No. Shut up.Shut up!
“That’s enough, Theon,” Moira called out, halting the water.
My Infernus quieted the moment Theon released us from his power, and the itches dissipated. I sagged against the wall.
“It’s time for our run.” Moira ushered the squad out of the bathroom. “Faster, recruits,” she said, pointing at us, grinning.
“We’re soaked,” I snapped.
Moira laughed with disbelief. “You think I care? We might not be allowed to kill you, but if the elements do it for us, it’s not our problem.”
I grabbed the side of my soaking pants to refrain from punching Moira—or tackling her to the bathroom tile. Oliver placed his hands on my shoulders, understanding that I might actually attack her and lose.
“Move,” she ordered, turning as the last of the squad left the showers. The smile in her voice needled at the melody I’d just put to rest.
We followed them out, then luscelered to our room to change.
Chapter
Fifteen
RONEN
MyDreads and I split up and rounded on the six Hell Squadrons, observing their skill levels and assessing our leadership. Rune padded silently at my side, ever watchful as we evaluated the recruits.
Each of us carried a piece of parchment marked with a Scriptum Ostendere—a rune that linked our papers, allowing us to share our thoughts and observations in real time. By day’s end, I planned to use the second piece in my pocket, linked to the poster overhead, to rank our warriors and give them a clearer sense of their competition.
I paused near the Devils Squadron, where groups of recruits sparred in hand-to-hand combat. I glanced down at my paper, fighting the urge to roll my eyes at Alexei’s latest addition to our notes. And it had to be Alexei. He was the only Dread who’d think to draw a crude stick figure of a female with exaggerated curves and, predictably, a list of her hair and eye colors. We didn’t knowall the names in the lower-level squadrons, so we relied on physical descriptions and—in Alexei’s case—personal embellishments.
I scanned the Devils, bypassing Lou’s drilling stare, and found the female Alexei had so expertly drawn, shaking my head when I did. She had a half-bare face, the skin stripped from her neck to her temple, revealing slick muscle. Bone jutted from half her nose, and her teeth gleamed as she took blow after brutal blow from her opponent. Alexei should’ve noted her soul wound, not her curvy body—but knowing him, I wasn’t surprised. Still, he wasn’t wrong to note her.
She took hits to the face and kidneys and didn’t flinch. Not a grunt, not even a hiss of pain. Her remaining eye, fierce and determined, locked onto her attacker as she absorbed the hits to her ribs. Then, with an almost casual efficiency, she knocked the male off balance, drove him to the ground, and hammered him with her fists. I nodded, impressed, and placed a tally next to her name.
Rune bounded off to the far end of the arena, grabbing my attention, only to lead me toher.
She stood bundled up, shivering, and heaving against the Nephilim. Surprisingly, my shadows didn’t react. I refused to think about why. Like I refused to think about what her words had done to me the other night. Not her worthless apology—she could apologize from dawn to dusk, and I wouldn’t give her a moment’s attention. At least, not more than I had to. Even if I found myself checking in on her more than I should. No, it was before that—her defeated honesty that struck a chord. And damn it, I hated how it made me feel.
Gritting my teeth, I glared at the wet sheen in her heavy, dark waves and her undeniable shivering. My shadows shoved at mycontrol, wanting to shoot out and tamper with her neurons to warm her up.
Why the fuck was her hair wet again?
“Tormentors Leader,” I called out, walking over to the iron yard.
Moira set down her weights. “Yes, Ronen?”
“What did you call me?” My shadows seeped from my feet, secretly sliding up her leg and lifting a dagger from her sheath.
My lips pressed into a line while hers lifted in a taunting smirk. We both agreed at the beginning of this arrangement that she wouldn’t drop my title during training. I didn’t want anyone thinking she had special treatment. But it seemed she no longer cared—still snubbed by the unfairness of her situation, the murder of her friend, and probably the fact we hadn’t fucked since we rescued the hellion. It hadn’t been without trying, but every time she came to my room, I would either leave, sleep, or try to please her and lose interest, leaving her to pleasure herself. She had reasons to be upset, but she was testing my restraint. Her devious little mind once intrigued me, but now I found it off-putting.
Her lip twitched, as if we were playing a game. “Ro?—”
I nicked her neck, and my shadows drew her blood to my mouth. Quickly, I shut down the neural pathways to her temporal lobe, silencing her.
“Here, I am your general.” I stepped into her space, towering over her as the shadows swirled in my irises, deepening my vision. “Not your punching bag. Not yourboyfriend,” I spat. “Your general. If you want to continue down this path, you can join Danny in the lower circles. Understood?”
She slowly nodded, her nostrils flaring with anger. I shouldn’t let this disrespect slide. I usually didn’t. But there was something else that needed my attention—something gnawing at me enough to tighten my chest and stir the anxious shadows under my skin.
“Your new recruits have returned.” I nodded to the door, releasing Moira from my control.
