“You going with them?”

Frowning, I glanced over at Jackson. “Huh?”

He grinned, leaning in so that his lips almost brushed my ear when he spoke. “Going to Myrtle?”

“Oh,” I swung my feet back and forth. “I don’t know, but it sounds like fun.”

Jackson grabbed my hands, hauling me to my feet.

“Zarak’s leaving. We can catch a ride with him.”

I must’ve missed the part when he and I had turned into

“we,” but I didn’t protest when he led me down the steps and across the beach. Several of the kids had left already, and I caught a quick glimpse of Lea sliding into the back seat with Deacon. I had no idea where Kain was; I hadn’t seen him since the dune buggy incident.

Zarak slid into the driver’s seat of the only other car left—

at least he seemed okay enough to be behind a wheel. The girl I’d seen earlier with Deacon was taking her sweet time deciding which car was the cooler one.

Growing bored, I leaned against the side of the house while the girl chatted with Lea. Jackson propped himself beside me.

I tipped my head back, loving the way the warm breeze caressed my cheeks. “Shouldn’t you be going with her?”

He paused, looking over his shoulder. “She obviously has other plans.”

“But she’s staring at you,” I pointed out. She had her face planted against the window.

“Let her look.” He shifted closer, flashing a wicked grin.

“She’s made her cal , hasn’t she?”

“Guess so.”

“I’ve made mine.” Jackson leaned in to kiss me.

Even though I would’ve loved to see Lea’s face in the aftermath of kissing Jackson, I darted to the side. Jackson was an equal opportunity player and that kind of game I didn’t real y feel like joining.

He chuckled and made a playful grab for me. He got a good hold on my arm and pul ed me back. “You gonna make me chase you?”

My happy buzz had the potential of becoming a very bad one if I kept this crap up. Pul ing my arm free, I forced a smile. “You’d better get going. Zarak’s going to leave you.”

He reached for me again, but I dodged those too-friendly hands. “Aren’t you going?”

I shook my head. “Nah. I think I’m going to cal it a night.”

“I can keep your company if that’s what you want. We can take the party back to my dorm or Zarak’s room.” He started walking backward, toward the car. “I don’t think he’d mind. Last chance, Alex.”

It took every ounce of my self-control not to laugh. I shook my head and backed off, knowing I looked like a total tease. “Maybe next time.” Then I turned around, not giving Jackson another moment to sway me into that car.

Wondering if Caleb had gone to Myrtle, I made my way back across the beach and toward the bridge, passing several silent beach homes. The air around me smel ed of sea salt. I loved that smel . It reminded me of Mom and the days we used to spend hanging out on the sand. So caught up in the memories, I only snapped back to reality when a fine shiver coursed down my spine as I neared the bridge.

The scraggly bushes and tal weeds swayed in the cool breeze. Odd since the breeze had been pleasant only minutes before. I took a step forward, scanning the marsh.

Gloom covered the bog, but a thicker shadow pul ed away from the rest, becoming more solid as the seconds passed.

The wind carried a whisper. “Lexie… .”

I had to be hearing things. Only Mom had cal ed me Lexie, nothing could be out there, but fear stil coiled like tight springs in my stomach.

Without warning, strong hands gripped my shoulders and pul ed me back. My heart stopped, and for a moment, I didn’t know who’d grabbed me from behind. Instinct to lash out kicked into gear, but then I caught the familiar scent of soap and ocean.

Aiden.

“What are you doing?” His voice held a demanding edge.

I twisted around and stared up at him. His eyes were thin slits. Seeing him rendered me speechless for a second.

“I… there’s something out there.”

Aiden’s hands slipped from my shoulders as he turned to where I pointed. Natural y, there was nothing there but the normal shadows the moon cast across the marshland. He faced me. “There’s nothing there. What are you doing out here by yourself? You aren’t al owed off the island without supervision, Alex. Never.”

Yikes. I took a step back, unsure how to respond.

Then he leaned over, sniffing the air. “You’ve been drinking.”

“Have not.”

His brows rose, lips pursed. “What are you doing outside the Covenant?”

I fidgeted with the edge of my shirt. “I was… visiting friends, and as I recal , I was told I couldn’t leave the island.

Technical y, I’m stil on Deity Island.”

He tipped his head to the side, folding his arms. “I’m pretty certain that remaining on the Covenant-control ed island was assumed.”

“Wel , you know what they say about assuming things.”

“Alex.” His voice lowered in warning.

“What are you doing out here, creeping around in the dark like some kind of… creeper?” Once that last little bit left my mouth, I kind of wanted to slap myself.

Aiden laughed in disbelief. “Not that you need to know, but I was in the process of fol owing a group of idiots to Myrtle Beach.”

My jaw dropped. “You were fol owing them?”

“Yes, a handful of us Sentinels were.” Aiden’s lips curved in an uneven grin. “What? You look surprised. Do you real y think we’d let a bunch of teenagers off this island without protection? They may not realize we’re always trailing them, but no one gets out of here without us knowing.”

“Wel … that’s just fantastic.” I stored that little piece of knowledge away. “Why are you stil here then?”

He didn’t immediately answer the question, since he was busy shuffling me back toward the bridge. “I saw you didn’t go with them.”

I stumbled. “What… exactly did you see?”

He glanced down at me, quirking an eyebrow. “Enough.”

Flushing to the roots of my hair, I groaned.

Aiden chuckled low and under his breath, but I heard him.

“Why didn’t you go with them?”

I debated on pointing out he already knew why, but decided I was already in enough trouble. “I… figured I’d engaged in enough stupidity for the evening.”

He actual y laughed louder then. It was deep and rich.

Nice. I glanced up quickly, hoping to see his dimples. No such luck. “It’s good to hear you say that.”

My shoulders slumped. “So how much trouble am I in?”

Aiden seemed to consider that for a few moments. “I’m not going to tel Marcus, if that’s what you’re hinting at.”

Surprised, I grinned up at him. “Thanks.”

He looked away, shaking his head. “Don’t thank me yet.”

I remembered the first time he’d said that to me. I wondered when I was supposed to thank him.

“But I don’t want to catch you with a drink in your hand again.”

I rol ed my eyes. “Jeez, there you go, sounding like a dad again. You need to start sounding like you’re twenty.”

He ignored that, nodding at the Guards we passed on the opposite end of the bridge. “It’s bad enough I have to chase down my brother. Please don’t add to my troubles.”

I dared a peek at him. He stared straight ahead, a muscle feathering along his jaw. “Yeah… he seems like a handful.”

“And then some.”

I remembered what Deacon said about Aiden making sure I behaved now. “I’m… sorry. I don’t want you to feel like… you have to babysit me.”

Aiden gave me a sharp look. “Wel … thank you.”

I twisted my fingers together, feeling tongue-tied for some reason. “It must’ve been hard having to raise him, practical y alone.”

He snorted. “You have no idea.”

I real y didn’t. Aiden had been just a kid himself when their parents had been kil ed. What if I’d had a little brother or sister and I were responsible for them? There was no way. I couldn’t even put myself in that situation.

A few moments passed before I asked, “How… did you do it?”

“Do what, Alex?”

We passed the bridge and the Covenant loomed ahead of us. I slowed my steps. “How did you take care of Deacon after… something so terrible happening?”

A stiff smile formed on his lips. “I had no other choice. I refused to al ow Deacon to be handed over to another family. I think… my parents would’ve wanted me to be the one to raise him.”

“But that’s a lot of responsibility. How did you do it while going to school? Hel , while training?”

Graduating the Covenant didn’t mean training ended for a Sentinel. The first year on the job was notoriously fierce.

Time was split between shadowing trained Sentinels cal ed Guides and stil training in high impact martial art classes and stress tests.

He shoved his hands into the deep pockets of his black, Covenant-issued uniform. “There were times when I considered doing what my family would’ve wanted for me.

Going to col ege and coming back, engaging in the politics of our world. I know my parents would’ve wanted me to take care of Deacon, but the last thing they would’ve ever chosen was for me to become a Sentinel. They never understood… this kind of life.”

Most pures didn’t, and I didn’t ful y understand it until I’d seen my mother attacked. Not until then did I ful y grasp the need for Sentinels. Pushing the troubling thought away, I tried to think of what I remembered about his parents.

They’d been young-looking, like most pures were, and from what I knew, they’d been powerful. “They were on the Council, right?”

He nodded. “But after their death, being a Sentinel was what I wanted.”

“Something you needed,” I corrected softly.

His step slowed and he looked surprised. “You’re right.

Becoming a Sentinel was something I needed—I stil do.”

He paused, looking away. “You would know. It’s what you need.”

“Yeah.”

“How did you survive?” He turned the question on me.

Growing uncomfortable, I focused on the stil water of the ocean. At night, under the light of the moon, it looked as dark and thick as oil. “I don’t know.”

“You had no other choice, Alex.”

I shrugged. “I guess so.”

“You don’t like talking about it, do you?”

“Is it obvious?”

We stopped where the pathway split between the dorms.

“You don’t think it’s a good idea for you to talk about it?” His voice held a serious tone that made him sound much older.

“You’ve barely had any time to deal with what happened to your mother… what you witnessed and had to do.”