I SPOTTED THE HAPPY couple through the archway of the fine dining room.  Amarose Academy spared no expense in this part of the school.  It must have been where all the rich alumni, high ranking council officials, and sponsors were schmoozed during a visit.  White linens, real silver, and crystal glasses decorated the tables.  The aroma of five-star quality food drifted around. 

My stomach would be growling if not for the sight my eyes landed on.  Rex and Annabeth sat across from Portia and Hunter.

A snicker slipped from my mouth.  This little set up had Portia written all over it.  She laughed over something Annabeth was saying, both female hunters looking impressive in their fancy cocktail attire.  Portia thought if Rex could just spend more time with Annabeth, he wouldn’t be so preoccupied with me.

Fat chance.

I stormed through the entry, ignoring the ferrum dressed in nice slacks trying to stop me.  Rex’s eyes met mine across the room and they instantly filled with regret.  Hunter followed his line of vision and winced.

I stopped at the edge of the table, glowering at them.  “My invite must have gotten lost.”

“I told you this was a bad idea,” Hunter mumbled behind his menu, his dark hair poking out from the edges.

Annabeth glanced between Rex, his parents, and me, confusion falling over her expression.  “What’s going on?”

My nostrils flared.  “Why don’t you mind your own damn business, Annabeth.”  More darkness blossomed through my chest.  I was tired of her sniffing around my boyfriend.  My caetera.  It was time she knew. 

My eyes flickered toward Portia.  It was time they all knew.

“Rex is not going to get back together with you,” I hissed.  “I’m his—”

Rex bolted from his chair.  “Kory, let’s go talk.”  He stomped around the table and grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the door.

Neither of us spoke until we were outside hidden from prying eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Rex said before I could open my mouth and let the ugly anger pour out.  “I was supposed to be going to dinner with my parents, and Annabeth showed up at my door.”  He jammed his hands through his hair.  “My mother invited her.”

My nostrils flared.  “This isn’t the first time or the last your mom has tried to get you and Annabeth back together.”

“I know,” he ground out.  “But don’t blame Annabeth.  She’s caught in the middle of this.”

I crossed my arms against my chest.  “I don’t blame Annabeth.  I blame you.”

His mouth dropped.  “Kory, I—”

My palm rose, interrupting him.  “She’s in love with you.  Any idiot can see that.  You need to tell her to back off.”

Rex let out a long breath and shoved his hands in his pockets.  “It’s not that easy.  I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”

I scoffed.  “It is that easy.  Like this.  I’ll be you, and you be her.”  I motioned toward him.  “Annabeth, it’s not happening with us.”  My eyes narrowed.  “It’s as simple as that.”

“If I say that, she’ll know something is going on between us.”  The tendons in his jaw tightened.  “It will be the last nail in the coffin.”

A growl clawed up my throat.  “Maybe she should know.  Maybe everyone should know.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of.  We’re caeteras.”

Fire ignited in his dark eyes.  “Of course I’m not ashamed of us.  I don’t care what anyone thinks.  I just don’t want more attention on you.  When The Council finds out, they’re going to want to know how and why a seventeen-year-old has already found her caetera.  It’s unheard of.  Do you really want to be the subject of study?”

Deep down, I knew he was right.  I just didn’t want to see reason.  I wanted to brood in my anger.

“I need to take a walk,” I growled.

Rex reached for me, but I yanked out of his grasp.  “I need to be alone.”

Worry lines creased his forehead, but he nodded and released me.  I could feel his eyes burning on my back until I disappeared around the corner.

I was being irrational.  Sort of.  It was hard pretending the guy I loved was only my mentor.  At times, like now, it was damn painful.  We were finally in a good place in our relationship without secrets between us. 

But a ton of secrets were cocooning us from most of the world. 

A tiny voice in the back of my head tried to tell me he felt the same frustrations. 

“What’s got you looking so venomous?”  Bennie, The Council hunter I’d met the other day, sidled up to me.  “I hope it wasn’t anything I did.”  He winked one of those sexy green eyes.

My brow furrowed.  “Believe me, if I were pissed at you, you’d know it.  No question about it.”

He grinned.  “I like a girl with confidence.”

If I wasn’t in such a foul mood, I might have smiled.  “A bit of advice, Bennie.  When you see me looking like I’m two seconds away from ripping someone’s head off, run the other way even if it’s not your head I want to get my hands around.”

Instead of quaking in his boots, he chuckled.  “I’ve heard that, but I like to live on the dangerous side.”  He ran in front of me, forcing me to stop.  “Care to get some of that anger out in a sparring session?”  Excitement sparkled in his eyes.

The offer sounded tempting, but I had no business sparring with him for several reasons.  One, he wanted to do more than spar.  Two, the darkness flowing through my veins was too dangerous to unleash with physical contact.  I didn’t want to hurt him.

“Right now, sparring with anyone is a bad idea.”  I cracked my knuckles, still needing a release though. 

A smirk curled his lips.  “Raincheck then.”  Bennie reached into his pocket and slipped out a set of keys, pulling one off for me.  “This is to one of the private staff gyms in the back.”  He winked.  “It looks like you could use some alone time with a punching bag.”

I snatched the key and almost cracked a smile.  “Couldn’t be more right.  Thanks.”

He winked again.  “If anyone asks, don’t tell them I gave you the key or it’s my ass.”

“Sure thing.”  I spun around and headed toward the staff facilities in the back.  Usually any of the regular gyms would have sufficed, but I needed a place without prying eyes.  I just wanted to be alone, and I’d rather run into a teacher than a gossipy student.

When I arrived, someone was already in one of the back rooms, killing it on a punching bag.  They sounded too focused on their own frustrations to bother me.  After a few minutes of warming up, the person still hadn’t relented.  Clearly they were working out some issues.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I snuck around the corner, peering into the room.  I clamped my mouth shut before any words could tumble out.

Holy effing shit.

Ash was the one murdering a punching bag.  He was shirtless, sweat dripping down his torso and into the waist of his sweatpants.  His hair was an unusual mess around his face and soaked with sweat.  I’d seen the few dozen broken infinity tattoos on his chest, but a few more dotted his back.

He was a pureblooded ferrum and had trained as a hunter in his past, but I never expected him to be this powerful or unyielding.  If he kept it up, he was going to demolish the punching bag.

 Ash’s eyes were laser focused, and he was in another world.  He was so lost, he didn’t notice me.  Unusual hardness covered his expression, and his eyes were dark shards of sapphire.  Something about his appearance sent chills down my spine. He didn’t remind me of Kye.  It was something else that had my skin puckering.

 

∞∞∞

 

I shuffled toward the cafeteria for breakfast.  I’d barely slept a wink last night.  My mind had been too preoccupied, going a hundred miles a minute between Kye, the fight I had with Rex, and how close my birthday was.

“You look pissed.”  Alec appeared, shooting me a wary glance.

All the other students were giving me a wide berth.  “What tipped you off?”  Sarcasm riddled my voice. 

“The scowl you typically wear is a little meaner.”  He shot me a grin.

I flipped him off.  “Don’t you have someone else to annoy?”  I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep them from reaching out and punching him.  “Where are your two shadows, Trey and Daniel?”

He shrugged.  “You’re more fun to annoy.”

“Yes, but you run the risk of getting your ass kicked.”

He wiggled his eyebrows.  “I like a challenge.”

My chin jerked toward the left where a massive ferrum was quickly eating up the distance between us.  “Care to say that in front of him?”

Alec cursed when he saw Rex.  “I was just joking, Colt.”  He held his hands up.  “I would never really flirt with Rex’s caet—”

I cut him off with a hiss.  “Do you know how to keep your trap shut?”

Rex made it to us.  “Alec.” 

He nodded.  “Rex.”  He shot me a quick look, already sensing the tension between us.  “I’ll see you in class.”

Once he disappeared, Rex pulled me to a stop, his dark eyes unreadable.  “Are you still mad at me?”  Something vulnerable laced his voice.

I crossed my arms against my chest to keep from touching him.  “Maybe.”

He reached for me but drew his hand away as a group of students walked by.  “I’m sorry, Koralein.”

“I know.  You said that last night.”  My tone was clipped. 

A tendon in his jaw flexed, and he sighed.  “I have to go on a recon mission today to check out a few places Kye might be hiding some of the captured ferrums.”

My heart shuddered to a stop.  “I should be going with you.”

He shook his head.  “The Council has plenty of hunters going, and it’s just recon.  No fighting.”  He pointed toward the sky.  “Most demons don’t come out until nighttime.”

I chewed my bottom lip.  Most demons, but we both knew Kye and Lorne were hardly affected by the sun.  “I don’t like you going out there.”

His lips curled in a half smile.  “I seem to remember you telling me just the other day I couldn’t stop you from doing your job.”

“Hmm.  I did say that, didn’t I?”

He stepped closer, his heady scent and warmth flooding my senses.  “Don’t worry.  I’ll be back soon.  And then we’ll talk about last night.”

“Fine,” I sighed.

“I really want to kiss you right now.”  His voice dipped to dangerous levels, sending tremors through my knees. 

My eyes flickered toward another group of students shuffling by.  “You probably shouldn’t.”

His eyes burned golden, and I could tell it was taking all of Rex’s control not to press his lips to mine.  “I’ll find you when I’m back.”

I swallowed.  “Be careful.”

He gave a quick nod.  “I always am.”

 

Another yawn slipped from my mouth, and Instructor Roe gave me a narrowed glare from the front of the classroom before turning back to the dry erase board.  I had no idea what he was rambling on about.  I’d zoned out five minutes after class began.

Hours had passed since Rex left on his recon assignment with a few other hunters.  Annabeth was probably there.  She was always stuck up his ass. 

A ringing suddenly tore through my ears, and I winced.  My teeth gritted against the pain until it slowly dissipated.  Alec caught my eye from the seat beside me, his brows furrowed.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered.

“Nothing,” I lied.  That was not normal. 

Something jolted in my chest, and I was thrown against the back of my chair.  Images flashed through my mind in a dizzying whirlwind.

I was running through an alley, but it wasn’t me.  I was too big.  Night blanketed the city.  Thick shadows bled along the edges.  My breath fogged rapidly in front of me, and my heart slammed against my ribcage.

Panic.  It clawed through my insides.  Something was wrong with her.  I just knew it. 

Crimson glistened on my shirt, and sharp burning tore across my chest.  I turned a corner.  A lump was lying in the road.

Oh goddess no.

“Kory Colt.”

The sound of my name snapped me back to reality.  Roe was standing at the first desk on my row, his light green eyes burning twin holes in me. 

“Do you really think you can just daydream in my class and pass it?” he snarled.

“What?”  I slowly blinked, trying to make sense of what just happened.   A cold sweat coated my nape, and my mouth was dry.  The last time I had flashes like Rex was in danger. 

But the images I saw were at night.  My eyes drifted toward the window.  It was broad daylight.

“I’d kick you out of my class if I didn’t think that’s exactly what you wanted.”  He pointed to an empty desk in the front.  “Sit here.  Maybe you’ll stay awake.”

That was the least of my problems.

The room spun, and my fingers gripped the edges of my desk.  My whole body shook.

“Kory, what’s wrong with you?”  Alec’s voiced seemed far away as if underwater. 

“I think Rex…”  My voice trailed off as I felt something tickle my nose.  I reached up, touching my face.  My fingers came away with a crimson coating. 

“Shit.  Is that blood?”  Alec was even further now.

A flash of pain hit my chest, and the room spun on its axis.  My body teetered, and I tumbled from my chair.  Cold tiles rose up to greet me. 

Alec’s face appeared above mine, his sharp green eyes wide.  “Kory?  Kory?  What’s wrong?”

“Rex,” I mumbled.  There was no doubt in my mind something was wrong with him.  “Rex.”  More warm liquid slid down my face.

My nose was gushing blood.

The room disappeared again, and I was surrounded by concrete walls.  Mildew scented the wet, dank air.  It reminded me of the place demon Stein had taken me.

I was in a basement.

Pain lanced through my chest, and I glanced down to see my shirt ripped open and blood covering my chest.  Panic tore through my insides.

This wasn’t my chest.  These weren’t my wounds.

Rex.

Shadows played along the walls, and a figure came into view.  Long dark hair framed dark eyes.

Was that me?

“We’ve got to get him back to Amarose.”  That wasn’t my voice.

A man appeared, familiar hazel eyes staring down at me.  No at Rex.  “I’ll pick him up.  Call Ian.”

The basement faded, and the classroom slowly returned.  Chaos was erupting around me as I lay on the floor.

Roe appeared, looming over me.  “I’m sure she’s fine.”  His face was stone hard, but uncertainty flooded his eyes.  He didn’t know what the hell was going on.

“Rex.”  Another slice of agony tore through my chest, and I whimpered.  “Rex!”  Oh god.  What was happening to him?  If I lost him, no amount of light would save me from the darkness.

Alec was speaking on his phone, but I couldn’t hear his words over the horrible screaming in my head.  The room blurred, and sickness twisted my stomach.  I was drowning in terror.

A deep rumbling voice resonated, and the students backed away.  Max knelt beside me, his hand gently tapping my cheek.  “Kory?  Are you all right.  Say something.”  He snapped his fingers in my face. 

“Rex.”  His name was the only word in my vocabulary.

A damp rag was slid across my face, maybe cleaning the blood pouring from my nose.  Instructor Roe was speaking again, but Max waved him off.  His arms slid beneath me, and he lifted my body.  The classroom disappeared as we entered the hall. 

Everything blurred.  I must have drifted off because the next thing I saw was the inside of Rex’s suite.  Other people were around, but all I could see was him lying in bed, a bright red symbol carved into his chest.

A crux sigil.

Agony ripped my insides apart, and I fought Max’s hold.  “Put me down!”  My voice cracked with emotion.  My feet hit the ground, and I stumbled toward the edge of the bed.  Rex was unconscious, his face pale and dark shadows bruising beneath his eyes.

One of Roe’s lessons in Demonology flooded my mind.  He was discussing demon sigils.  This particular one, the crux sigil, was used to render the victim unconscious, but they wouldn’t simply be sleeping.  That was too nice, too easy.  It made them live out their worst fears in their head usually resulting in death.  The body couldn’t take the long period of extreme stress, and the heart would stop. 

“What happened?” I demanded, choking back the sobs trying to explode out. 

“We were checking out a few buildings in the next town over.”  Annabeth appeared beside me, her face drawn and tear-stained.  “It happened so fast.”  She shook her head.  “Demons surrounded us.  They were covered in hats and clothes to block the sun.”  Her lip trembled.

I wanted to smash it in.

“After we fought them off, Rex was gone.”  A line creased Max’s brow.  “I thought for sure he’d been… and then Ian called.”

Something pulled on the edges of my memory.  I’d seen through Rex’s eyes for a moment.  A man and a woman had been there.  Someone said to call Ian…

My eyes lifted, taking in the rest of the figures in the room.  Annabeth and Max were there, looking disheveled and bloody.  Ash stood with his arms crossed against his chest, a deep line between his brows.  Portia was sitting in a chair on one side of Rex’s bed, Hunter behind her, gripping her shoulders.  Tension was palpable in the air.  Portia’s eyes kept flickering from Rex to the corner of the room.

I followed her line of vision.  Ian was there.  He was standing next to two people who were oddly familiar.

And yet strangers in almost every way.

The room spun, and my knees threatened to give out.  Max’s hand reached out and caught me before I slammed into the ground. 

I couldn’t believe my own eyes.  It wasn’t possible.  It wasn’t fucking possible.

A petite woman with long, soot-colored hair and dark, mysterious eyes stood next to a massive man.  He dwarfed everything else in the room.  If my focus hadn’t instantly gone to my injured caetera, I would have noticed him the moment I crossed the threshold. 

Images of broken infinity marks covering his back flashed through my mind followed by ones of the woman cleaning an iron knife in a kitchen sink.  She had marks on her shoulders and arms, but they were always hidden by clothes and makeup.

My parents.