“But it’s not the same,” said a boy about ten years old, with a messy mop of dark curls. “Mary isn’t one of the Synestryn. They bite for real. And they’re poisonous.”

“True,” said Lyka. “That’s why I tell you all to fight like you mean it. Don’t hold back, because one of these days, you might be fighting for your life. You get strong here so you can survive out there when no one is around to save you.”

Joseph braced himself, waiting for the kids to start crying, for their chins to wobble in fear or their eyes to shine with tears. Every one of them had suffered at the hands of the demons. Some had lost their parents and siblings. A few had been held hostage by the Synestryn for months, tortured and terrorized. Surely being told in such blunt terms that they might have to fight the demons on their own one day had to be scaring them shitless.

And yet not one of them so much as trembled.

“When I get big,” said one little girl, “I’m going to chop their heads off with a sword, just like the Theronai do.”

Lyka grinned. “I’m sure you will, but for now let’s just stick to your bare hands and teeth. I don’t think the Sanguinar can reattach your classmates’ severed heads quite as easily as they heal teeth marks.” She turned back to the four kids who’d been fighting. “Speaking of which, Logan and Hope are waiting for you inside. Go get yourselves patched up.”

They took off, the limping boy trying to keep up like a trooper.

“The rest of you get a good dinner and go to sleep early. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Final exams are coming soon. You all need to be ready.”

The kids started to race off back toward the main building.

Lyka raised her voice, shouting after them. “And no fighting outside of class, or you’re benched for a week.”

The kids all cleared out, leaving Lyka to pick up the rope that had been laid out to mark their sparring area. She hadn’t seen Joseph yet, and that was just as well. He had no idea how he was going to deal with what he’d just witnessed.

But he did have to deal with it. Shut her down. Keep her from upsetting more parents, or, worse yet, traumatizing one of the children.

A cold breeze swept past him, ruffling the hair at the nape of his neck.

Lyka sniffed the air and froze in the act of winding the rope around her forearm.

He wondered if she’d ever let him tie her to his bed with it, binding her there so he could get his fill of her without her darting off like a frightened rabbit. He could finally get close enough to see if she smelled half as good as she looked, if her skin was even close to being as silky smooth as it appeared. She’d fight him—of that there was no doubt—but once she wore herself out, he was almost certain he could find a way to make her purr.

As soon as the thought entered his mind, he banished it. The leader of the Theronai didn’t restrain and fuck the baby sister of the leader of the Slayers. Not unless he wanted an all-out war on his hands to add to the one he already had with the Synestryn.

Her gaze met his. Her shoulders tensed, moving up toward her ears. “Spying on me?”

“A little. There have been some complaints about your class. I wanted to check it out for myself.”

The clouds overhead parted, allowing sunshine to spill over her. He was once again stunned by just how beautiful she was. Her pale golden eyes caught and held the sunlight, making them look like they were glowing from within. Her pupils constricted until only a narrow oval remained, showing off proof of the Slayer blood flowing through her veins.

“And?” she asked. “What did you think?”

He’d always been a diplomatic man, but it was a stretch to keep his mind sharp and focused on his words when his body was responding in such an acute way. It had been a long time since he’d wanted a woman, but he was definitely making up for lost time now. As cold as it was outside, his blood was pumping hot, bringing a fine sweat to his brow as he struggled to keep his cock under control.

It took him several seconds to word his response carefully. “I can see why there was concern.”

She muttered under her breath. “Fucking pussy adult humans.”

“Excuse me?”

She glared at him and spoke slowly and clearly. “Fucking. Pussy. Humans. If they don’t want their kids to get eaten, they should pull their heads out of their asses long enough to teach them how to fight. The Synestryn demons aren’t going to stand back while a kid runs off to let mommy kiss his boo-boos. They’re going to tear the meat from his bones and use them for toothpicks.”

The truth of her words only made them that much more appalling. “Is that what you told his parents?”

“Would you rather I have lied?”

Now he was stuck between agreeing with and encouraging her or lying himself. Instead he settled for, “That probably didn’t win you any points for Teacher of the Year.”

“Maybe not, but when I think about the work I do with these kids, I sleep fine at night.”

And just like that, he could picture her in her bed, her golden hair spread across her sheets, her long, sleek body stretched out naked and warm beneath the covers. With the coiled rope dangling from her hand, it was all he could do not to add that particular prop to the already potent mix of his inappropriate fantasies.

He had no idea what it was about this woman that made him ache for her, but he did. All the way down to his bones.

Joseph exerted his substantial will and dragged his mind back to where it belonged. “Those children got hurt, Lyka. They were bleeding. You can’t let it happen again.”

“I made sure that there were two Sanguinar waiting in the wings to heal them. I know the kids were in pain, but it will help toughen them up. Besides, they need to know how to fight, and no one else is bothering to teach them.”

“We make sure they get a good education.”

“Sure you do. They’ll all be able to do calculus in their heads while the demons rip their throats out. A lot of good it will do them.”

“You’re scaring the parents.”

“Good. They should be scared. Their kids are demon food. If these humans stopped for even one second and thought about it, they’d realize that what I’m doing is right. I’m trying to keep the kids alive. Give them a fighting chance.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you keep teaching them to fight like this. It’s too dangerous for them and too upsetting for their parents.”