***
“So, how do you feel about it?” Mel asks, but how do I answer that?
On the one hand, it feels like he’s cheating on Mom, and on the other, he’s been so sad and alone. Maybe it’s a good thing?
“I don’t know. Conflicted? Confused?”
“Well, what’s conflicting about your dad going on a date?”
“For one thing, my mom. I mean, it’s like he has just forgotten all about her. But he has been so sad and so lonely. It’s been nice seeing him happy.”
“Maybe you should just be happy for him?”
That’s what I am trying to do here, Mel. I groan and pinch the bridge of my nose with one hand while the other holds a binder and my history textbook.
“Can we talk about something else please?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“So, what about the dagger?”
“Right. Nexus got hold of an ancient text that could point us in the right direction. Aziza and Jinx are scouring the net to find out what part of the world the text could be referring to.”
“I can help with that.”
“No, you can’t actually. You’re scheduled for a training session in the cabin with Sunday and Rye. We have to get you battle ready. Sorry.”
“What, am I going to be spirited away all day to the point where I can’t even get on the web and help search?”
Mel cocks her head to the side.
“Uh, you will have two classes a day, and each class will be two hours long. The first will be with Sunday. He’s going to teach you the history of the Avo so you know what you’re dealing with.”
“And class two?”
“Battle techniques and tactics. I think it goes without saying that will be led by Rye.”
My heart skips. Dammit.
“Do I really need that class? I mean, I did kick like some demon ass the other day.”
“Yeah, you did, but that was mostly fueled by adrenaline and self-preservation. It would be nice if you actually had skill,” Rye says as he comes up behind us.
I remind my heart that it’s a bad idea to beat that fast. When we make eye connect the heat between us is unmistakable.
“So, I expect to see you in the cabin after school, deal?” he asks.
“Yeah, okay,” I say, unable to pull away from his eyes.
Mel, who notes the entire exchange, shakes her head and gives me a sad smile after Rye leaves.
“Wow, you two got it bad.”
“What? There’s nothing going on,” I start. I stop, seeing that Mel can’t be fooled.
“We saw what almost happened at the fair,” Mel says.
“Oh.”
“Yup, everyone saw,” Mel says.
“Is that bad?”
“It’s not the smartest idea Rye’s had.”
“You don’t think I’m good enough for him?” I ask, hurt and defiant as we open our lockers and I exchange my history book for my chem one.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Well, what is it? Is he taken? Is that why Aziza keeps giving me the death stare, is she with Rye?”
“We need to get to class,” Mel says, about to walk away.
I latch on to her and plead. If I don’t get an answer about Rye, I’ll go crazy with wonder.
“Mel, please. Tell me.”
“You’re not the one to blame here, it’s Rye. He knows what our world is like and what the rules are. Talk to him. Ask him why Aziza is so pissed with the thought of the two of you, and also, ask him what happens to a god when he falls for a human.”
Ask him what happens to a god when he falls for a human.
Mel’s question haunts me all day. I can’t wait until after school to find out. And the only way to get an answer, a real one, is directly from the source.
I exhale slowly, waiting for the bell to signal the end of this period. I hope my lab partner took some really good notes, because my head was totally full of Rye and Mel. I have no idea what we learned about today. Racing out the door, I search for Rye in the usual spots but I can’t find him. When I spot Grace, I stop her.
“Hey, this is going to sound odd. Not that anything with us doesn’t. But I heard something.”
“Are you going to ask me or just ramble all day?” Grace asks, not at all annoyed but clearly amused by my sputtering.
“What happens to a god if they fall for a human?”
“Fall for?”
“Like, if they fall in love with one.”
Recognition sparks in Grace’s eyes and she shakes her head.
“Nope. I am staying WAY out of that one. Sorry, Sailor.”
With that, Grace glides away as graceful as a ballerina. Crap. Jinx with his wild hair bobs around the corner and I roll my eyes but figure what other options do I have? I stop him and ask him the same question. He laughs in my face.
“Star-crossed lovers. How cute!”
The bell chimes again. Our little short break is over and the next classes are about to start. I could slap Jinx, how annoyed I am, if I didn’t know how close to death he’d just been.
“You know how that Slip Demon almost gutted you?” I ask him, giving him a nice glare.
I guess he gets the message because he shakes his head and walks off. A familiar voice fills my ears and I spin around, warmth spreading in my core. There he is. The beautiful jerk himself. Ditching class, I storm over to him.
“Hey, we need to talk,” I open up with.
His friends cover their mouths and a chorus of “oooooh” and “ahhh” follows. He shakes hands with a few of them and then guides me away. We walk quietly to the gym and the next thing I know he’s taking me behind the bleachers. My heart is racing away, but I remind myself this isn’t a little make-out getaway. I have questions and he needs to be the one to answer them.
“Okay,” I start, but he holds up a finger to
