13
The conversation with Zayne lingered in my mind the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, making it hard to focus on anything else.
The way Zayne had shut down after I’d brought up the half demon was telling, but so was the fact that he’d insinuated not all demons were evil. I couldn’t even process that.
Just like I couldn’t process that I’d actually talked to him about how I felt after killing Clay. It made me feel scratchy and uncomfortable in my own skin, because I shouldn’t feel anything after what I’d done last night other than acceptance. After all, Matthew and Thierry were right.
I was a weapon.
And a weapon didn’t feel bad for killing in self-defense.
I sighed as I rubbed my hands under my glasses. I had more important things to worry about than Zayne’s reactions or my suddenly sensitive feelings. Like the fact that Clay had been able to claw me. I needed to train harder and prepare better. I needed to figure out how to work without relying on my eyes, because I should’ve been faster than Clay. I should’ve been careful enough to keep space between us.
Peanut drifted over my bed, snagging my attention. He was swimming backward across the room. I really had no idea what to say about that.
“What are you doing?” I asked Peanut.
“Getting in my daily exercise.” He reached the curtained window. “I have to stay trim and fit.”
I lowered my hands. “Do ghosts gain weight?”
“Yes.” He started swimming back to me.
“I don’t think that’s true.”
“Are you a ghost?” he asked.
“No,” I sighed.
“Then how do you know?”
“I don’t need to be dead to understand that ghosts needing to stay in shape doesn’t logically or scientifically make sense.”
Peanut swam above my head. “Didn’t know you were a scientist. Should I start calling you Dr. Marrow?”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’m going to get abs like Hot Guy.” Stopping in the middle of my room, right under the ceiling fan, he started to do crunches.
“His name is Zayne.” My eyes widened with each crunch. Every time he sat up, the blade of the ceiling fan cut through his head.
“I’m going to be ripped,” Peanut continued, grunting with each sit-up. “I’ll have abs of steel. I’m going to be as big as Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage.”
I stared at him.
“No pain, no gain,” he went on. “Sweat is glory.”
“Are you sweating?”
Peanut stopped and looked at me like I was half-dumb. “Ghosts don’t sweat.”
My mouth dropped open. “Do you even listen to yourself when you speak?”
“Not really,” he replied. “I can’t believe you told him I was in his room when you left.”
I smiled happily at the memory.
“I thought he was going to salt and sage the room.”
“Does that work?”
“It works when the Winchester brothers do it.”
I stared at him. “You’re a mess.”
Half of Peanut’s body disappeared as he grinned at me. “A hot mess.” He came down from the ceiling, stopping about a foot off the floor. “By the way, I did hear Thierry and Matthew talking about something weird.”
“And you’re now just saying something?”
“I’ve been busy, Trin. My scheduled is packed. As you just saw, I had to get my workout in—”
“What did you hear?” I interrupted.
“Not much.” His feet touched the floor. “I mean, it was this morning, when they were in their bedroom.”
“Peanut, I didn’t mean for you to go into their bedroom.”
He lifted his shoulders. “If anyone is going to have a secret squirrel conversation, they’re going to have it in their bedroom.” Peanut had a point, but still. “As I was saying, I heard them talking about making some kind of mistake. Matthew said that, but then Thierry was like, we weren’t the only ones that made a mistake.”
My brows knitted together. “Matthew said something similar last night. They didn’t say what the mistake was?”
He shook his head. “No, but then Thierry said there was nothing that can be done now. That it was already ‘righting’ itself. No clue what that means. You?”
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I have no idea.”
“Are you going to the final ceremony tomorrow?” Jada asked as she walked toward the training facilities with me.
Squinting against the bright glare of the early-morning sun from behind my sunglasses, I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Thierry will want you there.” She looped her arm through mine. “And I want you there.”
“So you’re not suffering in boredom alone?”
Jada laughed. “Maybe.”
I shot her a long look, which just made her laugh harder. The final ceremony of the Accolade lasted hours. Between the speeches and the dinner, I would go stir-crazy, but since I hadn’t gone to any of the Accolade yet, I should probably show my face.
“I don’t have anything to wear,” I told her.
She snorted. “I have a dress you can borrow—and don’t look at me like that. I have plenty of dresses that will fit you.”
I groaned as I opened the door and we stepped out of the warm sun and into the cool interior hall.
“Where’s Misha, by the way?” Jada asked.
Pushing the sunglasses onto my head, I led the way. “He’s with Matthew. They’re interviewing the trainers to see if they can get any information...on Clay. See if he said anything about what he...he was planning to do.”
Jada shook her head as she slipped her arm free. “I still can’t believe it. Neither can Ty. I mean, the guy was a jerk, but I wouldn’t have suspected this.”
“Me, neither. I just... I don’t think we ever know what people are capable of.”
Jada fell quiet as she followed me past the numerous rooms that were occupied by Wardens. I was heading for the one Misha and I normally trained in, since it was usually open. “Do you think you should be out here? Without Misha? Not that you can’t defend yourself, obviously, but...”
“But Misha is busy, I’m tired of being in my room and the thing with Clay was isolated. At least, that’s what we think. And do you know what Peanut was doing all day yesterday?”
“God only knows.”
“He was swimming back and forth across my ceiling ‘working out.’” Shifting the leather satchel into the crook of my arm, I walked toward the windowless blue door. “He was doing sit-ups and jumping jacks while singing Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It.’ If I spend one more moment in there, I’m going to lose my mind.”
“What?” Jada choked on another laugh. “Oh my God, that is the most bizarre thing I’ve heard in a while.”
“Welcome to my life,” I muttered, yanking open the door and coming to a complete stop. “Oh.”
Jada bumped into me from behind. “Why are you...?” She trailed off as she saw what I saw, which was Zayne and Dez training.
They were unaware of us as Dez charged Zayne. The blond Warden spun out of his grasp with the agile grace of a dancer, darting under Dez’s outstretched arm. He popped up behind him, catching the older Warden by his shoulders as he dipped down. I had no idea how he did what he did next, because he was nothing but a blur of speed. In a heartbeat, he had Dez completely off the ground and held above his head. A second later, Zayne slammed Dez into the mat.
“Good Lord,” murmured Jada.
“Uh-huh.” I nodded, tensing when Zayne straightened, shoving the strand of hair that had fallen free out of his face as he looked over to where we stood.
Dez groaned as he rolled onto his side. “That didn’t hurt at all.”
Zayne chuckled as he turned back to Dez, extending a hand. “We have company.”
“I see.” He took Zayne’s hand and was hauled to his feet. He gave us a wave, which we returned. “Good to see I have an audience while I get my ass handed to me.” He placed a hand on his lower back. “You guys should’ve showed up fifteen minutes ago when I had Zayne on the mats.”
Zayne smirked. “That only happened in his imagination.”
“Not true.” Dez cracked his back like a skilled chiropractor. “Do you all need anything?”
“Nope,” I answered, still seeing Zayne lifting Dez clear in the air like the Warden weighed nothing more than a sack of grain.
Zayne cocked his head.
“Well, we were looking for an available room,” I corrected.
“We didn’t know you guys were in here,” Jada added.
“We’re done,” Dez said. “Well, I’m done.” He shot Zayne a look before he focused on Jada and me. “Are you here to practice with the blades?”
Surprise caused me to tighten my grip on my leather satchel.
“Zayne told me you were really good with them,” Dez added as Zayne moved off to a corner of the room, arms folded over his chest.
“I’m okay with them.”
“Okay?” Jada laughed, shoving me forward. “She’s better than most Wardens.”
Not given a choice, I went forward, sneaking glances at Zayne as I stopped beside him. We hadn’t exactly parted ways all warm and fuzzy the last time we’d spoken, and he was being abnormally quiet.