The Demon's Claim [House of Arcane #2]

I was smiling to the new students as they were coming in, filling in the registration table to find their names and place and where they have to go. I don’t think that I would be happy to be here but I cannot thank myself because I made this decision.

At least the problem at home cannot touch me here.

‘Hi, is this the table for the new registration?’ someone asked me as I turned to look at her. She has black hair with amber eyes. Such beautiful person.

‘Yes, and your name?’ I asked her as she smiled at me. This girl was screaming politeness toward me before I was smiling at her as well. Then, I noticed her parents. They were talking to each other with some disgust as they were looking at other kids as they were laughing and do their own business.

I see.

‘Alice Hughes,’ she said as I was scanning the name before I found her name at under H.

‘Ah, here we go. Alice, like Alice in Wonderland, right?’ I asked her as she smiled shyly. It would seem to me that she was a sheltered person, considering that her parents were shaking their heads at some of the students.

‘Yes, my mother has fascination with that story,’ she said before I was giving her the stuff that she needed for her talk and what to expect in the presentation later on. I was briefed by the faculty before I was assigned to my room.

I hoped I would get with someone like her, she seems nice.

‘Okay, I see you around then, Alice,’ I said before she smiled at me. I shook my head before another person was coming toward me. His walk oozed with confidence and I cannot take my eyes off him as he was smiling at me.

‘Hi, James Malone, please,’ he said. Even his voice was sexy enough that I cannot think of anything else.

‘Right,’ I said as I was searching for his name and I was giving him the welcome kit that the new students got. I was looking at his handsome face before he winked at me.

‘I see you around then,’ he turned to look at my card, ‘Nora,’ he said before James left me there, wondering what could happen if I ever got a boyfriend like him.

I mean, I did promise myself to get a boyfriend to escape that arranged marriage. Maybe he was the one that I was looking for.

I helped out most of the students before I was calling off for another day. I was talking with my friends before I was seeing that Alice girl again, now she was alone as she was waving at her parents’ car that drove away. She was turning around to walk toward the dorm before I excused myself and went toward her.

‘Hey! Alice, right?’ I asked her before Alice turned to look at me. She smiled before she was blinking her amber eyes at me.

‘I’m sorry, who are you—’

‘Nora, we met earlier at the booth as you registered?’ I asked her before she was thinking for a moment. Then, it clicked as I can see it on her face.

‘Right, Nora. I’m sorry, I don’t ask for your name earlier. What are you doing so late?’ she asked me as I was pointing at the tables that we needed to clean up.

‘I was one of the volunteers to clean this stuff up and welcoming the new students. So, how was your first day here? Exciting, right? New experience?’ I asked her before Alice was laughing nervously. Maybe she was not comfortable with me just yet.

‘Well, I won’t be keeping you. I see you around then, Alice,’ I said before Alice hurried away from me, trying to shield herself before she was hitting someone that she was supposed not to.

Not Connor O’Sullivan, the chairman’s son.

She flustered before she apologized as Connor moved on with someone by his side. Someone that was darkly attractive when I know that I was supposed to look away but cannot. He has black hair and his eyes, now that I was far away from him, I cannot see what color it was. But my guess would be blue, like aquamarine or something.

I snapped back to the reality when someone was calling after me to pick up the boxes. I turned to look at the chairman’s son and that stranger but they were not there. I sighed before I went back to do my stuff, wondering who was that stranger and why was he with Connor O’Sullivan of all people?

Logan O’Sullivan’s POV

‘I am so sorry,’ the petite woman with black hair said to my cousin, Connor, before he just ignored her. For someone that was as important as my cousin, he can be a dumbass sometimes. I was looking at the petite woman before I saw the gold string that attached her to Connor.

Yup, my cousin was officially a dumbass.

‘What a klutz,’ he mumbled before I was chuckling, wondering what will his reaction will be when it was his soulmate that he just called that nickname.

‘You do have ways with the ladies, Connor. I have to give you that,’ I said before I was sensing that someone was looking at us but I ignored it. I don’t want to give any attention to these women around the campus even when they cannot help but to draw toward me.

It was just in my nature, for the mortals to be drawn to the darker force. And I was the darker force.

‘Shut up. So, have you met your fiancée yet? I heard that you were supposed to meet her 2 weeks ago but it was told that she ran away, as Uncle put it,’ Connor said before I shrugged.

‘I will find her. You know I will. I heard that she studied here at this university, I was hoping that you can help me with it,’ I said as I was looking at Connor when we were heading toward the cafeteria. Connor tapped his chin.

‘Hmm, what’s in it for me?’

‘Does everything has to be some prizes if you’re helping your family out?’ I asked him as I was opening the door and let Connor walked in first as he was flashing his smirk at me.

‘Absolutely, especially when your cousin was the billionaire and heir to the huge empire of telecommunication companies,’ Connor said as I was rolling my eyes.

‘And you as well, let’s not forget that you are the chairman’s son of this private university. That says something as well,’ I said as we ascended the stairs before we were making our way to the cafeteria. I was famished as I did not eat anything at all today.

I was too busy to find some information on some girl name Nora McCarthy, who was my runaway fiancée. Connor chuckled before we took some foods and went to the table. I was looking around as I cannot sense anything that was connecting me to the gold string like Connor and that petite woman earlier.

Maybe I was a different case.

‘So, will you help me or not?’ I asked him before Connor was arching his eyebrow. I sighed.

‘And yes, I will be giving the compensation that you want later on. But I want result first,’ I said as I was pointing my fingers at him. Connor smirked before he was sipping on his iced lemonade.

‘Considered it done, cousin,’ he said before I shook my head.

‘Prick,’ I mumbled before Connor has the nerve to smile at that.

‘But, I’m your prick,’ he said before I slid the name for him to search and we dug into our meals as I cannot think anything else than the smelling of the cheeseburgers and cold brew for us right now.

*~*~*~*~*After that Halloween party*~*~*~*~*

Nora McCarthy’s POV

Unfortunately, my attempt to have a boyfriend did not go as planned. Apparently, James was engaged and I was happy that I never slept with him. Even though I might lie to Alice about it. We have moved in together into the apartment that was near the university and I cannot thank enough for it.

It was the best decision I ever done since I ran away from home.

I never went back for holidays. If the university was closed for holiday breaks, I will be travelling around or making some money. I just have to replenish the money that I used for my tuitions and other stuff.

The life of being a runaway, it was never a dull moment.

Right now, I was off to sign the contract for my purchase of my convertible as a surprise for Alice’s 20th birthday. I cannot wait to show it to her.

‘Here you go, miss. Enjoy your new ride,’ the salesperson said as he handed me the keys. I took it as I winked at him.

‘You know I will,’ I said before I went to the convertible of my dream. It was red and I loved every second of it. I went to the driver seat before I started the engine and shifted the gear into D before driving home as I have a breakfast reservation for my best friend.

But of course, this morning will be nothing if some family drama was not up. And I was in for a surprise that I thought had been long forgotten by my parents but I was wrong.

Very, very wrong indeed.