I Raised the Demon Queen (Now She Won't Leave Me Alone)

Theo wasn't technically running from detention.

He was... strategically avoiding it.

There was a difference.

The strategy involved ducking into the unused west wing of the academy—where the chandeliers collected more dust than light, the paintings all seemed to glare, and even the rats gave it a wide berth. And yes, maybe it was explicitly marked off-limits by both the principal and two very bored student safety prefects who mostly used the rule as an excuse to nap.

Still.

When one is fleeing the wrath of Madam Grelka—who had a voice like a thunderclap and a paddle named "Justice"—one doesn't pause to weigh lesser evils.

So Theo sprinted past cracked doors and faded banners, past a broken suit of armor that sneezed when he passed (he chose not to question it), and dove into a half-collapsed storage room that smelled like mold and mystery.

Panting, he crouched behind a crate.

Safe.

For now.

Then he noticed something odd.