Nodding along as he spoke, informing of the contingencies he had in place, it made perfect sense that his territories would not be in ruin in his absence. The authentic mimic he created of her was a testament to his ability, proof that he wouldn’t be missed with a replica to do his bidding. Mina could imagine how foolish she must have seemed, showing concern where there was no need of it. With more magic stored in his fingertips than she could wrap her pretty little head around, she was certain he was capable of governing and serving her. After all, she assumed that she wouldn’t require him very often unless the nature of their lessons changed or her life became exponentially more dangerous, something she wasn’t worried about in the least. Though she did not give all her endeavors the effort they deserved, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Of that, she had no doubt. She always had . . . With the exception of the maids that crumbled before Syn. Unfortunately, they would have to find some way to withstand the pressures of his colossal power. A feat that would take some time and determination for the old ladies.<br/><br/>Mina paused when she realized that she was walking well ahead of the Demon Lord. She made her way back to him, letting him fit her finger with the gleaming black jewel. Lifting it to her eyes to examine it, she smiled softly. “I understand. I agree that that is the best arrangement for now. And, thank you. I can’t promise you that I’ll be . . .<i>great</i>but I hope to be worth your while till I no longer amuse you.” She said, nonchalantly giving him the finger while fondly admiring her new trinket. Mina believed she had the last laugh as she wearily made her way up the winding staircase, her feet heavy like cinder blocks were attached to them. By the time she reached her room, her eyes were barely open and if it weren’t for the black mass sitting in the very center of her room she would have walked like a zombie to flop on her bed. Instead, her eyes shot open and her heart darted into her throat at the sight of a massive, menacing wolf. Majestic and regal though he was, he frightened her so badly that she nearly let out a shrill scream. She spent the next twenty minutes inching around him at a snail’s pace so that she could crawl into bed.<br/><br/>Her alarm clock blared loudly at 7AM. Despite the repetitive beep, designed to agitate and shock the senses, Mina slept peacefully. Over time, she had conditioned herself to tune it out, though it registered with her on some level. She rolled over, the sunlight peeking through the crack the fine drapes hitting her face. Again she rolled, her arms hanging off the king bed. Though she was small, slightly below average height for a woman, she managed to use the entirety of the mattress in a single night. She was tangled up in sheets and blankets. Her hair a mess of dark tresses around her face. The little witch could sleep through an explosion but she could stand the sound of Rosie at the door, banging and demanding that she get up incessantly. Mina reached for a pillow, pulling it over her head to drown out the warring noises. Finally, the maid stormed in. The practiced rage turned to horror when the maid came face to face with the Shadow Wolf.<br/><br/>Pushing herself up, she watched sleepily as they stared at one another. The wolf hadn’t seemed to move since she encountered it the night before. He wasn’t aggressive in the least. He simply guarded her as he was instructed, unflinching in the maid’s presence as the portly woman did the same little dance around the room till she reached the edge of the bed. She great force, she snatched the blankets from her.<br/><br/>“Get out of bed, you lazy girl.” Rosie demanded despite Mina’s pouts. “Aren’t you excited for academy? You summoned a<i>Demon Lord</i>. This will be a joyous day. The Mister and Misses will be so proud. I’m sure of it.”<br/><br/>Mina scoffed and groggily moved to her closet. “That’ll be the day. I could summon the Gods themselves and they wouldn’t bat an eyelash.” She muttered, sifting through the racks and handing off her clothes to the maid who followed her dutifully. The witch had given up long ago on trying to impress her parents, so caught up in their own lives and successes that they neglected her at every turn. Ballet recitals, games, accomplishments . . . All disregarded till she stopped trying. Funny enough, they began to pay attention to her failures when they began to snowball into their laps. Mina found amusement in disappointing them now.<br/><br/>When she had showered and<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FUkF6WGJ.jpg&amp;hash=1d1c0024846279065113dbc7dd8415a7" href="https://i.imgur.com/UkF6WGJ.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">dressed</a>, she barely had time for breakfast. The sleek black car was waiting outside. The driver smoked a cigarette while he waited, knowing it would be a while before Mina emerged with her sunglasses on like a Vampire hissing at the daylight.<br/><br/>In the grand foyer, she looked at the onyx ring, holding her hand out. “Syn.” She called, awaiting his arrival so that they could be on their way. In a way, she was dreading going to school. She didn’t quite know how to explain him to everyone.