Page 38 of Devious Knight

The mountain he’s referring to is where we did the Reckoning. The terrain there, especially at this time of year, is perfect for training and acquiring the mental and physical toughness I need.

I stare at him for a moment, wanting to ask him a question that’s been on my mind since he discovered who killed his family. I’ve held off asking because it felt inappropriate. Like I’d be crossing a line.

I don’t know Thorne as well as many of the others. He’s two years ahead of me, so when I started Raventhorn Academy he’d already left for college.

“What?” He gives me a narrowed stare.

“How does it feel? How does it feel to get the justice you wanted for your family?”

His father, mother and older sister were all taken from him in one night. Just like that, they were gone. Just like mine.

“It feels like freedom. There’s always going to be that dark cloud because I can’t bring them back but something in me feels right again. Like I did right by them and myself. Now I can live the life they wanted me to have.”

I nod, hoping that one day soon I’ll experience that same feeling. Everything has felt wrong for me since the night my parents died. It would be good to feel right again.

The door to the training room opens slowly and Annika pokes her blonde head in.

She always comes down here to meet Thorne when we finish training. On seeing her Thorne’s expression softens; it’s like he becomes a different person. The hard man fades and his eyes fill with adoration.

I don’t usually take notice of people in love, but with him—and her—it’s difficult not to notice.

Annika acknowledges us both with a smile—even though she doesn’t like me. That’s because of Isabelle. It’s understandable, so it doesn’t bother me.

“Hey guys, hope I didn’t interrupt,” she says sweetly, her eyes on Thorne.

“No, Bambi. We’re done here.” Thorne turns back to me and throws a punch in my arm. “Get out. My wife’s here.”

He marches away, not even waiting for me to answer.

Annika isn’t his wife yet but he started calling her that just before the holidays, and made sure everyone heard him so they knew she was his.

It’s strange seeing him this way.

I steal a moment to watch them and I wonder about the other question on my mind.

Annika’s family was responsible for killing Thorne’s parents and sister. He’s never harbored any ill feelings toward her. Not even a little bit.

I’m not sure I could be the same way. But then none of what happened was anything to do with her. She was an innocent and her hands were clean, not dirty like her friend Isabelle's.

I wonder what either of them would think of sweet Isabelle if they knew she helped the Malina kill my family.

Would they still think of her as sweet and innocent?

Maybe.

She has so many eating out of the palms of her hands that they’d see her mistake and think of me as the devil because I want her to pay.

With a shake of my head I leave, and count down the hours until tonight.

Chapter Nine

Kade

Dmitri, Logan and I stand in the parking lot of The Nightfall, the restaurant/drug den owned by Mario Lipinski, Nickoli’s snitch.

It’s midnight. Devil’s hour.

The three of us are wearing our skull masks as we watch the place go up in smoke. The fire flicking out around the building like the flames of hell bathes us in an amber glow, making us look like we crawled straight from the darkest corner of the underworld. Like Hades’ finest demons.

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