Page 158 of Caelum

“We don’t have the ability to scan districts as they do for fledglings. We’re strained as it is trying to contain them and stop them in their destructive acts. It’s our duty to keep them at bay, to protect the humans, even though they’ll never thank us for it.”

“Is that what happened in Aboh, Miss?” Li Jun asked, and his question had whispers spreading around the class. A few looked back at me, but heck, I was just as in the dark as they were.

My Chosen had gone to Aboh. One almost hadn’t returned, but I had no idea why they’d gone to Nigeria. No idea what their purpose had been.

Jenny flashed a look at me, then she murmured, “Yes. We had news that a nest was looking to eradicate an entire town. That’s what Ghouls do. Especially in places that are difficult to reach by land or sea, such as out of the way villages. They’ll take over a town, killing everyone in it, then slip into their victims’ lives.

“In this instance, they were looking to take advantage of that town’s up-and-coming talks with an oil company. Remember how I said nests are covetous? Well, there was a lot of money riding on that deal. If our troops hadn’t gone in and put a stop to their attack, the nest would have found anew home, and they’d have made a lot of money off of killing a lot of innocents.”

I gnawed on my bottom lip as I thought about the guys being ‘troops.’ Nestor had almost died on the battlefield, and if he hadn’t returned to me, I’d never have known that he was one of my Chosen too.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with five men who were my mates. Wasn’t sure what my responsibilities to them were. I supposed I needed to find out. Being friends with them was easy, but the way Stefan had touched me the night of their return from Aboh didn’t speak of ‘friendliness,’ and the way the men looked at me? That wasn’t the look two friends shot each other’s way.

Did that perturb me? That each one seemed to want me in the way that, at the compound, only a husband and wife had engaged in?

No.

And that surprised the heck out of me.

The souls inside me purred at the prospect, and I knew they were in control of that part of my body. In control of my sexuality.

The human part of me was taken aback. Five different partners? But the souls superseded the human’s surprise. I wasn’t sure if that boded well or not.

Goodness, I wasn’t even sure if the guys were happy about it.

They were all rubbing along together now, two enemy Packs who’d joined so they could protect me, but would they want me like that?

Sister April had slept with Brother Matthew when they were both wed to others and had been stoned for it.

Would the guys want to stone me for being with another?

The prospect had my heart beating far too fast, but the clearing of Jenny’s throat had me jerking in response. I stared at her, saw that I had the class’s attention once more, and felt my cheeks grow pink.

“I-I’m sorry. Could you please repeat the question?”

Jenny’s eyes narrowed. “Who invented the portal?”

Taken aback by the redundant question, I blurted out, “Nobody.”

“That’s right,” Jenny replied eventually, and I realized ithadbeen a trick question. “Do you know the importance of the portal?”

Uneasily, wondering if this was another way for her to trip me up, and well aware I was lying through my front teeth, I said, “Upon graduation, we walk through the portal, and that’s the first time the Shifter souls ever emerge.”

“Not just the Shifter souls,” Jenny corrected. “The Vampires too. Their fangs don’t drop until they graduate. Loreleis, Sin Eaters, and Incubi andSuccubi don’t pack the same punch either. When they approach their twentieth year, they’re potent, but nothing like what happens once they cross the portal.”

I recalled Merry, the recruiter who’d taken me from the house I’d lived in on the compound, who had sung everyone to sleep so I could escape with her.

Potent wasn’t the word.

Jenny cleared her throat, drawing me from my thoughts and back to the class.

“So, today’s homework is to read to page one-forty so we can discuss why you think Ghouls meddle with human politics. What their end game is.” She dipped her chin, her eyes narrowed on me like she knew my mind had been elsewhere before she grumbled, “That’s all.”

Dismissed, I gathered my crap together and realized how tired I was. The one-on-one tutoring sessions had been more difficult somehow, but these required more energy.

After Creature History, Ghoul 101, then a two-hour training session in the gym with a bunch of teenagers who were younger than me and still kicked butt, whereas I was as useful in there as a chocolate teapot, I was wrecked.

Bone-deep tired.

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