Jennifer Armentrout - Half-Blood

“Real y?” Maybe if I talked to the oracle she’d give me some answers—or tel my future.

Caleb shrugged. “Can’t remember, but speaking of partying, there’s going to be one this weekend over on the main island. Zarak’s throwing it. You game?”

I stifled a yawn. “Zarak? Wow. I haven’t seen him in forever, but I doubt partying is something I’m going to be partaking in anytime soon. I’m permanently grounded.”

“What?” Caleb’s mouth dropped open. “You can sneak out. You were like the queen of sneaking out.”

“Yeah, but that was before my uncle became the dean and I wasn’t one step away from being expel ed.”

Caleb snorted. “Alex, you almost got expel ed like three times. Since when has that stopped you? Anyway, I’m sure we can come up with something. Besides, it’l be like a welcome back party for you.”

It was a bad idea, but I felt the usual excitement stirring in my bel y. “Wel … I won’t be training at night.”

“No,” agreed Caleb.

A grin tugged at my lips. “And sneaking out never kil ed anyone.”

“Or got them expel ed.”

We grinned at each other, and just like that, things were the way they’d been before everything had gone to hel .

***

Caleb and I had a little adventure in the supply room in the main school building after dinner. We swiped every possible article of clothing that would fit me and Caleb promised once again to grab one of the other half girls and go shopping for me the fol owing day. I could only imagine what he’d come back with.

With our arms ful , we headed back to my dorm. I was only a little surprised when I spotted Aiden’s formidable frame standing by the thick marble columns on the wide porch. Caleb’s eyes went wide.

I groaned. “Busted.”

My footsteps slowed as we neared him. I couldn’t read anything from his stoic expression or by the way he bowed his head toward Caleb in a respectful manner. For once in his entire life, Caleb was struck speechless when Aiden stepped up and took the armful of clothing from him.

“Need I remind you that males are not al owed in the girls’

dormitory, Nicolo?”

Caleb shook his head mutely.

He raised his brows as he turned to me. “We need to talk.”

I looked at Caleb helplessly, but he backed off with an apologetic half smile. For a hot second, I considered fol owing him. I didn’t. “What do we need to talk about?”

Aiden motioned me forward with a curt nod. “You haven’t rested at al today, have you?”

I shifted my load to my other arm. “No. I’ve been catching up with friends.”

He seemed to consider that as we made our way down the hal . Thank the gods I’d been given a room on the bottom floor. I hated stairs, and even though the Covenant had more money than I could comprehend, there wasn’t a single elevator in the entire campus.

“You should’ve been resting. Tomorrow won’t be easy for you.”

“You could always make it easy for me.”

Aiden laughed. The sound was a rich, deep noise that would’ve brought a smile to my face in a different situation.

Like one in which he wasn’t laughing at me.

I frowned as I pushed the door to my room open. “Why are you al owed in my room if Caleb isn’t?”

He arched an eyebrow. “I’m not a student.”

“Stil a guy.” I took my load of clothing to my bedroom, where I dropped them on the floor. “You’re not even an Instructor or a Guide. So I think if you’re al owed in here, Caleb should be, too.”

Aiden studied me for a moment, folding his arms across his chest. “I’ve been told you were once interested in becoming a Sentinel instead of a Guard.”

I plopped down on the bed and grinned up at him.

“You’ve been checking up on me.”

“I decided I’d better be prepared.”

“I’m sure you were told wonderful things about me.”

He rol ed his eyes. “Most of what Dean Andros said was correct. You are wel known with the Instructors. They did praise your talent and ambition. The other stuff… wel , that can be expected. You were just a kid—stil a kid.”

“I’m not a kid.”

Aiden’s lips twitched as if he wished to smile. “You’re stil a kid.”

My cheeks flushed. It was one thing being told I was a kid by any old person. Who cared? But when it was a super-hot guy tel ing me that, it didn’t leave me al warm and fuzzy inside.

“I’m not a kid,” I repeated.

“Real y? Then you must be an adult?”

“Sure.” I gave him my best smile, the one that usual y got me out of trouble.

Aiden was unaffected. “Interesting. An adult would know when to walk away from a fight, Alex. Especial y after being warned any questionable behavior could result in their removal from the Covenant.”

My smiled faded. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I would have to agree.”

Aiden tipped his head to the side. “You don’t?”

“Nope.”

A smal smile appeared on his lips. It should’ve served as a warning, but I found myself staring at those lips in place of paying attention to him . Suddenly, he crouched in front of me at eye level.

“Then I should be relieved to know what I was told just an hour ago is false. It wasn’t you who yanked a girl—by her hair—out of a chair in the common lounge area.”

I opened my mouth to deny it, but my protests died.

Dammit. There was always someone wil ing to rat people out.

“Do you understand the precarious position you’re in?”

His firm gaze held mine. “How foolish it is to al ow simple words to lead you to violence?”

Pul ing Lea out of the chair had been foolish, but she’d pissed me off. “She was talking about my mother.”

“Does it matter? Think about it. It’s just words and words mean nothing. Only action does. Are you going to fight every single person who says something about you or your mother? If so, you should go ahead and pack your bags now.”

“But—”

“There are going to be rumors—ridiculous rumors about why your mother left. Why you didn’t come back. You can’t fight every single person who upsets you.”

I tipped my head to the side. “I could try.”

“Alex, you need to focus on getting back into the Covenant. Right now, you’re here as a courtesy. You want revenge against the daimons, right?”

“Yes!” My voice turned fierce as my fists clenched.

“You want to be able to get out there and fight them?

Then you need to pay attention to training instead of what people are saying about you.”

“But she said I was the reason Mom died!” Hearing my voice crack the way it did, I had to look away. It was weak of me. Embarrassing. Weak and embarrassing were not in a Sentinel’s vocabulary.

“Alex, look at me.”

I hesitated before I did. For a moment, the hardness in his expression softened. When he looked at me like that, I truly believed he understood my reaction. Maybe he didn’t agree with it, but at least he understood why I’d done it.

“You know there was nothing you could do about what happened to your mother.” His eyes searched my face.

“You do know that, right?”

“I should’ve done something. I had al that time and I should’ve cal ed someone. Maybe then… ” I ran my hand through my hair and took a deep breath. “Maybe then none of this would’ve happened.”

“Alex, you couldn’t have known it would end this way.”

“But I did.” I closed my eyes, feeling a twisting in my stomach. “We al do. It’s what happens when you leave the safety of the community. I knew it would happen, but I was just scared they wouldn’t let her back in after leaving. I couldn’t… leave her out there by herself.”