Jade

  There I was, sitting in color theory class.

  Professor Klein droned on at the front about complementary palettes and “the emotional resonance of blue.” My eyelids felt like sandbags. Between Ashira’s midnight napalm incident and Veyra’s 3 A.M. lecture about breakfast, I was running on fumes.

  I tried to focus—really, I did. But my notes had devolved into doodles: spirals, eyes, feathers, fire. My pencil had a mind of its own lately, dragging me into shapes I didn’t remember starting.

  “Ms. Moreno,” Klein barked.

  I jumped. Hard enough that Veyra nearly tumbled out of my hoodie pocket. Her tiny talons pinched my ribs in protest.

  “Would you care to tell the class what exactly you find so fascinating in that sketchbook of yours?”

  I snapped it shut. Too fast. Too obvious.

  “Uh… nothing.”

  A few people chuckled. Klein’s eyes narrowed.

  “If you think that’s going to pay the bills,” he said coolly, “you can either hand over the book or get out.”

  My stomach dropped.

  I bowed my head and handed him the notebook.

  He flipped through it slowly. Too slowly. Like he was savoring it.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  My tired eyes fixed on the black-and-blue cover.

  Then it hit me.

  That was the nude section.

  My mouth went dry. My heart kicked into a frantic gallop.

  “Class dismissed,” Klein said abruptly. “Ms. Moreno, you’ll stay for a chat.”

  Chairs scraped back. My classmates bolted faster than if he’d announced a pop quiz. The room emptied, leaving only the low hum of the lights and my pulse pounding in my ears.

  He knows about my nude artwork.

  Ashira’s presence stirred in the back of my mind, smug and unhelpful.

  “He knows of your shameless drawings.”

  Not helping, I thought weakly.

  Klein kept flipping pages. His face grew pinker with each one. I let out a bitter cough.

  “Well,” he murmured, finally closing the book, “I might have a job for you, Ms. Moreno.”

  My palms started to sweat. The room felt too warm. Too close.

  He slid a card across the desk. Plain. White. A single number.

  “Text this by tonight,” he said. “If you accept, you’ll receive one thousand dollars.”

  I didn’t need the money.

  But it would be an out.

  My shoulders slumped. Shame burned hot behind my eyes.

  “I will text the number,” I mumbled.

  “Good,” he said brightly. “You’re dismissed.”

  Triumph gleamed in his eyes.

  I grabbed my things and fled the room, humiliation crawling up my spine.

  Ashira’s voice followed me, dry and cruel.

  “Gods, you know he’s going to make you draw naked pictures of him—and whoever else.”

  Tears stung my eyes as I made it down the hall and into a dark corner. I sagged against the wall, hiding my face in my arms as an ugly sob tore loose.

  Why did I do this?

  How dumb could I be?

  Veyra climbed up my sleeve, claws digging in gently before settling on my shoulder.

  “Jade,” she said firmly, “we’ll get him back.”

  The tears kept falling. It didn’t matter.

  I was forced into this.

  “Jade, I need Nyx,” Veyra commanded—then hesitated. “Ashira will take over if you don’t summon him.”

  “Just place your hand out,” Ashira urged, her voice steadier than mine. “Call his name in your mind.”

  I couldn’t.

  Everything was too loud. Too much.

  A ragged sob clawed its way up my throat—

  And suddenly, I was standing in front of my dorm room door.

  Val’s muffled voice drifted through the wood.

  Along with someone else’s.