Page 95 of Saints & Sinners

Against my better judgment, he seemed genuine for once, so I agreed to go into his dorm. He pushed the door open, motioning for me to enter. I hesitated, but curiosity and foolishness made me step over the threshold.

The room was different from Hunter’s. Matias’s was far messier, with papers scattered all over and uncleaned plates stacked against the sink.

“Where are your roommates?” I asked, trying to sound casual as I glanced around the living room area. Matias shut the door behind me, and the sound of the lock clicking shivered through me.

I spun around, my fingers shaking slightly. “Why did you lock the door?”

He leaned against it, his eyes trailing over me in a way that made my skin crawl and my stomach churn. “You’ve been doing well, haven’t you? Better than me even.”

“Okay... your point?”

His smirk faltered. “Mypoint is,do you know how hard I’ve worked to get where I am? And then you come along—just a human—and suddenly, you’re above me.”

My unease grew, and I started toward the door. “You know what, I think I’ll grab the work from Rael instead; you can keep the others,” I tried to say, but Matias blocked my pathway.

“You really think you’re better than me, don’t you? Well, newsflash! You don’t belong here, Grace. You never did.”

I took a step back, but he closed the distance between us, his hand brushing my arm in a way that made me flinch. “Stop,” Iwhispered.

“Don’t be like that,” he said, his voice dropping into something unsettlingly soft. “I can always show you what it’s really like to be part of this world.”

I shoved him hard enough to make him stumble. “Don’t touch me!”

His expression twisted with anger, and he lunged. I reacted without thinking, remembering every lesson I’d had so far with Hunter. I sidestepped before he could grab me and ran for the door. I managed to reach the lock before I was yanked back by my hair and fell onto the floor.

The side of my face slammed against the corner of the sofa, and I cried out as pain erupted across my eyebrow.

I scrambled to push myself up, the sting of the hit still radiating through my head as my heart raced and I knew I couldn’t let fear freeze me now.

Matias towered over me, leaning down as his hand reached toward me again. “Stop pretending you’re so innocent, Grace. You’re just—”

I didn’t let him finish. Summoning every ounce of anger and every lesson Hunter had drilled into me, I swung my leg out and kicked hard against his shin. The impact made him hiss and stumble back, giving me just enough room to roll onto my knees. He lunged again, but this time I was ready. I surged upward, my fist clenched, and landed a solid punch square to his nose. A sickening crunch followed, and he reeled back, clutching his face as blood began to stream down.

“Shit!” he swore, staggering as his other hand flailed to balance himself. My chest heaved as I backed toward the door. My knuckles throbbed, but the satisfaction of seeing him doubled over in pain overpowered it.

“I said don’ttouchme.”

He glared up at me as blood dripped onto the floor, and I tookthe opportunity to twist the lock behind me, yanking the door open.

As I sprinted down the stairs, my heart pounded until I collided with someone solid, the impact nearly knocking me off balance.

“Grace?” Hunter’s voice was sharp, his hands steadying me as I gasped for breath.

I looked up, tears burning the corners of my eyes. “I—”

“What happened?” His voice was edged with something sharp as his fingers gently tipped my chin up. His gaze scanned my face before it drifted lower, catching the scratches along my arm and his entire body went still. Then, his voice turned cold. “Who?”

Before I could answer, Matias stumbled onto the top of the stairs, looking disheveled as he held a bloody hand up to his nose.

Hunter didn’t need me to say anything as his jaw clenched and his expression darkened. He didn’t ask for confirmation. He didn’t need it. He just knew.

“Hunter don’t—” I started, but it was too late. He stormed up the stairs before his fist connected with Matias’s jaw. The sickening crack echoed in the foyer as Matias stumbled back, clutching his face.

Hunter didn’t stop as he lunged at him again and they both came tumbling down the stairs, trading blows. Each one more ferocious than the last. Their Warrior powers sparked in flashes of light and sound as furniture splintered and walls cracked, attracting people from their dorms to come down and see what was going on.

I shouted for Hunter to stop, but he seemed so consumed in his rage that he couldn’t hear me. I was pushed back into the surrounding crowd of Ascendants, and I desperately tried to reach him.

Silas and Brandon luckily arrived. Their eyes widened as they took in the chaos and realized it was their friend fighting.Without hesitation, they barged through the crowd and joined Hunter just as Matias’s friends tried to intervene.

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