Chapter 36
Dev
I crushed the missive in my fist. It didn’t matter. The words were already burned into my mind.
And now I had to tell Elliot.
I found him in his office looking over a stack of papers.
“Dev,” he said, nodding.
“Elliot, I got a message from my father today.” I handed it over. “Read it.”
I watched him skim through the pages.
His eyebrows lifted slightly. That was all — but it was enough. Elliot understood exactly what this meant.
Elliot leaned back in his seat, looking up from his papers. “How did he know where you were?”
“I set up a PO box years ago. Elliot… he’s been recruited to the Council of Light. Dominic Lightwood picked him himself.”
“Why would Ian tell you this?”
“Because he wants me to come home to run the Redgrave Publishing House for him.”
Elliot narrowed his eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly.”
Elliot read the document again, then closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, a strange film clouded his eyes.
I could only watch awkwardly as Elliot’s power reached forward, tracing the paths of possibility.
“So?” I said finally.
“You need to go. Take Sable.”
“Sable?” I grimaced.
“She will be useful and you know it.”
“She’s also supposed to be dead!”
“I didn’t say take her as your date!” Elliot exclaimed. “I said take her. Utilise her. See what she can find.”
I growled. “Fine. I’ll take her.”
“You have to be careful here, Dev. You know what we need. The next Council of Light convention is coming up soon. We need to know where it’s being held.”
“Can’t you see it?” I gestured toward him. “You always do.”
Elliot shook his head. “It’s still hidden. I wish I knew why.”
“Has this happened before?” I asked him.
He looked at me. Something in his eyes seemed darker than usual.
“No,” he said quietly.
But his gaze flicked briefly toward the training yard.
I wondered if he was lying.
“Alright,” I said. “I’m going to go get some training in.”
“One more thing.”
“What?” I narrowed my gaze.
“You will be training Seph from now on.”
“No,” I said instantly.
“This isn’t a request, Dev.”
“Still no. Ask Kieran.”
“Kieran is busy. It has to be you.”
“Why?”
“Because she needs to learn to fight, and you’re the best available. This is a direct order.”
“Elliot!”
“Whatever drama happened between you two, get over it. Emotions have no place in a war, Dev.”
I clenched my fists and breathed deeply. “Fine,” I snapped.
“Don’t hold back, Dev. Push her. Is that clear?”
“Crystal.”
As I stormed out, every part of me wanted to turn back.
Because Seph was waiting.
And I had no idea what to say to her.
**
I found Seph running around the track outside, alone.
Sable had clearly lent her some clothes because she was dressed in black, full-length leggings and a long-sleeved workout shirt.
Every inch of fabric clung to her skin, revealing every line of her body.
Jesus Christ.
This was going to be harder than I thought.
Seph stopped when she saw me and stilled her expression.
But her eyes burned as they locked onto mine.
“Good form out there,” I said, stiffly. My voice came out colder than I meant it to.
She wiped the sweat from her face with the back of her hand and began stretching.
“You’re late. I assumed you’d be here by now, so I started without you.”
“So, I see.”
She shrugged and looked away, then bent forward to stretch her hamstrings.
I tried not to look. I failed.
I cleared my throat. She straightened and glared at me.
“Okay. Now what?”
“Now let’s see what you got.”
I walked to the rack beside the building and grabbed two Bo staffs. I tossed one at her. She caught it, flinching slightly.
“Bo staffs?”
“You have a problem with my methods?”
“No. Just wondering when this is going to be useful. It’s not like staffs are just lying around.”
“No? How about sticks? Bats?” I asked her, my voice flat. I swung without warning.
Her staff flew from her hands and clattered to the ground.
“You’re dead.”
She glared at me, yanking up her staff again.
I stepped forward before she could reset and kicked her front foot wider apart.
“Your stance is garbage.”
She stiffened as I adjusted the angle of her staff with my hand, her breath brushing my face.
“Your centre’s wide open.”
Her breath hitched slightly.
Mine did too.
I stepped back quickly.
“Again.”
She paused, flexing her hands around the staff.
“What are you waiting for? If you hesitate in a real fight, you are dead.”
She swung at me, but I dodged it easily. I swept the staff low, knocking her legs out from under her.
She tumbled to the ground.
She hissed in pain, clutching her leg.
I paused. “Are you alright?”
Her staff snapped upward and nearly knocked me over.
“Who’s hesitating now?” she smiled, leaping back to her feet.
I stared at her in disbelief.
Then I grinned.
“Alright then, let’s do this.”
No more holding back.
I lunged.
Seph moved faster this time, twisting sideways and bringing her staff up hard against mine. Wood cracked against wood.
She shoved forward, forcing me back a step.
Interesting.
I spun the staff low and caught her ankle again.
But this time she saw it coming.
She jumped and landed hard against my chest, and suddenly we were tangled together, staffs locked between us.
Her breath was warm against my neck.
“Still think I’m dead?” she murmured.
I tightened my grip on the staff between us.
“You’re improving.”
Then I twisted sharply.
The staff flew from her hands again and clattered across the ground.
“But not enough. Dead.”
I stepped back.
“Again.”
Something sparked in her eyes.
Finally.
She was starting to fight back.