Page 34 of Destined for Dreams
He glanced over at the demon hybrid, noting he was deep in conversation with a nerou sitting next to him. Of course, he would know most people here after living with them in Purgatory his whole life. There were only about two hundred of their kind in existence, give or take a few.
“How’s the training here, Zane?” Tormod asked.
The blond male shrugged. “They’re tough on us, and we don’t get much free time, but it’s not too bad. Better than mining in tunnels all day long or listening to angels preach about piousness and purity so we wouldn’t do anything forbidden.”
“Do you have a place to watch movies and hang out?”
“Movies?” Zane frowned. “We’ve watched a few in classes to help us on our language skills, but that’s it.”
Tormod looked at him in shock. “Seriously? How are you supposed to learn about the world if you aren’t exposed to it?”
“We’ve started going in small groups for field trips—just to Kirov so far.”
Bartol pushed his tray away, having finished everything on his plate, and leaned toward the two males. “How do you feel about Zoe as an instructor?”
Zane stared at the burn scars on his face for a moment, swallowed hard, and eventually met his gaze. “She’s got her favorites. I’m not one of them, so I don’t see her that much.”
“What do the other instructors think of her?” Bartol asked.
He chose to ignore the way the nerou looked at him, finding it easier than he’d expected. It bothered him, of course, but he had more important matters to worry about. He supposed it did say something that just a few months ago he wouldn’t have handled the situation nearly as well. Cori had been steadily changing him, even when she wasn’t around. He might have his doubts about her on some things, but he felt certain his appearance didn’t bother her in the least. Her complete acceptance of his burns had been the first step in his realizing they didn’t matter as much as he’d once believed. Perhaps one day, he’d stop caring at all what others thought of his now melted and mottled skin.
“They think she’s lazy,” Zane replied, now staring at the good side of Bartol’s face. “She does just enough to keep the archangel off her back, but that’s it.”
This didn’t surprise him in the least. “Do you consider her cruel or unfair in any way?”
Bartol wanted to find out all he could about Zoe and what the people here thought of her. It was always good to have as much information as possible before dealing with a cunning opponent. After the things she’d done, and what she’d revealed to her daughter the day before, he didn’t trust her motivations at all.
“She’s not mean, but most of us here don’t like her,” Zane replied.
“Why not?”
“She looks at us like we’re less than her.”
Zoe looked at almost everyone that way. “Does she ever leave the facility alone?”
“Sometimes.” The blond male guzzled down some of his apple juice. “But she always comes back with deserts for us, so no one complains.”
“How often?”
He set the glass down. “Usually just on her days off—about once a week.”
Bartol hated to grill the kid, but time was running out before their meeting with Zoe. “What do the other nephilim think of her?”
“She’s sleeping with the lead instructor.” Zane snorted. “The others can’t stand her.”
“Have you ever heard of them speculating about her and things she does?”
The nerou knitted his brows. “What do you mean?”
Bartol amended his question. “Have you heard about any demonic activity?”
“Oh.” Zane’s blue eyes lit up. “Everyone knows about that. A couple of us picked up on it when it started a few months ago, but no one listened to us at first.”
Caius leaned close, joining the conversation. “Tell us everything you know.”
***
They only had ten minutes to talk before Tormod warned them Zoe was coming close to the dining facility. His senses were apparently a little broader than the other male nerou’s because it took a few moments longer for Zane to pick her up. By the time she and Rebecca entered, their group had already put away their trays and stood waiting near the door for the women.
