. "Her aura was all prickly on the outside but soft and gooey in the middle. Like a sea urchin! Or a chocolate-covered cricket."

  "Humans don't talk about souls and auras," KJ reminded her. "And they definitely can't see them."

  "Really? How boring! How do you know who to trust?"

  "We don't. That's part of being human."

  When they reached the table, Dylan and Jordan were staring at them in awe.

  "Dude," Dylan said, "did Lily just make Heather Collins run away?"

  "I didn't mean to frighten her," Lilixia said, picking up a tater tot and examining it curiously. "She has unresolved trauma from her parents' divorce. Makes her lash out."

  The boys exchanged glances. "How could you possibly know that?" Jordan asked.

  "Lucky guess?" Lilixia smiled innocently before popping the tater tot into her mouth. Her eyes widened. "By the nine circles, what is this magnificent creation?"

  "It's... a tater tot," KJ said slowly.

  "It's DIVINE!" She grabbed a handful and shoved them into her mouth. "We don't have potatoes in H—my country! These are better than soul essence! I mean, chicken essence. Soul food! That's what humans call it, right?"

  KJ buried his face in his hands while Dylan and Jordan watched in fascinated horror as Lilixia devoured everything on her tray with inhuman enthusiasm.

  "Your exchange student is weird, man," Dylan whispered to KJ.

  "You have no idea," KJ muttered.

  The rest of lunch passed with Lilixia asking increasingly bizarre questions about human customs ("Why don't you eat the strongest student to assert dominance?") while KJ tried desperately to steer the conversation toward normal topics.

  Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. As they headed to their next class, KJ pulled Lilixia aside.

  "You need to tone it down," he insisted. "People are starting to notice you're not normal."

  "But I'm trying!" Lilixia pouted. "I haven't used any major powers, I've kept all my extra appendages hidden, and I only read one person's soul! That's super restrained for me!"

  "Just... try harder in PE. It's our next class, and it's going to be physical. Don't show off any supernatural strength or speed."

  Lilixia's eyes lit up. "Physical Education? Like training young warriors for battle? Do we get weapons?"

  "No! It's just running and sports and stuff. Normal human activities."

  "Boring," she sighed. "But fine. I promise to be the most normal, average human specimen you've ever seen."

  KJ had a sinking feeling that PE was going to be anything but boring.

  As it turned out, PE was dodgeball day. KJ couldn't have imagined a worse scenario if he'd tried.

  "The objective is to eliminate the opposing team by hitting them with these balls," Coach Barton explained, holding up a red rubber ball. "If you get hit, you're out. If someone catches your throw, you're out. Last team standing wins."

  Lilixia raised her hand. "What's the penalty for losers? Ritual sacrifice? Soul extraction?"

  The gym fell silent.

  "It's just a game, Miss..." Coach Barton consulted his clipboard. "Evian. No penalties."

  "No blood sport? No consequences?" Lilixia looked genuinely disappointed. "French dodgeball is much more exciting."

  Several students edged away from her.

  "Right..." Coach Barton blew his whistle. "Teams! Collins and Martinez are captains. Pick your players."

  To KJ's horror, he and Lilixia ended up on opposite teams. As they lined up on opposite sides of the gym, Lilixia caught his eye and mouthed "sorry" with a shrug that wasn't remotely reassuring.

  Coach Barton placed the balls along the centerline and raised his whistle. "Remember, no head shots! Ready... GO!"

  The whistle blew, and chaos erupted. Students rushed forward to grab the balls, and KJ immediately sought cover behind his larger teammates. Across the gym, Lilixia stood perfectly still, watching the proceedings with fascination.

  "Lily! Move!" KJ shouted as a ball hurtled toward her.

  At the last possible second, Lilixia sidestepped the ball with inhuman grace. Then another. And another. She moved like water, dodging every throw with minimal effort while maintaining an expression of pure joy.

  "This is fun!" she called out. "It's like avoiding soul-seeking missiles in the Third Circle!"

  KJ groaned as students began to notice her impossible reflexes. Then, Heather Collins—who had been glaring at Lilixia since lunch—picked up a ball and hurled it with all her cheerleader strength directly at Lilixia's face.

  Time seemed to slow down. KJ saw Lilixia's eyes flash golden, her pupils narrowing to vertical slits. A small, mischievous smile spread across her face as she plucked the ball from the air with one hand, stopping it instantly despite its considerable momentum.

  The gym fell silent again as everyone stared.

  "My turn?" Lilixia asked sweetly. Then, with a flick of her wrist that was too casual to be natural, she sent the ball flying back across the gym.

  The ball moved so fast it was almost a blur. It struck the wall behind Heather with such force that it left a dent in the padding before ricocheting around the gym, taking out player after player as if guided by an invisible hand. Within seconds, the entire opposing team was out, except for KJ, who had the good sense to dive to the floor when he saw that look in Lilixia's eyes.

  When the chaos subsided, Lilixia stood alone on her side, beaming proudly while her teammates stared at her in shock and awe. The opposing team was sprawled across the floor, groaning.

  Coach Barton's whistle fell from his slack lips. "What... how did you..."

  "French dodgeball training," Lilixia explained with a straight face. "Very intense program. Government sponsored."

  KJ picked himself up off the floor, meeting Lilixia's gaze with a look that clearly said, "We are so dead."

  The locker room was abuzz with whispers about the new exchange student and her impossible dodgeball skills. By the time KJ and Lilixia met up outside the gym, rumors were already spreading throughout the school.

  "I think I messed up," Lilixia admitted as they walked to their final class. "I got caught up in the moment. It was just so fun! Like combat training but with fewer casualties."

  "Messed up? You nearly exposed yourself to the entire sophomore class!" KJ ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "What happened to blending in?"

  "I did blend in! I pretended the ball hurt when it hit my hand and everything!" She demonstrated an unconvincing "ouch" gesture. "And I didn't let my wings pop out, which was super hard because they do that reflexively when I'm excited."

  KJ sighed deeply. "Just... let's get through one more class without incident. Then we can go home and figure out what to do about your new reputation as a dodgeball demon."

  "Ooh, I like that title! Much catchier than 'The Sovereign Chaos.'"

  As they entered the history classroom, KJ couldn't shake the feeling that his life had spiraled completely out of control. Somehow, he'd gone from being an ordinary, forgettable sophomore to the guy harboring a demon with dodgeball skills that defied physics.

  And they still had two hours of school left.

  Created by Figures

  Published by Veilbound Press

  A Davison of Veilbound Media Group