Page 69 of Inception

“What are you doing here?” I whispered, peering over his shoulder into the darkness. “How did you get up here?”

Even in the pitch of night, his eyes gleamed like two sapphires. “Can we talk?” he asked without answering my question.

I didn’t see the point in reminding him that we weren’t on speaking terms, or even asking if this could wait until tomorrow. The guy had just shimmied up my balcony in the middle of the night, and frankly, I wanted to know why.

I took a step back to let him inside doing my best not to notice when his arm brushed up against me as he passed. Or that he smelled really,reallygood. I flicked on the desk lamp and stalked back to my bed, taking a seat on the edge of it as I waited for him to say something.

Trace stayed by the door, leaning against it as his eyes moved curiously around my room taking in the sights. I tried to read his face for any hints as to what this late-night visit was about, or what kind of mood he was in, but as per usual, his expression gave nothing away.

His eyes settled on me just then and I watched as they moved down the length of my body and then back up the other way before shifting away. If I didn’t know any better (which I did), I would have thought he just checked me out.

“So, um, what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked, still feeling the heat from his stare embedded in my cheeks.

“I heard you started training today.”

“And you rushed over to congratulate me?”

“No.” He seemed to be studying me. “So it’s true then? You’re training with Gabriel?”

I nodded and watched as he pushed up from the door and took a few steps in, circling around the edge of my desk.

“You know he’s aRev, right?”

“A what?”

“A Revenant—a vampire,” he said distractedly, looking down at something on my desk.

“Yeah, I got the memo this time.”

“I’m just making sure.” His eyes met mine again briefly. “I wouldn’t want you accusing me of being a jerk or anything.”

“I’m sure there'll be plenty more opportunities for that.”

His dimples pressed in, making it look like he was fighting back a smile, though it never made it to the surface. “So that’s it then? You’re really doing this?”

I wasn’t sure if he was referring to my training with Gabriel, or the whole Slayer thing in general. My answer was the same either way. “What choice do I have?”

“Aren’t you protected?” he asked, leaning back against the desk now. His arms were crossed over his chest and his sweatshirt was pushed up to his elbows, highlighting his brawny forearms. “Like with a Cloaking spell or something?” he continued when I failed to produce words.

I nodded, clearing my throat. “They’re trying to break it. My uncle said it’s too dangerous to stay this way—that the spell won’t hold.” I couldn’t find the courage to tell him that I’d agreed to break it for reasons completely unrelated. That I wasn’t out to save anyone’s skin but my own. “Why do you care anyway?”

“I don’t care,” he answered coolly. “I just wanted to hear it from you.”

“And why is that?”

His dark lashes swooped down. “So that when I told you to stay away from me,” he said, looking back up. “I’d mean it.”

“You want me to stay away from you?” I blinked into him, unsure that I’d heard him right.

He clenched his jaw and gave a slight nod.

“Why? Because I’m training with Gabriel?” I sounded like a child getting reprimanded unfairly.

“That’s part of it.”

“And the other part?” I stood up from the bed, wanting to keep the uncomfortable feelings from rising to the surface. “What exactly was it that made you feel so compelled to ban me from your life that you had to run over here in the middle of the night to do it? Do you really hate me that much?”

“I don’t hate you,” he said gruffly and then lowered his voice. “I just don’t want you in my life.”

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