Page 69 of Creatures of Chaos

My breath catches and I’m frozen by his confession. No one has ever said something like that to me before. Not even Becks. My mind flutters like a hummingbird, moving far too quickly to figure out what part of that little speech to focus on first, but what keeps circulating are his last words.

You’re already perfect.

I’m not perfect. Far from it, but no one really is. But that doesn’t mean being called perfect just the way I am doesn’t have a profound effect on me. Something shifts in my very core, but I don’t know how to process that, or even if I should believe Talon.What if he’s just feeding me lines to get me to abandon my quest for Shadow Striker?

I shake my head and tell myself to ignore everything Talon just said. He doesn’t understand the situation or know anything about Becks and me. His words were pretty, but unreliable at best. And even so, they don’t change anything. Becks still has an arranged life-mating hanging over his head. I’m not giving up that dagger.

Clearing my throat, I take a step back to get some space from the intensity of the situation. “Well, thanks for the warning about Chaos,” I say. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

“So you’ll safely fail the next trial?” he asks, his body tense.

I lick my lips and Talon’s gaze flicks down before returning to my eyes. There’s a bit of heat in his gaze that’s too blatant to ignore.

“It means,” I start as Talon hangs on my every word, “that I hear what you are saying, that someone might try to do something to me to distract you in the trials, and that I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Freckles—” Talon starts, but I hold a hand up.

“I said I’ll keep it in mind,” I say firmly. “I appreciate you telling me what you can, and now that I know I’ll watch my back. But at the end of the day I don’t expect you to protect me through these challenges. I can take care of myself.”

After what Chaos has already put me through, I truly believe that now. I’m strong. I’m fierce. I’ve got this.

Talon looks frustrated with my response, but eventually he heaves a sigh and nods. “You need to know I will do whatever I have to do to get Shadow Striker. There’s more at stake than you realize.”

“I know,” I say, truly understanding the message. He means that not only will he not be there to protect me if I need it, but that if I get in his way he’ll figure out how to move me out of it.

We stand there staring at each other for several more silent moments. I’m not sure what Talon reads on my face, but looking at him now is like seeing a different person, one hardened by harsh realities I know nothing about. He doesn’t look like a student to me anymore. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before, but even dressed in faded jeans, a t-shirt, and his signature knit cap, he looks like a warrior.

For the first time since entering Chaos it feels like I’m finally seeing Talon for what he truly is, the guy standing in the way of what I want. As much as I may be standing in Talon’s way, he’s standing in mine as well.

“I’d better get going,” I say, gesturing toward the door. “Ensley will be looking for me.” I skirt around Talon, but before I pass he stops me with a light touch on the back of my hand.

“Just for the record, Freckles, I wasn’t saying that you wouldn’t win because you weren’t capable of doing so. In a lot of ways you’re the strongest creature I’ve ever met, a true fighter. I said that you wouldn’t win because there’s no scenario where I don’t win the dagger back. I have to, because failure in this situation isn’t an option.”

Talon looks at me like he wishes there was another way, another option, but there isn’t and he’s sorry for it.

His words take some of the sting out of his comment from earlier, so I nod, letting him know I accept his words for what they are, an apology.

Some of the tension leaves his face. “Will you promise to think about what I’ve said here?”

A strangled laugh rolls up my throat before I can squash it. As if I’ll be able to think of much else.

“Yeah, I promise,” I say, and then Talon follows me out into the busy hallway, where we run right into Becks.

Twenty-Four

Becks’face darkens immediately when he recognizes who I’m with. “What’s going on here?” he demands, his gaze bouncing between me and Talon.

I have nothing to feel guilty for; Talon and I were just talking, but shame still rises to the surface, freezing my tongue.

Talon stays silent, waiting for me to answer for the both of us, but when I don’t say anything, Becks takes an aggressive step toward him. I slide in between them, placing my hands on Becks’ chest to keep him from advancing. He stops but keeps glaring at Talon over my shoulder.

“We have a project together,” I lie, the words tasting bitter in my mouth. “We needed to talk about the assignment and sync up our schedules.”

I glance over my shoulder at Talon, willing him to play along. He arches a brow as he looks down at me, but he nods, shifting his attention to Becks. “That’s right. For our Natural Chemistry class. We’re doing a project on objects in nature and their natural attractions to each other. It’s going to take a couple of late nights, but I’m sure we’ll get the assignment banged out soon enough.”

No. He. Didn’t.

I could wrap my hands around Talon’s neck right now and squeeze the life out of him and not feel even a little bad about it.

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