“No. I do believe in them. I just think they’re absentee landlords. Right now, they’re probably hanging out somewhere in Las Vegas, screwing showgirls and cheating at poker.”

cheating at poker.”

Caleb jumped away from me, his feet landing on the white and tan pebbles. “Do not let me be standing next to you when one of them strikes you down.”

I laughed. “Yeah, they’re real y watching and taking care of business. That’s why we have daimons running around draining pures and kil ing mortals for the fun of it.”

“That’s why the gods have us.” Caleb grinned like he’d just explained everything.

“Whatever.” We stopped at the end of the stone pathway.

From here, we either went to the girls’ dorm or the boys’.

The two of us stared across the flooded marsh. Woody plants and low growing bushes dotted the brackish water, making crossing the mess almost impossible. Beyond that was the forest—literal y a no man’s land. When I was younger I’d thought monsters lived in the dark woods. When I’d gotten older I’d learned that fol owing the marshes led to the main island, giving me a perfect escape route when I’d wanted to sneak around.

“Does the old hag stil live in there?” I asked final y. What if I could talk to Piperi?

Caleb nodded. “I guess so, but who knows? She comes down to the campus every once in a while.”

“Oh.” I squinted in the harsh light. “You know what I was thinking?”

He glanced at me. “What?”

“Mom never told me why we needed to leave, Caleb.

Never once during those three years. I think I’d be… more okay if I knew why Mom left in the first place. I know it doesn’t change anything that happened, but at least I’d know what the hel was so important we had to leave here.”

“Only the oracle knows and who knows when she’l be back here? And you can’t go to her. She lives way back there. Even I don’t venture that far into the marshes. So don’t even think about it.”

My lips curved at the corners. “Al these years, and you stil know me so wel .”

He snickered. “Maybe we can throw her a party and lure her out. I think she was down here for the spring equinox.”

“Real y?” Maybe if I talked to the oracle she’d give me some answers—or tel my future.

Caleb shrugged. “Can’t remember, but speaking of partying, there’s going to be one this weekend over on the main island. Zarak’s throwing it. You game?”

I stifled a yawn. “Zarak? Wow. I haven’t seen him in forever, but I doubt partying is something I’m going to be partaking in anytime soon. I’m permanently grounded.”

“What?” Caleb’s mouth dropped open. “You can sneak out. You were like the queen of sneaking out.”

“Yeah, but that was before my uncle became the dean and I wasn’t one step away from being expel ed.”

Caleb snorted. “Alex, you almost got expel ed like three times. Since when has that stopped you? Anyway, I’m sure we can come up with something. Besides, it’l be like a welcome back party for you.”

It was a bad idea, but I felt the usual excitement stirring in my bel y. “Wel … I won’t be training at night.”

“No,” agreed Caleb.

A grin tugged at my lips. “And sneaking out never kil ed anyone.”

“Or got them expel ed.”

We grinned at each other, and just like that, things were the way they’d been before everything had gone to hel .

***

Caleb and I had a little adventure in the supply room in the main school building after dinner. We swiped every possible article of clothing that would fit me and Caleb promised once again to grab one of the other half girls and go shopping for me the fol owing day. I could only imagine what he’d come back with.

With our arms ful , we headed back to my dorm. I was only a little surprised when I spotted Aiden’s formidable frame standing by the thick marble columns on the wide porch. Caleb’s eyes went wide.

I groaned. “Busted.”

My footsteps slowed as we neared him. I couldn’t read anything from his stoic expression or by the way he bowed his head toward Caleb in a respectful manner. For once in his entire life, Caleb was struck speechless when Aiden stepped up and took the armful of clothing from him.

“Need I remind you that males are not al owed in the girls’

dormitory, Nicolo?”

Caleb shook his head mutely.

He raised his brows as he turned to me. “We need to talk.”

I looked at Caleb helplessly, but he backed off with an apologetic half smile. For a hot second, I considered fol owing him. I didn’t. “What do we need to talk about?”

Aiden motioned me forward with a curt nod. “You haven’t rested at al today, have you?”

I shifted my load to my other arm. “No. I’ve been catching up with friends.”

He seemed to consider that as we made our way down the hal . Thank the gods I’d been given a room on the bottom floor. I hated stairs, and even though the Covenant had more money than I could comprehend, there wasn’t a single elevator in the entire campus.

“You should’ve been resting. Tomorrow won’t be easy for you.”

“You could always make it easy for me.”

Aiden laughed. The sound was a rich, deep noise that would’ve brought a smile to my face in a different situation.

Like one in which he wasn’t laughing at me.

I frowned as I pushed the door to my room open. “Why are you al owed in my room if Caleb isn’t?”

He arched an eyebrow. “I’m not a student.”

“Stil a guy.” I took my load of clothing to my bedroom, where I dropped them on the floor. “You’re not even an Instructor or a Guide. So I think if you’re al owed in here, Caleb should be, too.”

Aiden studied me for a moment, folding his arms across his chest. “I’ve been told you were once interested in becoming a Sentinel instead of a Guard.”

I plopped down on the bed and grinned up at him.

“You’ve been checking up on me.”

“I decided I’d better be prepared.”

“I’m sure you were told wonderful things about me.”

He rol ed his eyes. “Most of what Dean Andros said was correct. You are wel known with the Instructors. They did praise your talent and ambition. The other stuff… wel , that can be expected. You were just a kid—stil a kid.”

“I’m not a kid.”

Aiden’s lips twitched as if he wished to smile. “You’re stil a kid.”

My cheeks flushed. It was one thing being told I was a kid by any old person. Who cared? But when it was a super-hot guy tel ing me that, it didn’t leave me al warm and fuzzy inside.

“I’m not a kid,” I repeated.

“Real y? Then you must be an adult?”

“Sure.” I gave him my best smile, the one that usual y got me out of trouble.

Aiden was unaffected. “Interesting. An adult would know when to walk away from a fight, Alex. Especial y after being warned any questionable behavior could result in their removal from the Covenant.”

My smiled faded. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I would have to agree.”

Aiden tipped his head to the side. “You don’t?”

“Nope.”

A smal smile appeared on his lips. It should’ve served as a warning, but I found myself staring at those lips in place of paying attention to him. Suddenly, he crouched in front of me at eye level.

“Then I should be relieved to know what I was told just an hour ago is false. It wasn’t you who yanked a girl—by her hair—out of a chair in the common lounge area.”

I opened my mouth to deny it, but my protests died.

Dammit. There was always someone wil ing to rat people out.

“Do you understand the precarious position you’re in?”

His firm gaze held mine. “How foolish it is to al ow simple words to lead you to violence?”

Pul ing Lea out of the chair had been foolish, but she’d pissed me off. “She was talking about my mother.”

“Does it matter? Think about it. It’s just words and words mean nothing. Only action does. Are you going to fight every single person who says something about you or your mother? If so, you should go ahead and pack your bags now.”

“But—”

“There are going to be rumors—ridiculous rumors about why your mother left. Why you didn’t come back. You can’t fight every single person who upsets you.”

I tipped my head to the side. “I could try.”

“Alex, you need to focus on getting back into the Covenant. Right now, you’re here as a courtesy. You want revenge against the daimons, right?”

“Yes!” My voice turned fierce as my fists clenched.

“You want to be able to get out there and fight them?

Then you need to pay attention to training instead of what people are saying about you.”

“But she said I was the reason Mom died!” Hearing my voice crack the way it did, I had to look away. It was weak of me. Embarrassing. Weak and embarrassing were not in a Sentinel’s vocabulary.

“Alex, look at me.”

I hesitated before I did. For a moment, the hardness in his expression softened. When he looked at me like that, I truly believed he understood my reaction. Maybe he didn’t agree with it, but at least he understood why I’d done it.

“You know there was nothing you could do about what happened to your mother.” His eyes searched my face.

“You do know that, right?”

“I should’ve done something. I had al that time and I should’ve cal ed someone. Maybe then… ” I ran my hand through my hair and took a deep breath. “Maybe then none of this would’ve happened.”

“Alex, you couldn’t have known it would end this way.”

“But I did.” I closed my eyes, feeling a twisting in my stomach. “We al do. It’s what happens when you leave the safety of the community. I knew it would happen, but I was just scared they wouldn’t let her back in after leaving. I couldn’t… leave her out there by herself.”

Aiden was silent for so long, I thought he’d left the room, but then I felt his hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes, turning my head so I looked down at his hand. His fingers were long and graceful-looking. Deadly, I imagined. But now, they were gentle. Like I had no wil of my own, I looked into his silver eyes. I couldn’t help but be reminded of what’d passed between us at the factory.

Abruptly, Aiden let go. Running a hand through his hair, he looked unsure of what he was doing. “Look. Get some rest. Eight in the morning wil come quick.” He turned to leave, but stopped. “And don’t leave this room again tonight. I don’t want to find out in the morning you burnt down a vil age while I slept.”

There were several retorts I had lined up, al of them clever and snarky, but I squelched them and pul ed myself off the bed. Aiden stopped at my door and glanced down the empty hal way.