Page 21 of Destined for Shadows
The other nerou were merely long-lived since they were only a quarter angel, which meant they matured faster, but Tormod was more like a nephilim since he was only half human. Young immortals tended to be full of energy and hot emotions. Left to his own devices, he would always be looking for trouble and anything to entertain his curious mind. Bartol couldn’t blame him for his nature, but he could attempt to teach the young man how to slow down and take time to observe the world around him.
He pointed at Tormod. “Do not use any magic—no flashing or super speed.”
“Why?” he asked, impatience in his tone.
“Because you need to learn patience,” Bartol explained. “Your future job will include dealing with supernaturals far older than you, as well as humans who may be frightened and upset. Perhaps a vampire will have just killed someone’s daughter. Not only will you need to learn how to track a dangerous murderer down who may be stronger and more experienced than you, but you will also have to provide comfort to the girl’s family. You will need patience for both, and a full understanding of how this world and the people in it works.”
“I still don’t get the point of this,” he said, gesturing at the pile of leaves and twigs.
“You will.”
Bartol left Tormod to rake the ground and climbed back up the ladder. He took his time clearing the gutters, forcing his student to wait on him. Little by little, they made their way around the entire cabin until all the gutters were clear. Then they used a hose to do a final rinse and make certain nothing was left. Tormod remained quiet for all of it—to Bartol’s surprise—and did what he was told. It was difficult to say if that was a good or bad thing.
“We’ll take our lunch break now.”
“Thank God.” Tormod rubbed his stomach. “I’m hungry.”
They went into the cabin, each taking turns at the sink to wash the dirt off themselves. Bartol may have “accidentally” dumped a clump of mud from the gutter onto his student’s head at one point, which meant Tormod had to scrub his hair and scalp as well. After finishing, they heated the leftover barbecue chicken sitting in the fridge.
“Did you make this?” Tormod asked after savoring his first bite.
“No. Cori grilled it last night and gave me some to take home.”
The nerou took another bite and closed his eyes, chewing slowly before swallowing. “We should hire her as a cook for the training compound. This is way better than anything we can make for ourselves.”
“She runs her own business already, so I doubt she’d be interested.” And regardless, Bartol didn’t like the idea of her being in that place with so many hot-blooded men around. The very idea of it bothered him far more than expected.
Tormod grinned. “I can be convincing when I want to be.”
“You will not try to convince her of anything,” Bartol growled.
“Damn.” The nerou leaned back in his chair, eyes widening. “I didn’t mean it like that. I know she’s Melena’s friend and a human.”
Before Bartol could respond, the sound of a vehicle pulling up the road drew his attention. “Someone is coming.”
“It’s just Emily,” Tormod said, shrugging.
“How did you…”
“Part sensor, remember?” The nerou tapped his temple. “My range isn’t very far—just a couple of hundred feet—but I can pick up auras if someone is close enough.”
Bartol had forgotten about that. It was one of the reasons the angels thought Tormod and the others would be such a threat to the world. They had many of the same abilities as sensors, as well as that of immortals. It was a dangerous combination.
“Bartol!” Emily pounded on the front door. “Get your lazy butt out here.”
Couldn’t anyone knock like a normal person?
“I’ll take care of her,” Tormod said, starting to get up.
“No.” Bartol pointed at the nerou’s plate. “You will finish eating, and I’ll answer my own door.”
He flashed out of the cabin and reappeared behind Emily. “What do you want?”
She jumped about twenty feet in the air, landed, and spun around. “Don’t scare me like that! And since when do you go sneaking up on people?”
“I am training one of the nerou. You should not be here.”
Emily lifted her chin. “I know, but I figured you might want help since it’s Tormod.”
