Page 42 of Blood Oath
She’s right. It’s late, and I should leave her be because the longer I stand here with her, the more I don’t want to watch her walk away. I’m just procrastinating leaving her presence because I don’t want to be sucked back into the void of paranoia that I’ve been existing in without her.
“Forgive me,” I murmur. “Sleep well.”
Maven walks away, leaving me with a budding feeling that I have no idea how to handle.
13
MAVEN
Heavy, slow heartbeats echo in my ears until I jolt awake soaked in a cold sweat, shaking from the residual monsters clawing at my mind. When my magical alarm spell dissipates, I roll out of Kenzie’s spare bed and catch myself on the floor in a plank position, inhaling deeply before dropping into my usual reps.
Push-ups, crunches, burpees, squats, lunges, tricep dips, mountain climbers…
The list goes on.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Finally, when the sun is just coming up outside, and my core and limbs are on fire, I drag myself to her quintet apartment’s sizable shared bathroom, grateful for the icy-cold blast of water overhead that washes away all traces of the horrors that haunt my nights. A brutal workout routine first thing in the morning is the only thing I know to calm myself down after my nightmares. It helps that it’s the same routine I grew up on.
Toweling off, I toss on more of my oversized clothes and return to the guest room, glancing at my phone charging on the nightstand.
Last night, I snuck out to a seedy bar in Halfton to track down the number of a supernatural black market dealer. I need to obtain nightshade root powder—a spell ingredient that is highly monitored by the Legacy Council due to it being a potent ingredient used in so many outlawed dark magic spells. All my digging and careful listening last night got me an encrypted number to call for a warlock two states over.
I’m just glad Silas didn’t insist on escorting me to Kenzie’s apartment, and it’s a good thing Crypt must’ve been busy eating dreams all night. I didn’t sense him the entire time.
But how the hell am I going to get away from my not-a-quintet long enough to call this warlock today? Not to mention, I can’t allow them to witness me have an episode like the one I had yesterday. It’s already a miracle that no one else, not even Kenzie, has witnessed that.
The sooner I break up the quintet and get them to appeal for a different keeper, the sooner I can complete my mission without so many eyes following me all the time. So today, to make them jealous, I’ll have to flirt with a modelesque professor who also happens to be one of the wealthiest legacies alive.
Boo hoo, poor little me.
A muffled sound nearby makes me tense. I frown and listen harder.
“Yes, yes, yes…” a breathy voice chants. Someone grunts, and I hear something get knocked over before more panting ensues in the nearby room. Someone else moans.
Sounds like Kenzie’s quintet is waking up, which is my cue to leave. I didn’t mind crashing one night with them, but it’s a good thing I’ve already sent a maintenance request to Everbound’s dormitory management to get my door replaced as soon as fucking possible.
I tuck my phone in my back pocket, sliding on gloves from my overnight bag as I step out the door.
I’m not even surprised to see Baelfire waiting for me. You’d think that after I’ve given him nothing but brush-offs and purposefully let him spiral yesterday not knowing where I was, he would lose the enthusiasm—but no. Instead, his entire face lights up, gold eyes glittering as he falls into step next to me.
“You still owe me three questions, you know. I’m cashing in on them today.”
“Before or after you apologize for destroying my door?”
He grins not at all apologetically. “Crypt’s more to blame for that than I am. So. Three questions. Ready?”
Stop being so fucking persistent. I’m tempted to find you charming.
But I can’t say that, so instead, I tell him, “Make them bland. They’ll suit me better.”
“Please. You’re the furthest thing from bland, my sexy little Boo.”
My neck feels unusually warm. Which is terrible timing because we’ve just passed into a large corridor full of legacies who keep sneaking glances at us. Bael is used to being high-profile, but I’m looking forward to being done with the shifting eyes and whispers that carry my name.
“Just ask your damn questions before we get to my combat course.”
“All right. What was your family like?”
