Page 88 of The Devil's Trials
“I said,shut up.” I jump into action, launching myself at him again, the cool metal hilt of my dagger biting into my palm. I use the discomfort to focus and center myself.
Slashing across his chest, I wince as Xander growls in pain at the obsidian that slices his skin, and my eyes drop to the tip of my blade now coated with black blood that drips onto the pristine white floor.
In the space of a heartbeat, Xander knocks the dagger out of my hand and closes in, baring his teeth like an animal and sneering at me. He cocks his head to the side, those black orbs studying my face—for what, I have no idea.
And then he laughs.
The sound chills me to the marrow of my bones and sends nausea rolling through me like a tidal wave.
“Oh, Camille.” He inhales slowly, then sighs. My eyes widen when his flicker to their normal brown, but everything in me tenses when he murmurs, “You’re dead.”
Those words shoot adrenaline straight into my veins, but I struggle to channel the surge of energy into fighting the soon-to-be king of hell. The man I love.My soulmate.
Xander lunges before I can, slamming into me and taking us both to the ground. I gasp, the air knocked from my lungs, and grit my teeth against the flare of pain in my tailbone.
A shudder ripples through me, and I stare up at him, my heart beating so hard it burns. Tears of fear and anger blur my vision as Xander snatches the dagger off the floor and raises it. He’s poised to strike, and I can’t move. He has me trapped beneath him, with his thighs on either side of my hips and my hands pinned above me.
My eyes fall closed, my shoulders shaking with silent sobs as fire licks up my throat.
I wait for the pain to come, but instead, the weight of Xander on top of me disappears.
The simulation is over.
I just failed my first hunter test.
Silence fills the room once more, and I blink my eyes open to stare at the industrial ceiling as my heart continues pounding against my rib cage. My pulse spikes, and I sit up when the doors slide open and Noah walks in, his expression grim.
I get to my feet on shaky legs, sweat coating my skin as the cool air chills me to the bone.
Noah stops a few feet from me, tension screwing his features. “What was that?”
I clench my jaw, willing the burning in my eyes to fade. “I’m sorry,” I croak, shame filling my voice.
He shakes his head. “I don’t even know what to say.”
I drop my gaze, dipping my chin as it quivers. “You and me both.” I swallow past the lump in my throat and press my lips into a tight line.
“Camille, this is serious. If you fail your next test, there’s nothing I or your parents can do. You’ll be kicked out of the training program.”
I don’t say anything. I can’t. All I can do is stand there and will myself not to burst into tears.
Noah exhales heavily. “I can tell you’re not in the headspace to discuss this now. I’ll take you back to the apartment and we’ll talk about it later.”
I’m getting out of the shower an hour after I get back from my test when my phone chimes from the vanity. I pull on my robe and wrap my hair in a towel before grabbing it and finding a message from Harper.
Hey, babe. Just checking in. You around today?
Hey! Sure, what’s up?
Don’t freak out, but things have gotten a bit complicated here. Turns out being related to the heir to the throne in the demon world puts a bit of a target on your back.
My stomach plummets and my legs suddenly feel unsteady. I walk into my bedroom and sit on the end of my bed before calling her.
She picks up on the first ring and quickly says, “I’m fine.”
“What happened?” I demand.
“Take a breath, Cami. Nothing happened to me. Xander and Blake ran into an issue with some demons that were supporters of Lucia.”
