Reckless Souls (Saints Academy, #1)(73)

I don’t miss the way his smile falters ever so slightly, dropping at the sides, like the forced edge

he always offers falls away as he squints at me, clearly processing my observation.

“I’m here because I want to be. Why are you here?”

Fuck his bullshit.

“I’m not talking around in circles with you. I have too much going on in my fucking head already

for you to swoop in here and make things harder by playing games,” I bite, grabbing the demons book

and pulling it toward me. I flip the hardback cover open, reading through the index as I try to see if

this holds anything I might find useful.

Maybe I could use it to assess the asshole in front of me.

Adonis doesn’t respond for a moment, remaining eerily quiet to the point I think he might have

vanished altogether, but my body is far too aware of his presence as always.

“We agreed as a group that we should split up and come looking for you. Try to be supportive and

all that,” he says with a wave of his hand. “It was actually Zen’s idea. Although, the way Xander was

grumbling about your eating again, I think that might have triggered it.”

I look up through my lashes at him, my lips twisting to the side as I think. His shoulders are

relaxed, his face smooth of any strain or concern, and it’s more like his eyes are smiling than his

actual mouth. I can’t help but feel he’s being genuine. Him.

Just like that, a bit of silence on my behalf has Adonis dropping his facade and letting me see the

real him underneath it all. It’s not much, just a piece of truth without a hint of sarcasm or a joke—a

cover for who he is. It’s only the reason why he’s here, but it’s something. A million times better than

the bullshit I was getting from him a minute ago.

Wetting my lips, I sit back in my seat, hand still paused on the page of the book as I eye him

cautiously. “If you think we’re fucking so you can see if we are sealed, then you’re wrong and should

leave.”

The words blurt out of my mouth before I can even stop them, but I don’t take them back, even if I

have just let my insecurity show. To my surprise he doesn’t make note of that or try to sweet talk me,

instead he leans forward, bracing his elbows on the table as he reaches for the angel book and pulls it

toward him.

“Rhea, when I want to fuck you, you’ll know,” he states cooly, enunciating the when and not if,

before flipping the book open. “Now, we have fifteen minutes, twenty tops before the guys get here. I

can spend that time pissing you off by simply breathing, or help figure out what it is exactly that

you’re looking for.”

I nod instantly, appreciating it when he talks straight to me like that, before I sit tall in my seat.

“I’m trying to find details on what I could be with the whole red eyes and light bulb bursting shit, or

at least try to understand what sealing my soul means for me individually, not just now, but in the

future, and where that’s expected to leave me with Xander in the grand scheme of things.”

If he’s actually going to help, I may as well be honest with him. I really don’t want to waste any

more time. I almost think he hasn’t heard me when he immediately closes the book before him, before

reaching over and doing the same with mine.

“Honestly? You’re not going to truly know until the time comes. The line between demons, angels,

and Gods, is touchy at this stage. The red eyes and the glass shattering could link to all three in some

way, but especially angels and Gods. Each individual has their own traits, some can cross over, but

there will be distinct features in your magic that no one else has.” He offers a soft smile that reaches

his eyes as I nod in understanding. Fuck, his response was not what I wanted to hear.

That completely rules that out for me then. Great. “Is there any insight here on sealed souls then?”

I ask, trying to keep the hopefulness out of my voice as I lace my fingers together on the table in front

of me, and he shakes his head.

“No, not really. When sealed souls seemed to stop existing, they slowly dwindled down the

information on it, turning it into nothing more than a myth instead of history, which is what I truly

believed it to be until I saw you and Xander,” he admits, fixing the glasses on his nose.

“What are the general rumors about it?” I fiddle with my fingers nervously, desperately hoping for

him to give me some kind of hint at my future because at this point, I need something to grasp onto.

“That the love is almighty, all consuming, powerful, protective, and sometimes destructive.”

Wow. “You’re supposed to be able to feel where that person is, find yourself drawn to them no matter

the circumstances. It’s inevitable. Written in the stars, or however people want to fluff up the situation

with roses and niceties.” My heart thunders in my chest at the rawness in his tone, like it’s something

people only dream of. But does that include him?

“So is it a good thing or a bad thing?” I ask, my voice thick with vulnerability as his pouty lips