Chapter 3
Dev
I stomped through the compound, glaring at anyone who dared look my way, and headed straight for the training room.
Before anyone could stop me, I pulled three daggers free and threw them one by one at the targets along the back wall.
The first two caught their mark.
The third was blasted out of the air by a sharp wave of violet light.
I looked up and saw a familiar blonde-haired figure entering the room, dressed in her training clothes. Her hair was braided back carefully, her eyes unreadable.
“What the hell, Phantom?” I snapped, stalking forward to collect my blades.
Sable got to my last knife first. As soon as she picked it up, I growled.
“Give me my knife, Phantom.”
“What’s your problem this morning, Redgrave?” she asked calmly.
I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t call me that.”
Sable Quinn just smiled. “Why not? It’s your name, isn’t it?”
I stepped in close and snatched the blade from her hand.
“What do you want?” I demanded, already throwing my daggers again.
“I heard you had an altercation this morning,” she said. “With the new girl. And my sister.”
“How is that any of your business?”
“Seph is always my business.”
I shook my head at her.
“Please,” I said coldly. “You abandoned her to the institute—”
“I did not abandon her. I tried to save her!”
“Right. Whatever you need to tell yourself,” I snapped back.
She walked through the room, running her hands over the weapons lining the walls.
Sable pursed her lips. “You’ve gotten a little sweet on her, huh?”
“What? Fuck you, Phantom.”
“Tell me the truth, Dev,” she drifted toward the sword rack, fingers brushing the hilts. “Seph is pretty. I know she draws people in. She always has. Ask K.”
Her smile sharpened, just for a second — like she’d bitten down on something sour.
“Do you have a point here?” I said.
“I’m just saying,” she replied lightly, “she’s soft-hearted. Sweet, even. People want to protect her.”
I stared at her.
“So, what,” I said flatly. “You’re saying she’s a liability?”
Sable’s smile faded.
“No. I want you to understand that as sweet as my sister seems, she is still incredibly dangerous. To you, to me. To everyone. You have to tread carefully, that’s all.”
I let out a short laugh and grabbed my knives.
“Oh, so now you’re warning me, Phantom,” I drawled. “How kind of you.”
She didn’t rise to it.
“You and I have never gotten along. We both know that. And that’s fine — we don’t have to be friends, Dev. But Seph is my sister,” she said. “And I will always watch out for her. If it’s the last thing I do.”
I shook my head. “Thanks for the input, Phantom. But considering I didn’t even know your real name, let alone that she was your sister until a few weeks ago, I’m not sure you’re the model of upfront honesty and sibling care. Are you?”
“Dev—” she warned.
“When it comes to Seph, I will make my own decisions. And so will she.”
Sable laughed, her voice sharp with malice.
“So, you won’t even deny it? You think you have a chance with her?”
She tilted her head.
“She can’t even touch you,” she said softly.
My grip tightened on the blades.
“For someone who claims to love her sister,” I said quietly, “you don’t give her much credit.”
For a second, she looked almost… uncertain. I stepped closer.
“Even if nothing ever comes of it,” I went on, my voice steady, “even if all I ever get is five minutes of her time — I would still choose that over a lifetime of listening to your bullshit.”
“So run along, Sable .”
Sable glared at me.
“Regardless of what you think of me, Dev, Elliot has asked that we spend time training with the new recruits while he’s out today. Including the pyro.”
I spun on my heel, furious. “You are joking.”
Sable’s smirk grew wider. “So enjoy it. We start in ten.”
Then she turned and stalked out.