“Who has the time for such an undertaking?” Marcus frowned. “Aiden, you are a Sentinel, not an Instructor.

Neither is Leon. And Laadan wil be returning to New York shortly. The other Instructors have lives—ones I cannot expect them to drop just for one half-blood.”

Aiden’s expression was unreadable, and I sure as hel didn’t know what provoked the words coming out of his mouth next. “I can work with her. It wouldn’t interfere with my duties.”

“You’re one of the best Sentinels,” Marcus shook his head. “It would be a waste of your talent—”

They battled on about what to do to me. I tried interjecting once, but after the warning glare both Leon and Aiden sent my way, I shut up. Marcus continued stating I was a lost cause while Aiden and Leon argued that I could be fixed.

My uncle’s wil ingness to turn me over to Lucian stung.

Servitude wasn’t a pleasant future. Everyone knew that. I’d heard rumors, terrible ones concerning how the pures treated halfs—especial y female halfs.

Laadan stepped forward after Aiden and Marcus came to a standstil about what to do with me. Slowly, she flicked her long hair over one shoulder. “How about we make a deal, Dean Andros? If Aiden says he can train her and stil do his duties, then you have nothing to lose. If she’s not ready by the end of the summer, she doesn’t stay.”

I twisted back to Marcus, ful of hope.

He stared at me for what seemed like forever. “Fine.” He leaned back in his chair. “But this is on you, Aiden. Do you understand? Anything—and I mean anything—she does wil be a reflection upon you. And trust me, she wil do something. She’s just like her mother.”

Aiden suddenly looked cautious as he glanced back at me. “Yes. I understand.”

A wide smile broke out across my face and the cautious look on his face grew, but when I turned back to Marcus, my smile died under his frigid stare.

“I wil be less tolerant than your old dean, Alexandria. Do not make me regret this decision.”

I nodded, not ful y trusting myself to speak. There was a good chance I would mess it al up if I did. Afterwards, Marcus dismissed me with a wave of his hand. I stood and left his office. Laadan and Leon remained, but Aiden fol owed me.

I turned to him. “Thank you.”

Aiden stared at me. “Don’t thank me yet.”

I smothered a yawn and shrugged. “Wel , I just did. I real y think Marcus would’ve shipped me off to Lucian’s if it wasn’t for you three.”

“He would’ve. Your stepfather is your legal guardian.”

I shuddered. “That’s reassuring.”

He caught my reaction. “Was it something that Lucian did that caused you and your mother to leave?”

“No, but Lucian… wasn’t particularly fond of me. I’m Mom’s love child, you know? He’s just Lucian. What’s that prick up to, anyways?”

Aiden’s brows rose. “That prick is the Minister of Council.”

My mouth dropped open. “What? You’re kidding, right?”

“Why would I joke about something like that? So you may want to refrain from cal ing him a prick in public. I doubt it would help your cause.”

News that Lucian was now a Minister made my stomach clench, especial y considering he had a “place” for me in his household. I shook my head and pushed that implication far from my thoughts. I had enough immediate concerns other than dealing with him.

“You should get some rest. Come tomorrow, we’l begin training… if you feel up to it.”

“I do.”

Aiden’s gaze drifted over my bruised face and then down, as if he could see the many cuts and bruises I’d racked up since I’d fled Miami. “Are you sure?”

I nodded, my gaze fal ing on the lock of hair he kept pushing off his forehead. “What are we starting with? I didn’t start any of the offensive tactics or Silat training.”

He shook his head. “I hate to disappoint you, but you won’t be starting with Silat training.”

That was disappointing. I liked daggers and al things that stabbed, and I real y would like to know how to use them effectively. I started to head toward my dorm, but Aiden’s voice stopped me.

“Alex. Don’t… let me down. Anything you do wil come back on me. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Don’t worry. I’m not as bad as Marcus makes me sound.”

He looked doubtful. “Fraternizing in the male dorms?”

I flushed. “I was visiting friends. Not like I was hooking up with any of them. I was only fourteen. I’m not a ho-bag.”

“Wel , that’s good to know.” He walked away.

Sighing, I headed back to my room. I was tired, but al the excitement from getting a second chance had me hyped up. After staring at the bed for an absurd amount of time, I left my room and moved through the empty hal s of the girls’

dorm. The pures and halfs shared living quarters only at the Covenant. Anyplace else, we were segregated.

I tried to remember what it’d been like to be here. The rigorous training schedules, ridiculous class work studying things that’d bored me to tears, and al the social games the pures and halfs had played. There’s nothing like a bunch of catty teenagers who could either kick your ass halfway across the country or set you on fire with a mere thought. That alone changed who people picked fights with or became friends with. And at the end of the day, it was always good to have a firestarter in your back pocket.

Everyone had a role to play. I’d been considered cool by half-blood standards, but now I had no idea where I would stand come fal .

After roaming the empty common rooms, I left the girls’

dorm and headed for one of the smal er buildings near the marshlands. The one story, square building held the cafeteria and rec rooms and surrounded a colorful courtyard.

I slowed as I neared one of the larger rooms. The laughter and crashes radiating from the room proved there were some kids stil here over summer vacation.

Something flip-flopped inside me. Would they accept me back? Would they even know me? Hel , would they even care?

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the doors. No one seemed to notice me. Everyone was busy cheering on a pure who floated several pieces of furniture in midair. The young girl was a novice at control ing the air element, which explained al the noise. Mom had used air, too. After al , it was the most common element. Pures could only control one, sometimes two if they were real y powerful.

I studied the girl. With her bright red curls and giant blue eyes, she looked about twelve, especial y standing next to the towering halfs in her cute jumper. I real y didn’t have room to talk. I came in at a whopping five and a half feet, which was midget size compared to most of the halfs.

I blamed my mortal father.

Meanwhile, the pure pursed her lips as another chair toppled to the floor and more chuckles erupted from her audience—al except one. Caleb Nicolo. Tal , blond, and al charming smile, Caleb had been my partner in dysfunction when I’d been at the Covenant. I shouldn’t have been so surprised to see him here during the summer. His mortal mother had never wanted anything to do with her “weird”

child and his pure-blood father was total y on the absentee list.

Caleb stared at me, wide-eyed and stunned. “Holy…

crap.”

Everyone turned at that point, even the pure. With her concentration broken, al the items fel to the floor. Several of the halfs scattered as the couch came down, and then the pool table.

I wiggled my fingers. “Long time no see, huh?”

Caleb snapped out of it and within two seconds, he’d crossed the length of the room and pul ed me into a mammoth hug. Then he picked me up and swung me around.

“Where in the hel have you been?” He put me on my feet.

“Three years, Alex? What the hel ? Do you even know what half of the students said happened to you and your mom?

We thought you were dead! I could seriously punch you in the face, like right now.”

I could barely hold back my smile. “I’ve missed you, too.”

He kept staring at me like I was some kind of mirage. “I can’t believe you’re real y standing here. You better have a wild story for me.”

I laughed. “Like what?”

“You better have had a baby, kil ed someone, or slept with a pure. Those are your three options. Anything less is total y unacceptable.”

“You’re so gonna be disappointed, because it wasn’t anything exciting.”

Caleb dropped his arm around my shoulders and steered me to one of the couches. “Then you gotta tel me what the hel you’ve been doing and how you got back here.

And why you didn’t cal any of us? There isn’t a single place in this world that doesn’t have cel service.”

“I’d go with she probably kil ed someone.”

I tilted my head back and spotted Jackson Manos in the group of halfs I didn’t recognize. He looked exactly as I remembered him. Dark hair parted down the middle, a body made just for girls to drool over, and equal y dark, sexy eyes. I gave him my best smile. “Whatever, you douche. I didn’t kil anyone.”

Jackson shook his head as he approached us. “Do you remember dropping Nick on his neck during take down practice? You nearly kil ed him. Good thing we heal as quickly as we do or you would’ve put him out of training for months.”

We al laughed at the memory. Poor Nick had spent a week in the infirmary after the incident. Our good time and general curiosity drew the other halfs to the couch. Knowing I had to answer some of the questions regarding my absence eventual y, I came up with a pretty bland tale about Mom wanting to live among mortals. Caleb looked at me doubtful y, but he didn’t push it.

“What the hel are you wearing, by the way? It looks like the guy’s training uniform.” Caleb plucked at my sleeve.

“It’s al I have.” I gave a dramatic, pitiful sigh. “I doubt I’m going to get out anytime soon, and I don’t have any money.”

He grinned. “I know where they keep al the training clothes here. Tomorrow, I can pick you up some extra stuff in town.”

“You don’t have to. And besides, I don’t think I want you shopping for me. I’d end up looking like a stripper.”

Caleb laughed, the skin around his blue eyes crinkling.

“Don’t worry about it. Dad sent me a near fortune a few weeks ago. Guess he feels bad for being a dick of a father.

Anyway, I’l get one of the girls to go with me or something.”

The pure—Thea was her name—eventual y made her way over to where we sat. She seemed nice and genuinely interested in me, but she asked the one question I feared.

“So has your mother… reconciled with Lucian?” she asked in a smal , childlike voice.

I forced myself not to show any reaction. “No.”

She looked surprised. So did the halfs.

“But… they can’t divorce,” said Caleb. “Are they going to do the separate house, different zip code thing?”

Pures never divorced. They believed their mates were predestined by the gods. I’d always thought it was a load of bul , but the “no-divorce” thing explained why so many of them had affairs.