Page 74 of Theirs to Ruin

“Not if it leads to your own demise. And if you are so entrenched with someone else, if you let your emotions rule you completely, you may not be able to focus on the invisible threats that lie around you.”

It was a cold way of thinking, but ultimately true. True bonds, true love, was a weakness that could lead to any one of our deaths. I thought of Bianca, and what she’d said about her and Silas making a power couple, no feelings necessary. If you didn’t truly love someone, the less likely they could be used to bring you down.

Thinking of my mother, I tasted nothing but bitterness. She’d loved my father and he’d seen her as a strategic choice, that was all. As my mother’s drug problem escalated, my father had paid for rehab after rehab, but he’d given her little personal attention, which was the one thing she really needed. A man who trulycared.

"Camille, you’ll be paired with Jenji," Professor Malachai announced.

I blinked. In my distraction, I’d obviously missed some of the professor’s instructions.

What exactly were we being paired for?

I glanced at Jenji, who shot me a withering look, then flipped her long hair over her shoulder.

Great.

I joined her on the gym floor, although the minute I stood next to her, she took a huge step away from me like I had a contagious disease. I glowered at her, my arms crossed.

Bitch.

“Assassins, you will stalk your mark, aiming for the element of surprise,” Professor Malachai explained. “Marks, you need tosense your stalker and anticipate their every move. Remember, awareness is as crucial as stealth. If the blade touches the mark’s skin, the exercise is over."

Jenji, her eyes cold and unyielding, said, "I’ll be the assassin first."

I nodded, trying to appear unfazed, but her declaration did nothing to calm my nerves. I watched as the other marks took blindfolds out of a box and put them on. The whistle sounded, marking the start of the round. I took in a deep breath, every sense heightened, and put on my own blindfold.

As I stood rooted in the darkness, I was all too aware that Jenji came from killers. She had been molded for this since birth, her skills sharpened with each passing year.

Around me, the gym was alive with activity. Whispers turned to shouts, footsteps morphed into dashes. Suddenly, I sensed a faint shift in the air to my right. I evaded the strike and managed to do it several more times so that Jenji made a noise of frustration. I dodged her again but when I heard Ty’s voice say, “Too bad Ava didn’t sense Camille coming,” I stumbled. Before I could react, a sharp pain sliced through my arm.

I cried out, then ripped off my blindfold, staring down in disbelief. The blade should have been blunt, yet a long jagged red line marked my arm, blood dripping from the cut.

Jenji's eyes were wide as she stared at the cut, then at the blade in her hand. “Camille, I didn’t?—”

“You bitch.”

I lunged for her, my fingers closing around her slender wrist. Her pulsed raced against my fingertips, the rapid beats betraying her surprise. With a forceful twist, I made her let go of the blade, which clattered briefly on the floor before I snatched it up.

I took a deep breath, feeling the cold weight of the weapon in my hand even as I spun Jenji around and pressed the bladeagainst her throat. Every muscle in my body screamed for me to cut her, to make her bleed. All the frustration, fear and sadness I had experienced over the last few days flooded through me as I pressed down on the blade, just enough so that a drop of blood formed on top of her pearly white skin.

Suddenly, Ty was at my side. “Camille, stop,” he said, his voice sharp. His eyes darted between the knife and my face.

I stood frozen, my hand holding the dagger shaking. “She used a real blade.”

“I didn’t,” Jenji gasped. “Someone must have switched the knives.”

I barked with laughter. “How fucking convenient. Tell me, have you been hanging out with rats lately, Jenji?”

Professor Malachi came over. “Camille, put the blade down.Immediately.”

At the professor’s commanding voice, I looked at Ty, who watched me intently. I saw something unexpected in his gaze. Concern. I almost laughed. Suddenly he was worried about me? I slowly lowered the knife, shoved Jenji away from me, then threw the blade down, the steel clattering against the hardwood floor.

Ty immediately stepped forward. “Let me see your arm.”

I backed away from him. From all of them.

“Fuck off, Ty,” I snarled. I looked around at the faces staring at me with a mix of shock, curiosity, and even amusement. “Fuck you all.”

I spun and ran out of the gym.

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