Flame before we find it.”
My mind went blank for a second, and my blood rushed to my ears.
Not this goddamn Living Flame again!
Axel raised his hand to call for something, and a spear appeared in his grip, its spearhead emitting icy steam. The next second, silver and gray armor formed around him.
“Take our elite sentinels with you,” Zak said.
Axel nodded.
“Shouldn’t we all go to aid Héctor?” I cried, worry for both Axel and Héctor twisting my stomach.
“If all the demigods show in a battle zone, Lucifer will come,” Theodore said. “We’d like to avoid a direct fight with the devil himself.”
Axel cupped my face and slanted his mouth over mine.
The kiss was hot and hard, and it seared my skin, sending tingling sensations all over me. I wanted more, but I didn’t want it to feel like a farewell before battle.
Axel parted his lips from mine reluctantly, and I gazed at him with feelings I no longer disguised.
Paxton jogged toward us, leaving Demetra behind.
“Axel, be careful,” I called.
Axel sent me a lopsided grin. It was damn sexy, but I was too anxious for its potent effect to work on me at the moment.
“Already worried about me, Cookie?” he asked tenderly. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
A flash of wind and light passed through the space where he stood, and he was gone.
“They’ll keep me updated,” Zak told me. “Now, what did Axel teach you?”
“He spent more time flirting with her,” Paxton said in distaste.
Though I still felt lost at Axel’s departure, rage rose in me right away at hearing the sea demigod’s voice.
“Why don’t you just get the fuck out of my face?” I said.
“Careful, little girl,” hissed Paxton.
Every team leader and all their students ceased their practice and turned to us again, since Axel was no longer here to snap at them. All of them, except my friends Yelena and Nat, were eager to see Paxton and I get into another fight.
“The demons that Héctor and I slew called me ‘little girl,’ just like you did,” I said, pulling my lips back to bare my teeth. “They tried to eliminate me, to finish off the job you failed to do, and they didn’t succeed either. The only difference between you and them is that you still have your fucking head attached to your neck.”
The training room became deathly quiet.
Even Zak blinked.
I was obnoxiously bold, and right now I was mad as hell. I lashed out at the Demigod of Sea because I didn’t know how to handle my fear and worries for Héctor and Axel. The devil had sent out two archdemons to fight them.
A windstorm wheeled around Paxton, ready to stamp me out.
“You dare to threaten a demigod?” he asked. “Not even Lucifer has threatened me.”
Cold menace rolled off him in spades, whipping the air.
The students dropped to their knees. Theodore bent his knees at an awkward angle.
I stood my ground, puffed up my chest, and summoned my hellfire. I let it surface just a little, barely noticeable. If shit went down, my hellfire, despite its despicable origin, might be the only thing that could save me.
Zak stepped in front of me, lightning sparking off him in abundance.
“Cool off, Paxton, or get out,” he said. “We’ve talked about this.”
“You aren’t on the receiving end of her offenses,” Paxton hissed.
“I don’t care,” Zak said. “No matter what she says or does, no matter how provocative and aggressive she is, Marigold is off-limits. Either you suck it up or get out of our contract. Touch her in any way without her permission, and you’re dead. I might not be able to take you down alone, but I assure you, the three of us won’t allow you to breathe if you hurt what’s ours.”
“Who said I wanted to hurt her?” Paxton snarled. “Stop making me the villain.”
“No one’s making you one when you are already one,” I said. “So, why don’t you—”
Zak wheeled toward me. “You can lay off a little, too, Rosebud.”
Paxton snorted. “Those pet names—Rosebud, Lamb, Cookie, etcetera—are utterly ridiculous and inaccurate. She’s everything but those things. Have you seen how she bares her teeth? Give her a predatory, carnivorous pet name, if you must pick one. She definitely bites.”
“Yeah, like your pet name for me is spectacular, Pigston,” I retorted. “I’m everything but a ...princess.”
“Are you sure about that?” he asked. “If you don’t want to be a princess, I can call you she-devil shark, or she-bulldog. Either seems fit.”
Dark amusement shone in his violet eyes.
Then I