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I thought I was building this room for her, but now I wonder if it was more than that–a place for us outside the shadow of the House of Night, away from the pain and threats.

A place for us.

29

Arianette

“Is that her?”

Damon and I are standing at the very back of the lecture hall, half-hidden in the shadows near the exit doors. Hunter is at the front of the room, packing up his things after class and talking with a woman standing near the podium. She’s very pretty–smooth, dark hair falling just past her shoulders, warm brown eyes, and an easy confidence in the way she holds herself.

“Sofia Martinez, yeah,” Damon confirms, his shoulder propped casually against the doorjamb.

I can’t hear what they’re saying, but Hunter smiles at something she says–that rare, genuine smile that makes the corners of his eyes crinkle. My stomach does an uncomfortable little flip. I find myself stiffening beside Damon, arms crossing tighter over my chest.

When I glance over at him, he’s already watching me with a small, knowing smirk on his face.

“What?” I snap.

He shrugs one broad shoulder, still looking far too amused. “Nothing.”

With my eyes still fixed on Hunter and Sofia, I mutter, “No, really. What’s that little face about?”

“You just seem bothered seeing Hunt talking to that girl.”

I wouldn’t call her a girl. She’s a full woman–poised, intelligent-looking, and clearly comfortable in her own skin. I bristle at the insinuation that I’m bothered.

“She’s his instructor,” I state, as if that single fact should clear everything up. Still, I add, “I’m not bothered.”

Damon reaches out and hooks two fingers into the top of my skirt, dragging me back against his hard body. His voice drops low near my ear, “That woman is the sister of the former Kappa Nu leader, Bruno Perez. And if she agrees… she may be the one who helps us shut down the Guardian once and for all.” His teeth graze my ear. “No need to be jealous.”

I roll my eyes at him, but don’t step away. I like his hands on me.

The plan had come together over the last few days while the guys and Timothy sat around the massive table in the House of Night library. After months of pouring over maps, creeping through tunnels, and hitting dead end after dead end, Hunter had leaned back in his chair, tired eyes focused on the blueprints, and said:

“What if we stopped all of this bullshit, stopped searching for the Guardian and just forced them to come to us?”

Damon had frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s too vast. Too dangerous. Too time-consuming for us to keep searching the tunnels blindly.” Hunter had pushed his fingers through his hair. “But we know the Guardian likes to hunt. Maybe it’s time we offered them some bait.”

The hair on my neck had risen. I’d shifted in the armchair I’d been curled up in, doing homework, and the leather creaked loudly enough to draw all three sets of eyes to me.

“Not you, Nettie,” Hunter had said immediately, voice firm and clear. “I promise.”

I exhaled in relief.

“Who do you have in mind?” Timothy had asked.

“Someone who may already be on the Guardian’s radar,” Hunter explained. “She’s got a royal connection and felt like she might have been a target a few months ago.”

Damon had nodded in understanding. “You mean Sofia Martinez.”

“Exactly.”

Timothy had frowned. “And you think she’ll volunteer for this?”

Hunter had only shrugged those broad shoulders. “We can at least ask.”