Page 12 of The Devil's Trials

Blake rolls his eyes, keeping his attention on the road. “Prick. You know I’m not going anywhere.”

I may not always deserve the loyalty Blake has shown me since we met, but there’s no question that I’m glad for it. And something tells me that’ll be especially true in the coming weeks.

FOURCAMILLE

Sleep continues to evade me since the night we got back from Portland. I spend hours staring at my ceiling or shifting from my back to my side, desperate to find a position comfortable enough to fall asleep. Nothing works. Nothing eases the foreign sensation in my chest that I can’t quite explain. It’s almost like a nagging ache that I’m forgetting something important. I know it’s missing, but I can’t put my finger on what exactlyitis.

It’s shortly after ten on the third night of barely any sleep when I give up tossing and turning and switch on my bedside lamp to grab my phone. Dad’s always been a night owl, so I’m not worried about waking him when I hit the call button.

He answers on the first ring, his voice laced with concern. “Camille, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I say quickly to put him at ease. “I just couldn’t sleep and figured you were up.”

“I understand,” he says in a less panicked tone. “I’m about to head home from the office.”

I lean back against the mountain of pillows at my headboard, tucking my knees to my chest. “Sounds like a long day.”

“One of many to come, I’m afraid.”

“Right.” I stop my train of thought before it can speed away and exacerbate the anxiety making my lungs feel too heavy to take a deep breath.

“Do you have something specific you want to talk about, kiddo?”

“Not really,” I admit, plucking at a loose thread on my comforter.

He hums softly. “I spoke with your mom after you left her office. There were some logistics to work through regarding you coming back to the organization.”

“Oh, um, yeah. Thanks for figuring all that out.”I’m certainly in no headspace to do it.

“We still have some things to coordinate. I wanted to talk to you about your training with Noah.”

I groan. “Do we have to?”

“He agreed to accept a temporary transfer to Seattle to work with you, but I think a change of scenery might be beneficial. What do you think about coming to stay in New York for a while? You could train with Noah at Ballard.”

I sit up, my heart beating faster as I hug a pillow to my chest. “You want me to move there?” The fluttering in my stomach can’t decide if the idea is more exciting or terrifying. I adore New York, and being close to my dad would be great, but the thought of leaving Seattle is equal parts enticing and heartbreaking. As if packing my bags and boarding a plane will be accepting that I lost the love I thought Xander and I had.

“I’d like you to consider it, yes,” Dad says. “You’re welcome to stay with me, but if you want your own space, we can arrange an apartment rental. I’m not sure how long you’ll be here, and I want to make sure you’re comfortable.”

I take a deep breath, exhaling slowly.Distance will be good for you, I tell myself as pressure lingers in my rib cage at the logistics that’ll need to be worked out. “Okay…I’ll come.”

Dad makes an audible sound of relief. “I’m glad to hear it, kiddo.”

“I told Mom I’d defer my semester at UW to focus on hunter stuff considering how far behind I am in training and how much work I’ll need to do to catch up.”

“How do you feel about that?”

Like I’ve already lost so much.I bite my tongue at the sudden burn of tears in my eyes. “I’m—” My voice cracks, and I clear my throat. “Honestly, I’m really overwhelmed, Dad. I’m doing my best to stay clear-headed, but I feel my control slipping and I don’t know what to do. Now I have to book a flight and pack and pull out of classes and—”

“Camille,” Dad interrupts gently. “Take a breath.”

“Sorry,” I force out, my voice thick with tears as I try to blink them away, licking the dryness from my lips.

“You’re not in this alone,” he assures me. “Let me book your flight and contact the admissions office at your school, okay?”

“Dad, you don’t have time for all that. I can do it.”I just need to cry about it first.

“I know you can, but you don’t need to. Let your old man deal with these things. Let me take care of my little girl.”

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