Page 67 of G.O.D.S Omnibus

“I’m not gifted at anything,” I state.

“Pish posh, everyone is gifted at something. We can sort that out later. For now, I have Angela coming after school with some dresses for us to try on. We need to look our best for this gala. We can’t have Elizabeth one-upping us... No offence, Marlow.”

“None taken,” he says with a smile. “We all know what she is like.”

“Well, I better get dressed for school. I will see you this afternoon.” She smiles at me as I leave the kitchen.

My day just got better; I will know Trace’s location by tonight. But this whole G.O.D.S Academy has made me curious. Is that where they took me for the fights? And does it have anything to do with Trace? If some weird organisation is behind what happened to him, I will bring them all down, one by one, until the whole place has burnt to the ground. I might be biding my time, but I will sacrifice everything and anyone who gets in my way.

It takes me fifteen minutes to get dressed, and by the time I make my way downstairs, Marlow is leaning against the wall, his backpack resting at his feet.

“I take it you’re on Jolie duty today.”

He just smiles.

“I like that you wear my shirt,” he says, pushing off the wall.

“Why?” I ask as we walk out to his car.

“Who doesn’t like their girl wearing their clothes?” he says, slipping into his seat.

I’m left standing there with my mouth hanging open, ready to protest. Instead, I storm to the passenger side and climb in.

“You do realise I’m no one’s girl, right?”

“Just because you don’t know it yet doesn’t make it any less true.” The asshole shrugs and turns on the stereo.

“I Fall Apart” by Post Malone filters through the car as we drive towards the school, and by the time we arrive, all the others have already parked their cars.

I don’t miss them all standing in their spot, directly above where they park. Laughn is sitting on the ledge, one leg out straight and the other hanging over the edge as he smokes a cigarette.

Slipping from the car, I feel Laughn watching my every move, the weight of his gaze on me until I’m out of sight. I climb the stairs, taking them two at a time because I need to find Jimmie and ask him if Kai messaged him.

When I make it to the courtyard, Jimmie, Sinclair, Danika, Joshua, and Kai are all at a table. I look over to the Gods and Case is staring his brother down.

Sitting between Sinclair and Jimmie, and directly across from Kai, I blurt... “So why didn’t you tell me that Case was your brother?”

I hear Danika whisper, “What the fuck?”

“You didn’t ask, and honestly, at first I didn’t realise you knew him.”

“Cut the shit. You knew,” I snap.

“Fine, maybe I did, but seriously, how is it my fault he doesn’t like me?”

“Wait, back up. We haven’t moved past the brothers part,” Jimmie adds, looking at Kai and then over to Case.

“Different mums, same father. My mum was just a poor girl from a poor family.”

I shake my head. I can tell he is lying to me, but I’m not sure how I know—beyond the fact that he sang the last part to the tune of a Queen song.

“I’m on to you, and I know exactly why you’re here.” Staring him down, I can’t believe I didn’t pick it before—the striking resemblance to Case. When we met, I had a feeling I knew him. It must have been the eyes.

Looking over at Case, I mentally cringe as hurt flashes across his face. I never intended to get this close or to actually care about them. I only did it to find Trace. My plan has not changed, but I realise it’s going to be harder to walk away from some of them when the time comes.

Danika sighs. “I wish someone would look at me like that.” Her comment snaps me back to the table and I catch Joshua looking at her.

“Sometimes it’s just staring right at you, and you don’t realise it,” Sinclair remarks. Clearly, she notices the way Joshua looks at Danika. Now Danika just needs to see it.

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