Blackthorn Under Hellfire

In a world where demons rule and humanity lingers in the shadows, society is strictly divided. Demons are categorized into three castes: Big Horns, extremely rare and overwhelmingly powerful; Medium Horns, the ambitious middle class; and Small Horns, the common people or demons if you will. Meanwhile, humans live in segregated communities, their very existence dictated by an invisible force known as Life Essence—the intoxicating energy they emit, the substance demons crave. For the safety of both species, humans and demons lead entirely separate lives. Expect for Cassidy "Cass" Veyne, because bro wanted to be different. Born to a powerful Big Horn father and a human mother, Cass is not a demon. He has no horns, no demonic energy, and—most baffling of all—no Life Essence to feed on. Or at least that's what he has been told his whole life. He’s an anomaly in a world that lives on strict order. But his father, a high-ranking noble in demon society, refuses to let him live among humans. Instead, Cass is forced into Blackthorn Academy (fire name I know), an elite private school meant for the most powerful demons in the country or the ones with the most money. From the moment he steps inside, Cass doesn’t belong. No horns. No power. No fear radiating from him like the others. The students whisper behind his back. Teachers look at him like a puzzle. Some demons want to test him. Others want to break him. At the top of Blackthorn’s social hierarchy is Nathaniel "Nate" Azrael, the student body president, the most feared Big Horn in the school, and the heir to a long lineage of royalty. His dark curling horns, piercing silver eyes, and suffocating aura make even strong demons tremble. Cold, ruthless, and untouchable, Nate thrives on domination and fear—it’s his nature. Cass is the only one who doesn’t flinch under his gaze. He isn’t afraid of him. And for the first time, Nate doesn’t know whether he wants to destroy Cass… or claim him. A forbidden love between two people who should never have met. A boy trapped between two worlds, struggling to prove he belongs. And a dangerous, undeniable pull between a fearless outcast and the demon who feeds on fear itself. This is Blackthorn under hellfire by yours truly.