Page 67 of The Devil's Trials

“Not helping,” I mutter. “Plus,ew. Your half-brother, remember?”

She groans. “Still trying to forget.”

I lean back into the couch cushions. “Right. So, by that I take it you don’t want to talk about how things are going between the two of you?”

“Thank you for asking. Seriously. But no.”

“Okay,” I say gently. “But you know whenever you want to talk about it, I will put aside whatever I feel about him and be there for you, just like you always are for me.”

“I know and I really appreciate that.”

I smile, though she can’t see it. “Of course.”

“I suppose you’re freaking about this whole soulmate thing, huh?”

I exhale a laugh, but it’s forced and shaky. “Pretty much. Because if I lost my soulmate, is that it for me? Do I only get one? Can I even be truly happy with someone else?”

The myriad of questions prompt a deep spiral into dark thoughts I’m wholly fighting to avoid. I didn’t learn about the existence ofsoulmates until I lost mine, and if that isn’t a monumentally cruel joke from the universe, nothing is.

Harper sighs. “Well, that answers my question of whether or not you believe in soulmates.”

I pause, closing my eyes and letting out a slow breath. “I do. I wish I didn’t, because maybe that would make this easier, but I do. And I have no idea what to do about that.”

“You do whatever you need to be okay. I have your back no matter what, you know that.”

“Thanks, Harper.”

“And I expect a daily check-in from here on out. Even if it’s just a quick text. Okay?”

“Of course,” I say. “But back to you. I don’t want this to just be about me.”

Harper laughs softly. “I would very much rather it be.”

I frown despite her not being able to see me. “What’s going on there? Should I be worried?”

“No need to worry. Promise.”

I reach for my mug, taking another drink of tea and hoping the peppermint will help settle the unease in my stomach. “Harper—”

“Look, I have to head out for training, but we’ll talk later. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

With a sigh, I concede. “Thanks.” I’m not going to get Harper to talk about something she doesn’t want to. She’s even more stubborn than I am. “Talk soon. Love you.”

“Love you more,” she says before ending the call.

It takes another full day before Noah agrees to let me train again. Once he clears me, we head to Ballard early in the morning and go into the main building for a group class.

After warming up, I walk toward the middle of the room where the rest of the class is congregating.

“Hey, Camille,” Sierra says. Today she’s dressed in a matching soft pink workout set and black sneakers, her hair twisted into two French braids that fall just past her shoulders. She offers me a warm smile, putting me at ease instantly, and at that moment I realize why.

She reminds me of Phoebe.

“Hey,” I say in greeting and return her smile.

“We missed you in class the last few days.”

“Thanks,” I tell her, slightly caught off guard. When I decided to return to training, the last thing I expected to do was make friends. That said, I’m grateful for the kindness Sierra has shown me. She likely has no idea just how much.

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