“Sophie does,” I replied. “She’s a personal trainer, and since the majority of her clients are Harbor Point residents, she has permission to use the space. For non-residents, she moonlights at some place on K Street.”
As if summoned, Sophie rounded the corner, her normally wild curls somewhat tamed into a thick pom pom on top of her head. Her close-fitting crop top exposed the medium-brown skin of her chiseled stomach, and her leggings left nothing to the imagination. Her dark eyes lit up when she saw me, then she took her time inspecting the man at my side. I could practically see her salivating and held back a snort of laughter despite my anger. Sophie was never shy about what she wanted.
“Honey, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say your boyfriend has some fierce competition.”
I shook my head, ignoring her comment. The point of coming here was to let off steam safely, not talk about Lucifer issues. “Sophie, this is Nathan. He’s like me. Nathan, this is Sophie, my roommate.”
“When you say ‘like me,’ you mean a witch or a…”
“Demigod,” I filled in, lowering my voice with so many people around.
Sophie bit her bottom lip and eyed him again. “Mmm, I can see it.”
“Stop undressing him with your eyes,” I hissed, swatting at her. “It’s rude.”
She laughed and tucked herself between us, looping her arms through ours and leading us along. “My next client texted me, he’s running a little late. Why don’t you tell me what brought you out here?”
Nathan nodded and peeked at me over her head. “I’d like to know that, myself.”
“We’re mad at Lu—er, Sam right now and I need to blow off some steam.” I inspected the room she’d led us into, finding it empty of people and several mats laid out on the floor. “I was hoping for a place to spar without making it a public spectacle and having Boston’s finest called on us.”
“Spar?” Nathan asked, eyes wide.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah? Didn’t you just offer to teach me to fight the other day?” Settling into a comfortable stance resembling what I’d seen in movies, I curled my fingers at him. “So teach me.”
“I meant more along the lines of using your magic alongside your physical abilities,” he said, even as he circled around me and eased into a stance of his own, fists curled up close to his face like a boxer. “But if you insist, don’t hold back. I need to know what I’m working with so I know where to start.”
Sophie sat cross-legged against the wall to watch. “So, why are we mad at Lucifer this time? Does this affect your plans to abandon me and our amazing apartment? Oh, do I need to cut him?”
Nathan sputtered and looked at her, eyes wide. I took advantage of the distraction and his breath punched from his lungs as my leg swung full-force into his stomach. He fell to one knee and coughed.
“Fucking hell, Lexi,” he gasped before turning his attention back to Sophie. “Aren’t you… I mean, you’re human, right? No offense, but I don’t sense any power coming from you.”
Shrugging, Sophie bared her teeth at him in a terrifying smile. “Ain’t gotta have power to cut a bitch. And if he keeps hurting Lexi, he’s just asking for it, really.”
“But you know he’s Lucifer. Like,theLucifer, the fallen angel, the ruler of Hell and all.”
“Hey,” I said, taking a swipe at his head. He ducked and rolled under my fist, bouncing back to his feet with more grace than his build suggested. Bulky as he was, I could still see Apollo’s influence in the way he moved. “Focus. We’re here for me.”
Nathan rolled up on the balls of his feet. “Fine. First tip: don’t break your root when you take a swing. I could’ve broken your ankle or knocked your feet out from under you with that last punch.”
I gave him a grin as fierce as Sophie’s. “Noted.”
We danced around each other for almost two hours, Sophie’s appointment forgotten as she stayed with us and offered her own pointers. I surprised Nathan with the random bits of martial arts I’d picked up on my own, though he adjusted my posture more than once so that the moves would be more effective with my leaner build. He surprised me with how quick he was, an advantage I’d thought I would have over him.
“Oof!”
My back slammed into the mat and a heavy weight landed on my chest, my right arm pinned beneath me. I blinked up into Nathan’s bright green eyes, practically glowing with victory after I’d taken him down in a surprise attack a couple minutes ago. This close, I could feel the low hum of his power, could smell the faint scent of sweat and coconut. For a moment, I wondered if my life would’ve been less chaotic if I’d just dated someone like Nathan earlier. He wouldn’t have run from my out-of-control magic, and his identity wouldn’t have been nearly as jarring as Lucifer’s.
The temptation to give in to that safer path tugged at me, but I wasn’t Lucifer. I couldn’t do that to someone I cared about, regardless of what I’d just witnessed. And Nathan deserved better than that.
He flinched when Sophie patted him on the shoulder. “You can let her up now. I think you’re suffocating her under all that muscle.”
“Oh god, sorry!” He rolled off me and offered me a hand up, which I accepted. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean—”
“No, no, I’m fine,” I insisted, waving away his concern. “Just lost focus for a second.”
In my periphery, Sophie smirked. “Don’t get distracted by those beautifully sculpted tree trunks wrapped around you. Keep your head in the game, Red.”
