Page 50 of Saints & Sinners

I jerked upright in bed, with Grace groaning softly as the movement woke her. She blinked, her eyes heavy with sleep as she slowly came to and looked up at me in confusion.

“What—” Her voice was soft, but I cut her off as I rushed to get out of bed, shaking my head.

“This... we shouldn’t have...” I muttered, running a dried, bloodied hand through my hair. “This was a mistake. Youshouldn’t be in here.”

Grace blinked again, sitting up more fully now. “I shouldn’t be in here?” Her face twisted as her eyes hardened into something colder, angrier. The same way she looked at me often, except this time, it sounded as if I’d wounded her. “You asked me to stay with you! Here! Inyourbed.”

“I didn’t mean it!” I shot back, pacing across the room. My head was still foggy, trying to piece together the things after I’d—

“You were hurt.” She pushed herself out of the bed. “I was trying to help, and even through all that, you act like it’s my fault?”

“I never said that,” I growled, but the implication had already been set in stone. She thought it. She believed it. “Look, I shouldn’t have let you—”

“Let me?” she interrupted, her posture tense. “I chose to stay with you, Hunter, because you were hurt. Because you did something stupid by going out when there’s a ban up, all because you received a supposed letter from your brother.”

My jaw twitched, annoyed that she knew that now. Not even Brandon and Silas knew all the details. They understood not to get in the way, even when I could tell they were worried.

“You don’t get it,” I snapped.

“Yeah, you’ve said that before, and I think it’s bullshit.”

Surprise flashed across my face, seeing how she marched towards me with no sense of fear or timidity in her eyes.

“I’m not stupid, Hunter.” She stepped closer. “Unlike you, who went in search of someone straight away over the slightest bit of evidence. What if it was a trap? What if whatever happened to you last night didn’t just endanger the rest of the Ascendants?”

I clenched my fists because there was so much more to it all. So much that I couldn’t tell her—that I couldn’t tell anyone.

“Sometimes, I fear for this world,” she added after a long pause. “I fear for the next generation of angels—Ascendants likeyou being the ones guiding and protecting every bit of lifeform because right now, you’re behaving selfishly.”

I kept to myself, forcing my expression to be neutral even when I knew how much truth was in those words.

She shook her head bitterly at how I was deliberately shutting down in front of her. She stormed past me, slamming the door behind her as she left. The sound echoed through the room, leaving me standing there in silence as I stared at the bed.

I was still fuming after this morning’s argument with Hunter. Granted, I was horrible to him before I left his room, but I couldn’t help it. He angered me more than anyone, even when I knew and told him he would forget he’d ever asked me to stay with him.

My original plan had been to sneak out once he fell into a deep sleep, but that didn’t end up happening. I’d grown so comfortable beside him that I didn’t want to leave. Truthfully, I wanted to stay like that for a while longer, and it made me want to kick myself just to snap out of that idiotic thought.

My hands were balled into fists as I walked through Celestia, trying to shake off the irritation that clung onto me like a second skin.

As I turned the corner, I nearly collided with Joe and Nadael, who were already in deep conversation. I froze, trying to gather myself before they noticed—especially Joe. Nadael was the first to look up, her sharp eyes softening slightly as they landed on me.

“Grace,” Nadael said as she and Joe stopped in front of me.“How are you holding up?”

I forced a smile, though it felt weak. “Better,” I replied, trying to convince myself, but even my own mind wasn’t buying it. I cleared my throat. “Though I am wondering if I could return to classes as soon as possible – preferablynow.”

Nadael nodded, glancing towards Joe as if she didn’t seem convinced. “Very well. I would imagine it’d be great to get back into a routine. Am I correct to assume so, Joe?”

I looked at Joe, who was watching me with the usual concern mixed with something else I could never quite read.

“Joseph?” Nadael repeated his name.

He blinked, shaking his head. “Apologies, Nadael. You’re right; I think Grace would hate to be cooped up in her dorm for another week.” He shot me a knowing smile. “Although I do still wish she would participate in the Healers Sector rather than the Warriors.”

I wanted to roll my eyes. “Joe, can I talk to you for a second... in private?”

He frowned for a second, then nodded. Nadael seemed to get the hint as she excused herself so she could go and find Eden.

When Joe and I stood in the empty hallway, I crossed my arms over my chest, hesitant about where to begin, but the words just ended up tumbling out of me: “Do you know how Veronica is doing? She hasn’t left her dorm since everything happened, has she?”

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