Page 5 of Forging Darkness

“Where did they go?” he asks our group.

Sterling immediately points in the opposite direction from the one his siblings went, and Eric takes off. The putrid stench of rotten eggs and skunk wafts off him as he passes us. It’s bad enough that I slap a hand over my face, pinching my nose and breathing in and out of my mouth, waiting for it to dissipate.

“I couldn’t be prouder of those two,” Sterling announces, the grin on his face a picture of brotherly affection.

Greyson shakes his head, but I don’t miss the ghost of a smile on his face. “Let’s get out of here. We have some serious things to discuss.”

After all the weeks I’ve spent at the academy, I’ve never visited the boys’ dormitory, but it looks pretty much the same as the girls’. Girls on the boys’ side and vice versa isn’t forbidden during daylight hours, but it isn’t encouraged either. This time of day, the hallways are barren. Greyson opens a non-descript wooden door halfway down the hall.

“It’s about time,” Nova snaps when we walk into the room. She’s sitting on one of the beds, her back against the headboard and shoe-clad feet propped up on the dark comforter beneath her, while Tinkle, in the form of a hummingbird, flits around her head. The Celestial has taken a shine to Nova and spends just as much time with her as he does me. I’m not sad about it. The little dude has a lot of energy. “What kept you guys?”

“I texted her,” Greyson offers by way of explanation.

Sterling pushes past his brother. “Could you have at least taken off your shoes?”

Nova lifts a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “I want to have as many layers of protection between me and your bedding as possible.” She shudders theatrically.

Is Sterling . . . blushing?

“I clean my stuff,” he grumbles under his breath. “If you’re not going to take your shoes off, get off my bed.”

Nova gives Sterling a one-shoulder shrug, but slides off his bed. Kicking off her heels, she climbs on Greyson’s bed, crisscrossing her legs under her.

“Oh, sothat’show it is,” Sterling grouses. The pink on his cheeks deepens, but it isn’t embarrassment reddening his face now.

He receives another one-shoulder shrug from Nova. A sly smirk dances on her lips. She’s a cat playing with a mouse, thoroughly enjoying the game.

“All right you two, playtime’s over.” Greyson pins Sterling with a pointed look. “Ash, Em, feel free to sit wherever you want.”

Spying what looks to be a jock strap sticking out from under Greyson’s bed, I quickly avert my gaze and sit gingerly at the foot of the bed. There are just some things I don’t want to know about my friends. Ash eyes Sterling’s bed with disdain before plopping down next to me.

As Sterling flops into his desk chair, my eyes bulge at the command center behind him.

Sterling has five monitors.

Five.

Three sit on top of his desk, and two more hover above those on dedicated shelves bolted to the wall. He has two keyboards and three laptops docked below the monitors. An open bag of licorice sags out of the top desk drawer, and empty cans of Red Bull litter the little space he has left.

Sterling snags a red candy rope and starts chewing on one end. He lifts up one of the energy drink cans and gives it a little shake to check for liquid. “Score,” he says before bringing it to his mouth and chugging whatever contents remain.

“He has a massive sugar tooth,” Greyson offers.

Yeah, no doubt.

“It helps me concentrate.”

Nova rolls her eyes. “Caffeine and sugar don’t affect our supercharged bodies like humans. But if it makes you feel better to think that, go on shoving that junk in your mouth. It’s going to show up on your gut eventually.”

Sterling looks down and lifts his shirt to check out his stomach. He’s sporting a perfectly sculpted six-pack. I resist the urge to fan myself. These angel-born boys are nothing like the scrawny human high schoolers I used to go to school with. Tracking his gaze to Nova, a broad smile grows on his face. “I think I’m good.”

Red and blue sparks rain down on us as Tinkle flits around the room.

“What’s up with him?” I ask. He seems a bit more spastic than usual.

Nova sighs. “He wanted to try some of Sterling’s Red Bull. He’s been flying around like that for the last ten minutes.”

“See. It does give you wings!” Sterling picks up and shakes a few more cans, looking for dregs, but comes up empty.

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