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Chapter One

“Hustle, Atwater!” Lincoln screa a track behind the school

I shot hi it to the front of the line where Tiffany was running like a freaking gazelle, not a drop of sweat to be seen I side-glanced at my fellow blonde nemesis One foot stuck out and she would trip—and at this speed, she’d probably break her nose Maybe even a tooth

“Stop and drop!” Lincoln shouted

I growled and skidded to a halt All plans of rearranging Tiffany’s face were ruined, as our group of twenty boot caround, and started to do pushups The gravel ate into the palms of my hands, but I knew better than to complain

Shea had dropped a few feet behind me “Your boyfriend is a psycho,” she whispered

I didn’t have the extra breath to reply

We’d been at boot caauntlet had been separated into four groups, with either Lincoln, Noah, Blake, or Darren as their drill sergeant

Guess which group I got?

“Faster!” Lincoln barked

Boot ca the Fallen Ar to lie, it was nice We were kind of like reserve army members We would still finish school here at Fallen Acadeo out into the war zone and help flush out the de the huency, we’d be called out too

I was just settling into the summer nicely It took a feeeks for the stares at the devil mark on my chest to die down Tiffany now called me Princess of Darkness as well as Archie Her payback was conarly potion that would hopefully make her intestines fall out

“Up!” Lincoln roared, and I sank to the ground, lettingarms take a moment of rest

Lincoln’s boots stopped two inches from my face “Brielle Atwater, you are dismissed for the rest of the day” His voice was layered with concern

What the…?

Ju whatever I was in trouble for, when I looked just beyond hi there with my little brother, Mikey, as hunched over It looked like his face was bleeding

Oh shit

“Preferential treat Lincoln to shoot a sharp glare at her

“Give rowled

With a huff, she took off

I looked up at my man with a thankful expression “Thank you, sir!” I shouted, then started running to meet my family

My hts Did Grim—Shea’s boss, who I’d almost killed and was now et jus?

As I neared, I sao duffel bags behind them

“What happened?” I skidded to a stop and took in the scene

My mom looked fine Tired, but normal My brother, however, looked like he’d been beaten badly His right eye ollen, nose broken, lip split, and he was probably clutching broken ribs

My o back to Dehed him up”

Those assholes! I would kill them

“Mikey,” I breathed, reaching out to touch his shoulder, but he recoiled

“They said if I carumbled

My eyes widened What the hell? Are they so him because he’s my brother?

Myat my chest and the mark that lay there in shock I’d spoken to her on the phone several tiauntlet, told her what happened and explained theat my chest noith tears in her eyes made my stomach hurt

“Okay, we’ll figure it out,” I said to Mikey The demons were clearly after my family

Mikey swayed a little on his feet He needed medical attention

“Coet him to the clinic,” I told my mom

Mikey was eighteen nohich ust As a free soul, he’d be adet him in a little earlier than planned

Whileclinic, I trailed after the Mrs Greely to them, I paced while she scanned hi that could tell a healer if so or tuh

Mrs Greely winced “Three broken ribs, but no internal bleeding I’ll need Noah to heal the nose and ribs, but I can get started on the rest”

Relief h me How dare these bastards juet to me? Was that their motive?

“I’ll get Noah,” I told her and bolted fro my cell from my pocket

He was out on the field screaroup no doubt, so I didn’t expect him to pick up, but he did

“Hey, Lincoln toldup

What the…? Da me

I had barely even made it down the hall when the double doors opened, Noah striding through in all his beautiful perfection

“What happened?” he asked

I rubbedfrom the push-ups “Some kids at Tainted Academy jumped him”

Noah growled “Little shits Don’t worry, I’ll fix hiuy handed out winks like they were high fives

I nodded “Thank you”

He jogged down the hall and I just stayed there, letting o back, but Mikey needed to stay There were still five weeks of su to do with him for five weeks?

I , but that wasn’t enough for a studio apartel City Especially after 50 percent taxes were taken out, plus my student health insurance, which was mandatory now that I was in the army I needed some of that money for my own shit too—I was expected to have all these uniforrade boots, and that stuff wasn’t cheap The arave student deals, but—

“Bri?” Myof the situation

I spun, and upon seeing her open ar her, it et to see her enough, and having her here with me noas a welcome relief, even under these circumstances

When I pulled back, she sh tired eyes

“I gotta get back This wasto the tattoo on h When I’d told her over the phone, she’d cried, but my mom was the type of person who didn’t dwell on bad shit She just got over it and moved on A useful survival tool

“Hoork?” I asked her Since Lincoln killed her boss to dissolve otten a new boss—Mr Grim, Shea’s old boss ned all the strip clubs

“It’s okay Notit Gried

Panic gripped me “Does he hurt you? Grim?”

She shook her head “No He leaves s He’s all about the money”

That mofo!

Suddenly I felt selfish Every time we spoke, we talked about me Did my mom need money? “Well hey, I am a salaried Fallen Army soldier now, so I can help out with your bills,” I told her

Her limp blonde hair fell across her shoulders, as she shook her head “No, baby I’ll be okay I rented out your and Shea’s rooo to Mrs Conner You just take care of Mikey, okay?”

Mikey Shit What a to do with him?

I nodded “Of course, Mom I will”

She sain, weaker that tiuard She hadn’t called me bee or bumblebee since I was ten

“Love you too, Mo, but then all too soon she was drawing away

“Bernie and Maximus miss you,” she added, and then she left Just like that She just left me with my little brother to take care of, and an ache in my heart for her, for Bernie, for all of them It was the first time that I really realized how bad De a slave bound was

I s unit in search of the only person I knew could, and would help Mikey

I knocked on the large double doors lightly, praying he would be in his office

“Come in!” Raphael’s cheery voice called out

Thank God

Relief hover what looked to be maps and papers He seemed surprised to see me

“Brielle? Is everything all right?” he asked, standing up fros were always striking, and I found , transfixed, at them

“Is someone hurt?” His concern deepened

Da

“Yeah, my brother Who is a free soul!” I added quickly “He was beat up by soo back to Demon City”

I let that linger for a ether with concern

“But it’s only five weeks until the Awakening, and since he’s a free soul, he’ll be co to Fallen Academy anyway” Unless he’s a Gristle Oh God please don’t make him a Gristle

“So…” I couldn’t do it I couldn’t ask

Raphael chuckled “You want him to stay here in the meantime?” er One