MY GRIP ON THE knife tightened as my eyes roamed the dark room.  Nothing was there, but I didn’t put it past Kye to pop up any moment and finish what he’d started with Rex.

He tried to kill my caetera.

The amount of betrayal running through my body was surprising.  Deep down I’d thought Kye wouldn’t hurt Rex after learning he was my soulmate.  He’d changed since our first meeting at Red’s.  Kye had seemed to genuinely want to protect me from his brother.

I was so wrong it was laughable.

I cracked my neck, and my free hand curled into a tight fist.  I wanted to break Kye’s bones with my bare hands.  I’d let the demon darkness out if it meant hurting him.

“Koralein.”

My head snapped around at the sound of Rex’s voice.  His velvety brown eyes stared at me through the darkness, worry swirling in them.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m just watching.”  I turned back around, unable to bear the weight of his gaze.  He’d almost died because of me.  I had to kill Kye.  There was no other option to make up for my part in Rex’s pain.

“You need to sleep, Koralein.”  His voice was weak, but there was no mistaking that authoritative edge.

I swallowed hard.  “No way.  If Kye comes, I have to be ready to take him out.”

A long sigh drifted from his mouth.  “Then I’ll sit with you.”  The bed shifted as he began to move.

I whipped around.  “No.  You need to rest.  You’re the one who almost died.”

He struggled to sit up.  “I’m fine.  You’ve been through hell today.  You found out your parents have been demons this entire time.”  He shook his head.  “I can’t imagine what you’re going through.  And don’t say you’re fine because I know you’re not.”

My lips thinned against the protests I wanted to blurt out.  Rex was right of course.  A storm of emotions was raging through my insides, slamming against my bones.  Almost losing him was bad enough, but add my parents and all the crap they’d laid on me, and I was ready to break.

“Come here, Koralein.”  Rex curled his hand toward me.  “I’m not going to sleep until you’re right here next to me.”

With a sigh, I kicked my boots off and crawled toward him.  I dropped the knife on the bedside table and laid my head on a pillow.  Rex slid down, his fingers brushing across my cheek as he tucked strands of hair behind my ear.

“What happened with your parents while I was asleep?” he asked.

“They finally fessed up to all the crap they’d done.”  I scooted closer, needing to feel his warmth.  “They filled in the gaps.”

Lines creased his brow.  “Want to tell me about it?”

“Not really.”  I wanted to bury my face in his chest and forget any of this ever happened.  “But you should probably know all the gory details.”

I spent the next hour explaining what my parents had told me, from the demon they stumbled upon at The Council headquarters to the day Kye found them.  All of it poured out.  I felt numb during the entire conversation.  It was like I wasn’t even there, removed from my body. 

Rex was quiet after I finished, his gaze pensive.  “You don’t have to pretend with me, Kory.  I know this is affecting you more than you’re letting on.  It’s okay to be angry or upset.  It’s normal.”

I turned on my back, staring up at the ceiling.  It was smooth and perfect unlike the popcorn ones at my old house with Maggie.  “I know.  I just can’t afford to fall apart.”  My teeth ground together.  “Not with that asshole Kye still out there.”

Rex grabbed my hand, squeezing it.  “We’ll deal with Kye together.”

I nodded, but I had no intention of letting Rex anywhere near that deranged demon.

“Do you trust your parents?” he asked.

I shifted, facing him again.  “Not really.  They’re demons.”

Rex gave a sharp nod.  “Do they seem dangerous, like they might hurt someone here?”

“I don’t know.  They did save you.”  I swallowed hard and traced a couple of broken infinity tattoos on his chest.  “And they seem, well, normal and very undemonic.”

Cordelia and James seemed like they were doing the impossible by keeping the darkness at bay.  Would they be able to do it forever?  Or would they snap one day?

When Kye popped into my dream at the park, he’d said some demons were capable of living without killing.  He said I didn’t have to be evil as a demon.  Had he been referring to my parents?  Were there really others like them, ones that fought their evil nature?

My hand flinched.  Maybe I’d ask Kye before I killed him.

 

∞∞∞

 

I gripped Rex’s hand under the table as Wallace’s eyes pierced mine.  Beads of sweat formed around my hairline, and my clothes were starting to stick to me.  Crap.  Did someone turn a heater on full blast?

“How long have you two known you were caeteras?” she asked, her hands clasped in front and her body straight as a board.  Johnston was next to her while Ash was on his other side.  We were in a conference room, but it may as well have been an interrogation room.

“Not long,” Rex answered, his expression unreadable. 

Two days had passed since he woke from the crux dream, something that rarely happened.  I was talking about less than one percent.  His cheeks were still paler than usual and eyes tired.  I hadn’t left his side.  As his caetera, my presence was key to helping him heal faster.  He’d done it for me plenty of times.

“I assume you two have been seeing each other romantically—in secret,” Wallace mused. 

“We’ve never gone out on a date if that’s what you mean.” Rex’s voice was smooth and controlled.

He assured me The Council wouldn’t split us up or punish us, but my confidence was waning with every moment.  I was still underage, and he was my teacher.  It wasn’t looking good.

Her brow arched.  “But you have been in romantic situations?”

Oh.  My.  God.  Was she asking if we’d had sex? 

My cheeks flamed, and I sunk lower in my seat.  It hadn’t happened that long ago.  Every detail was still fresh in my mind. 

Sensing my discomfort, Rex squeezed my hand.  “I know this isn’t typical.  I know Kory is only seventeen, but what exactly would you have us do?”

Johnston spoke up.  “Perhaps you should have told us sooner, and we would have at least assigned Kory to a different private instructor.”

That had me snapping straight in my seat.  “Like hell,” I hissed.  “The only reason I decided to train was because Rex was my instructor.  I would have refused anyone else, and it wouldn’t have been pretty.”

“Kory.”  Ash held up his hand, stopping me from spewing more crap.  “No one is going to separate you two.  Not now.”

Wallace slanted her eyes in his direction.  “We can’t exactly have these two carrying on a relationship at school.  It would give other students and younger teachers the wrong idea.  We’d have caeteras coming out the woodwork.” 

Ash’s jaw flexed.  “You are not a pureblooded ferrum so I don’t expect you to understand.”  His eyes grew colder as he glared at the two council members.  “You can’t lie about a caetera.  You can’t control who it is, and you certainly can’t stop yourself from loving them.”  He motioned toward us.  “They are soulmates.  The goddess Aurora has blessed them and for whatever reason has revealed their connection while Kory is still young.  It’s not for us to judge and they shouldn’t be made to feel like what they are is bad or shameful.  It’s a miracle.  Not a scandal.”

Mic drop.

I pressed my lips together to hide the smile trying to break free. 

“Thanks for speaking up for us, Headmaster Ashford,” Rex said. 

Council Member Wallace cleared her throat, her eyes softening.  “I didn’t mean to make you feel ashamed of what you two are.  That wasn’t my intent.”

“And we wouldn’t dream of separating you two now,” Johnston interrupted. 

“Good because that’s not happening.”  Rex’s tone left no room for argument. 

The edges of Wallace’s lips quirked.  “Your mother warned us about your protectiveness.  I must admit, even I’m intimidated.”

“I thought I was the only one.”  Johnston laughed, breaking the thick tension in the room.

Rex’s shoulder’s loosened, and my body relaxed against the chair.  “We understand this is a touchy subject, especially at school.”  He motioned around the room.  “No one but us, my parents, and a few others know Kory and I are caeteras.  We’d like to keep it quiet until she graduates.”

A line appeared between Johnston’s brows.  “Kory passed out in class.  She exhibited the usual signs of her caetera in terrible danger.  I think your connection is obvious.”

“Deny until you die,” I blurted.  “It works.”

The edges of Ash’s lips twitched.  “I suppose you’re right.”

Rex squeezed my hand, his thumb stroking my palm.  Part of me wanted to just confirm it for everyone.  Why keep it a secret?

Then again, did I really want everyone in our business, harassing me about being Rex Lucas’s caetera?

I’d rather not.  Besides, graduation was only a few months away. 

“Of course, we will need you to come to Rome.”  Wallace’s words had my chest tightening again.

“Why?” I squeaked.

Her fingers smoothed a few loose strands of dark hair back into her tight updo, her lips pressing together to hide a smile.  “You are the youngest recorded caetera bond.  We will need to complete a full report.”

My mouth turned dry.  Wallace seemed way too excited. 

“Not until this Kye thing is settled,” she added.

Rex nodded, his hand squeezing mine.  “Of course.”

This Kye thing was easy now that he’d shown his true colors.  I wouldn’t have any mixed emotions about killing him.  I’d just shove my knife into his chest and watch his body shrivel and die.  Simple as that.

If only getting rid of Lorne was that simple.  He was the real problem now.

 

∞∞∞

 

Eyes were glued to me while I stalked through the cafeteria, ignoring the hushed conversations floating around.  People weren’t as covert as they thought.  Rex and I were all anyone talked about the past few days.  If Amarose had a tabloid, we’d be on the cover of it, front and center.

No one was brave enough to ask either of us what was going on.  They knew Rex had suffered through a crux sigil and had miraculously recovered.  And I had passed out in class with a bloody nose, yelling his name.

“Why don’t you guys just admit it?”  Alec sidled up to me, carrying a tray piled with food.  “Everyone already knows.”

I shot him a narrowed glare.  “Because it’s nobody’s business.  I’m only seventeen so there’s some doubt, isn’t there?”  A girl could only hope.

Alec gave a one-shouldered shrug.  “Maybe.”

We both joined the table where Braylen and Kelsey sat.  It didn’t take long for demon Barbie hunter to explode in a fit of giggles.

“Oh my goddess.  You and Rex!” she squealed.

I winced and lifted my palm, stopping the piercing sounds.  “Braelyn, please.  Are you trying to blow my eardrums?”

“Yeah, Brae.”  Kelsey rubbed her temples.  “Some of us are not immune to your excitement.”

She waved a dismissive hand in the air.  “Oh come on.  Kory and Rex are caeteras.  Totally duh by the way.  You guys are so meant for each other.”

My face was a blank mask.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.  We’re not caeteras.”  I started picking at my scrambled eggs, wishing I had stayed with Rex.  I missed school yesterday to stay near him, but he insisted I go today. 

I hated leaving him more than dealing with the stares and whispers.  I was used to rumors about me.  I wasn’t used to Rex being vulnerable.

“But,” Braelyn began, a pout forming over her lips.  “You guys are caeteras, right?  I mean, everything—”

Kelsey kicked her under the table.  “Shut up.”  She mumbled between her teeth, shooting me a smile.  “She said they weren’t.”

“But—”

She kicked her again.  “Just eat your egg white omelet.” 

The edges of my lips quirked up, and I mouthed a thank you in Kelsey’s direction. 

The chair next to Alec was pulled out, and Daniel appeared. 

“Hey, man,” Alec said, nodding toward him.

Both he and Trey had been subdued since returning to school.  I was surprised they weren’t bragging about escaping the clutches of an evil demon.  Maybe nearly becoming the enemy had cut their arrogance down a couple notches. 

“What’s up.”  Daniel downed almost his entire glass of orange juice as if he was dying of thirst.  Or just nervous.  His eyes flickered toward me.  “Kory.”

My brow arched.  “Daniel.”

He scratched at his blonde stubble as he bristled in his seat.  “I—uh—just wanted to apologize for all the shit from before…”  He trailed off, rubbing his neck

Was he sorry for simply being a douche?  Or was he sorry for being a racist, purest jerk?

My eyes narrowed.  “Are you apologizing because you think Rex and I are caeteras?”

Scarlet flooded his pale cheeks.

“Whatever.”  I had bigger problems than some school bully.  My gaze traveled across the room, spotting Annabeth.  I hadn’t seen her since the day in Rex’s room when she found out we were caeteras.

I jumped up.  “I’ll be right back.”  I ignored the questions Kelsey shot off and quickly caught up with the female hunter.  “Annabeth.”

She glanced over her shoulder, her golden eyes widening infinitesimally.  “Kory, hi.”

“Can we talk for a second?”  I felt bad for her.  She loved Rex, but he was destined for someone else. 

Annabeth gave a quick nod and jerked her chin toward an empty corner of the cafeteria.  She leaned against the wall, her expression guarded and body tense.  A long, uncomfortable silence stretched between us. 

“I’m sorry,” I blurted, shoving my hands in my jacket pockets.  This was so effing awkward.

A wry laugh tumbled from her mouth.  “I should be the one saying that.”  Her delicate fingers rested on her forehead.  “Everything makes so much more sense now.  I should have seen it sooner.”

I chewed on my bottom lip.  She was trying to hide the sadness, but it pierced through her half smile.  “Really?”

She nodded.  “The way Rex was constantly worried about you, the way he defended and protected you.  I should have known.”

“It’s not exactly normal.  I’m only seventeen.”  That was the reason more people hadn’t picked up on it.  It seemed so obvious only after they found out.

Annabeth shrugged.  “That doesn’t matter to the goddess.  Maybe she knew you needed someone like Rex now instead of in a few years.  And maybe he needed you too.”

I scoffed and rested my shoulder against the wall.  “Rex needs me like he needs a headache.  I haven’t exactly been the easiest caetera to have.”  Rex’s perfect, controlled life was demolished the moment he met me. 

“It’s true,” she said.  “I think before you, Rex was simply going through the motions, doing what was expected.”  She tucked a stray lock of honey blonde hair back into her braid.  “It wasn’t until you were in his life that he had this excitement to him.  He was truly awake and saw the world in color instead of hues of gray.”

My gaze shifted to my boots, scrutinizing a scuff.  “I don’t know about that.”

“Have you ever seen The Wizard of Oz?”

I glanced up, my brow arched at her odd question.  “Yeah.”  Maggie and I watched it years ago.  I couldn’t understand why someone hadn’t tossed water on that green hag before Dorothy even got there.

“You know the moment Dorothy lands in Oz, she opens the door, and everything goes from black and white to multicolored?”

I slowly nodded.

“That’s what happened to Rex when he met you.”  She swallowed hard and quickly blinked back the tears trying to slip free.  “I didn’t want to believe it, but there’s no denying it now.”

Rex had definitely made my life better.  I went from just surviving to having a purpose—and someone to share it with.  “Maybe.” 

“You brought him out of a crux nightmare, Kory,” Annabeth said, her voice wavering.  “Most caeteras aren’t even capable of doing something like that.  That was all you.”

It still didn’t change the fact that Rex was only in that position because of me.  Kye tried to kill him in one of the worst ways possible.  That monster decided he didn’t care how much he hurt me as long as it turned me dark.