Page 82 of Demon Apathy: Sunderverse
I put a finger over my lips. “Shh.”
“You won’t dampen my spirits.” She stuck her tongue out at me.
I gathered my backpack and headed for the door, worry gnawing at me. I only hoped we didn’t get ourselves expelled.
The next day, we woke up early and left Striker Hall at 8 AM. We walked to the subway station and made a stop along the way at a store between the league and our destination. Jenna, Sage, and even Benjamin were bubbling with excitement, while I tried not to worry too much, and instead, reviewed the Demon Register, memorizing all of Phenog’s relevant data.
I knew better than to trust a demon, but I’d been in Phenog’s presence before, and she hadn’t tried to eat me, so I figured it would be safer to summon her. Also, her preferred form was not intimidating, even if it was a bit creepy.
“So this Phenog,” Sage said, sitting next to me, “you’ve dealt with it before?”
I nodded, glancing into his hazel eyes. He was freshly showered and his hair was combed back. He smelled of sandalwood and wore a pair of faded jeans and a brown leather jacket.
What you see is what you get.Drevan’s words echoed inside my head.
This was definitely true with Sage, but I couldn’t believe it was the same with Drevan. He had lied to me so many times. Lies the size of triple whoppers. Who was to say he wasn’t lying still?
Of course, he is, you idiot. You’re not dealing with the Pope.
“Lucia?” Sage said.
I blinked and looked up at him. “Um?”
“I asked a question.”
“Oh, sorry. Um, I got distracted. What did you ask me?”
I made a point of looking him in the eye and promised myself to focus on my friends and stop worrying about Drevan. I needed to get him out of my head, and the best medicine to forget about the bastard could be the handsome guy sitting next to me. It was no news that Sage was interested in me. Maybe it was time I reciprocated that interest and turned my attention toward my own kind. Even if Sage wasn’t my type, maybe I could grow to like him that way.
“What does Phenog look like?” he repeated his question.
“Worried, are we?” I teasingly poked his shoulder, which felt like poking a wall. “Ouch!” I pressed my finger to my lips and kissed it several times. “Work out much?”
“Sure thing. And this is my sword arm. It’s still strong from my days of fencing.”
“Fencing?”
“Yep, I always knew I wanted to be a demon hunter like my dad, so he started me on lessons early on.”
“I didn’t know. No wonder you’re so good.”
“There’s a lot we don’t know about each other. I’ve been trying to fix that but you…” He trailed off.
He’d asked me out again on Wednesday, but I’d turned him down. And any time he’d tried to get close while we were studying, I’d made sure to put some distance between us, knowing I would only be giving him false hopes if I allowed any intimacy. Except I was getting desperate to find a way out of my feelings for Drevan.
Still, it was wrong to use Sage as a means of distraction.Gah, I was so conflicted! In the past, I wouldn’t have cared. My pride didn’t let me see that my feelings didn’t come first and that I couldn’t just use people. Now, I knew better. Having a conscience sucked!
“I don’t want to hurt you, Sage,” I said, deciding that honesty was the best route.
“Hurt me?” He ran a hand through his damp hair. “Don’t flatter yourself,” he added with a wink, letting me know he was joking. “I’ve been around the block. I believe I can handle myself around a pretty woman. Besides, I’m not looking for anything serious, just a bit of enjoyment with someone I happen to like. Is that so wrong?”
I shook my head. “No, not in the least. That’s sort of my philosophy. At least it was when I was in high school. It didn’t always lead to happy endings though.”
“I don’t see why it shouldn’t if both parties understand each other.”
I shrugged. Maybe he had commitment issues that were linked to his mommy issues.
He brushed the back of my hand with his. He was so sly about it that I was surprised, especially by the chill that raked through my body at the unexpected touch. He smiled and winked again, and I knew then that he was telling the truth. Hehadbeen around the block. Plenty. Just what the doctor would order to keep my mind from drifting in unwanted directions.
