Page 25 of The Devil's Trials

My heart nearly leaps into my throat. “He’s not…” My voice trails off, and I frown at my knee-jerk reaction to deny Xander being my boyfriend. But he can’t be, especially not now. I resent the hope I had before the mission to be with him once Lucia was gone. It seems impossible now. There are too many unknowns, along with questions I likely don’t want the answers to.

“We don’t have to talk about him,” Noah chimes in. “In fact, I’d much prefer we didn’t.” His voice lowers. “That whole thing was a disaster.”

I nod my agreement. “Noah, I—” I reach for him, wrapping my fingers around his forearm. “I’m really sorry about Elias. He was a good guy and didn’t deserve what happened to him.”

“You’re right.” His smile takes me by surprise, and he pats my hand. “We’ll have to get you trained enough to be my new partner.”

Warmth blossoms in my cheeks, and I decide to play into his quip as I pull my hand back. “I’m not sure how that’s supposed to happen when you’re going easy on me.”

Cue the glimmer of amusement in his gaze. “I’m giving you what you can handle so you’ll show up again tomorrow.”

What I can handle?

I can’t help the flare of annoyance that brings. I get to my feet, flexing my fingers and shaking out my arms. “You’re not going to sit there and tell me you know what I can handle better than I do.”

The corner of his mouth kicks up as he stands. My attention snaps toward him as he comes closer, and I immediately go on the defensive, my body tensing a second before he attacks. I can’t move away fast enough to escape him, and he kicks my legs out from under me. I land hard on the mat, the air knocked from my lungs, and Noah pins me in record time. His thighs trap my hips, and when I try to sit up, he grabs my shoulders and slams me down, holding me there. He opens his mouth to gloat, no doubt, but I snap, “Don’t you dare.”

He shoots me a smirk, and I use every ounce of strength trying to buck him off. My efforts are futile, which only makes the anger in my chest burn hotter.

“Are you done?” he asks in a voice tinged with arrogance.

Asshole.

I sneer at him, though parts of me are a little too aware of how much he’s pressed against me. I’m nowhere near prepared to consider what that means, so I double my efforts trying to get out from under him. Finally, he relents, getting off me and hauling me upright. As soon as my feet are on the mat, I put distance between us.

“I think that’s enough for your first day back,” Noah says.

I can’t agree fast enough.

We grab our jackets and head back to the car.

“You should work stretches into your morning and evening routines. It’ll help prevent your muscles from tightening in between training sessions.” He slides the key into the ignition, starting the car and backing out of his parking spot. We’re near the front gate when he continues, “I also recommend taking a magnesium supplement before bed. It’s a natural muscle relaxant and will also help you sleep better. That’s another thing—get plenty of sleep. Your mom mentioned that you’re taking time off school to focus on training, so you have no excuse not to get enough rest.”

I tip my head back against the seat, closing my eyes as we head for the interstate. I’m struggling not to get annoyed with him firing all these things at me, and remind myself that he’s trying to help me.

It’s safe to say we both have our work cut out for us.

SEVENXANDER

I mistakenly thought securing my council would give me, at the very least, the illusion of preparedness to face my first trial. Though considering I have no idea what it will be or when it’ll come, being entirely prepared feels impossible. Even after meeting with everyone and discussing past trials, there’s still a sense of diving into the unknown.

Since that initial meeting three days ago, I haven’t been able to shake the feeling of something missing. It’s different from the emptiness in my chest, and my thoughts keep wandering back to the moment I discovered I have a sister. Of course, that comes with the arguably ironic fact of her training to become a demon hunter, and one who already loathes me.

But Harper is the only tie I have to my non-demon family, which has sparked some fascination as I find myself wanting to know more about the sharp-tongued human.

Which is why I send Blake to retrieve her while I wait at the safe house, experiencing what I can only describe as nervousness. I shove it down, tapping into the part of me that is disconnected from any semblance of human emotion until I feel steady enough to face her. Closing off to emotions feels easier now than it did when I was part human, as if doing so as a full demon is more natural. That said, I’m acutely aware the nerves I’m experiencing now didn’t announce themselves during discussions with my council. So why is it now, when I’m meeting my sister, that I feel off kilter?

I have no expectation of Harper being anything but furious to see me. That said, I have the confidence to believe I’ll be able to persuade her to hear me out. She’s not leaving here until she does.

An hour later, Harper’s voice has my lips twitching as she curses Blake out from the car to the house. They come through the front door, and Harper’s gaze finds mine in an instant when she tears the blindfoldoff. I stand from the couch, but before I can get a word in, she turns her sharp tone on me.

“What in the ever-loving fuck is this?” she all but snarls, her blue eyes blazing and her cheeks flushed with anger.

Safe to say, Harper had no idea what was happening when Blake picked her up, much less where and to whom he was taking her. The blindfold was a smart move. I don’t see us staying here much longer, but Blake wouldn’t take any chance of the hunters finding out where we are.

“You think you can summon me with a snap of your fingers, and I’ll be cool about being snatched?”

Something about her presence, despite how livid she is, feels familiar. Perhaps it’s my new power that makes our blood connection feel stronger. Before discovering we share a bloodline, I had no inkling of our relation, but now it’s physically undeniable. I’m drawn to her. There’s a sense of protectiveness that I wasn’t expecting. Though it’s more primal, which isn’t going to earn me any points in the brother department, so I keep it to myself. “Harper—”

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