Page 98 of The Devil's Trials

He steps closer, looking down at me. “I didn’t tell them anything. Your history with that prick isn’t a secret.” His eyes flick between mine. “You thought…Why would I try to sabotage your first test after working my ass off to prepare you for it? In what world does that make sense?”

My stomach fills with knots, and I struggle to hold his gaze as my eyes burn. “I’m sorry,” I force out, pressing my lips together.

“I am, too. Obviously, you think very little of me if you believe that’s something I would do.”

I shake my head, blinking back the tears. “I said I was sorry, Noah. I shouldn’t have thought that, but the whole thing really screwed with me, okay? So, I am really sorry. Sincerely. You’ve been so helpful and supportive, and I probably don’t tell you enough how much I appreciate that.”

His expression softens, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “You definitely don’t.” He reaches for me, squeezing my shoulders. “Despite the setback, youareprogressing. We’ve only been working together for a month, and after such a long break, you’re readjusting better than I thought you would.”

I blink at him. “Thanks?”

He chuckles. “I know it hasn’t been easy dealing with some trainees not being happy to have you around, especially when you aren’t thrilled to be back in training, but all of this will get easier.”

“Yeah?” I mutter. “When?”

He releases my shoulder, tweaking my chin before dropping his arms back to his sides. “I bet it’ll be sooner than you think.”

I shrug, blurting the first thing that comes to mind. “Maybe if you can convince the organization to let me redo the test that would help.”

Noah arches a brow. “Is that what you want?”

I find myself nodding, the idea of redeeming myself too enticing to pass up. “If that’s a possibility, I want to take it.”

“Okay,” he says, pulling his phone out of his back pocket. “I think I can make that happen.” He leaves me to hit the punching bag while he slips out of the room to make a call, and when he returns ten minutes later with a smile curving his lips, a nervous fluttering erupts in my stomach.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asks, coming to stand next to the punching bag. “If you don’t pass a second time—”

“You think I’m going to fail again?” I cross my arms, which turns out to be quite an awkward movement while wearing boxing gloves.

He offers me a pointed look. “No, but I understand how nerve wracking tests can be for some people. I just want to make sure you’re ready.”

I tug the gloves off and toss them into the bin. “I’m ready.”

Something akin to pride flashes in his gaze. “Good. Because you’ll be fighting your pal Cody. I just arranged this class to be observed by my superiors, so the fight will count as your evaluation.”

My heart beats faster, and I swallow three times as my throat goes dry. “Is this a test or a reward?” I say, hoping to cover up the anxiety wading to the surface.

Noah laughs. “Hang onto that confidence, and you’ll do just fine.”

Class starts half an hour later, and I quickly greet the few trainees I consider friends at this point before Noah explains the one-on-one practice tests we’re doing today.

Of course, for me it isn’t practice, but he and I are the only ones who know that. Well, us and the representatives from the organization who are observing from the security feed, according to what Noah told me as the class filed in.

We’re split off into pairs, and when Noah calls out my name followed by Cody’s, my muscles tense. The vicious look on Cody’s face makes my pulse tick faster. He’s been at this longer than me and I’m sure would love nothing more than to knock me on my ass, but I’m not going to let that happen. I’m going to use every bit of training Noah has taught me, because failure is not an option.

The training room falls silent when Noah calls me and Cody onto the mats. Sierra shoots me a supportive smile that I struggle to return as I walk forward.

Cody meets me in the middle of the mat, smirking. “Don’t hold back, demon fucker,” he says under his breath. “I’d hate to utterly embarrass you here.”

I grit my teeth against a snarky response.He isn’t worth it, I tell myself, steadying my stance as I hold his cold gaze.

Noah commences the fight with a loud whistle, and my focus narrows on Cody. He’s wicked fast, I’ll give the asshole that. He launches himself at me without a second of hesitation, and I jump back instinctively, sucking in a breath as he circles me.

His next attack is a swift grab for me that I barely manage to sidestep, and I nearly trip over my own feet in an attempt to put distance betweenus and regroup so I can flip to the offensive maneuvers I’ve been practicing with Noah.

Cody comes at me again, the animalistic grin on his mouth sending a cold shiver through me as I move out of his grasp. His hands swipe at empty air as I dart around him, but he recovers in an instant, whirling to face me.

“Not bad,” he grumbles, nostrils flaring. “But you’ll have to do a lot better than that.”

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