“Did you come back to me?” he whispered, cupping my cheek.
I stepped away from his touch, knowing he already knew that answer.
“What was this about? What lesson did you want me to learn?” I snapped.
He grunted, our moment clearly over.
His shadows cleared, and the voices of the crowd descended. He bellowed over them, “Nightmares almost won, but failed for attacking the Devils. Tormentors lost. Devils forfeited their place not only for disregarding the rules but also for running scared. And Maxine was a calculated casualty.”
He kept his intense gaze on me as he added, “She had the intention of killing a Tormentor, so I took matters into my own hands.”
That he did.
I had expected to find a bloody decapitated mess, but instead found only his Soul Sword pointing at the place she used to be.
“Infernos start as demons and face off against the remaining Nightmares,” he ordered. “Tormentors and Devils, take your wounded to the healers’ wing.”
I started following Aspen and Oliver to help our squad reach the healers’ wing when Ronen grabbed my arm.
“I’ll have Rune follow you and let her siphon off my power to keep the shadow pressure. Tell her when you’re ready for your answers.”
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Lucille
Rune led me in a familiar direction, but not the one I had expected. A dusk sky filled the large windows we passed, forcing flames to light the globed sconces one by one to guide our way.
Training had to be just finishing, which meant Ronen was at the arena, right?
So why was she taking me this way?
Approaching the library doors, I gazed up at an image of my back. The entirety of it was exposed, displaying my five scars in stark detail and Tsal-mawet. They had shown me something similar a few weeks ago, but with Michael.
What did it mean?
Rune plopped down next to the wall as Ronen opened the doors.
“I thought you’d still be at the arena.”
He motioned for me to enter. “I had other pressing plans.”
I scanned him from his black boots up his sand-dusted leathers to the smudges of grime muting the black in his neck tattoos. “Pressing enough not to change or clean yourself?” I inquired as I passed him.
He grabbed my hand, stopping me. “Yes. In fact, you are.”
I swallowed, tugging my hand back before I lost all my mettle.
“Why did you bring me here, General?”
Did he really want to have it out in the library? I guess no one ever came here, but I was sure Cato wouldn’t be too pleased.
I turned to face Ronen and his narrowed expression.
“That isn’t my name.”
I shrugged. “I remember a time when you told me that’s all I could call you.”
