Jag.
"Your mom really never discussed any of it with you?" His eyebrows dip together, the worry apparent in his gaze.
"No, she didn't. Mom never discussed much of anything with me. Even down to having to find out what to do for my period from the school nurse," I spit out, exasperated. "Then your dad happened, and you know the rest. I kept my grades up, did my chores, and stayed off her radar. The most interest I got was when she caught me puking my guts up before school one day." The memories are still raw enough that I desperately want to change the subject. "Can we pretend this conversation never happened and move on to dealing with whatever needs to be addressed so we annoy each other the least amount for the next few years?" Jag nods, but something feels really off with him.
Chapter Thirteen
Blaise
Holy fuck. She really knows nothing. Ash had said as much when we all became concerned about him asking her out. She'd been sweet and shy, something Ash has a major hard-on for. Not to mention he'd had a crush on her since grade school. Come highschool, we knew she was off-limits, but Cora had been just as enamored with Ash as he was with her, and he’d asked her out anyway. No one has ever explained why the ruling members suspected she and Damien would match, it was just stated one day, when it was apparent we were getting too close with her, that that's how it was going to be and the rest of us had to come to terms with it. Drake found out afterwards that Damien was aware as far back as he can remember knowing about the Order, so it had to be something that happened when we were too young to remember.
Jaeger’s dad had even moved them closer to her after Jaeger matched with Damien at an introductory meeting in their teens. It was only going to be a matter of time before Damien and Jaeger claimed her upon her ascension, and we all dreaded losing her. It was a finality we couldn't fight against, and maybe that’s why Ash took the chance that he did.
The rest of us had kept it to friends only, or in my case— asshole territory. It was easier than letting her see the attraction I held for her, as we all did. Easier to keep her away, anyway. As for me, it's always been hell, but back then we weren't meant to be, and now— well, now it's safer for her stay away from all of us. The current situation is a temptation I’m having a hard time ignoring, and I know the others are as well. Ash nearly jumped on it, but she scorned him too, and he isn't taking it so well. Although it's funny as hell seeing her messing with him even if I have to pretend it's not. Getting her to leave would be the best thing for her, even if it will screw the rest of us, but her stubborn ass is taking it as a personal challenge. I’ve gotta give her props for taking me down; my throat still feels sore. It makes it hard to keep chasing her away when all I really want to do is keep pushing her to fight, to never back down, but that might get her killed in the long run.
Cora doesn't know it, but she saved our asses. That same meeting had matched me and Drake, and then Riggs and Ash to be pairs for a coterie, but we were never meant to be a larger group. It came out later what we had done, after all the shit went down with Damien. He'd tried to claim her in a frenzy induced by his ascension or by something the Order had orchestrated, and our own had all quickly followed. Cora had been holed up at home during that time, away from all of us after our betrayal. Not that I blame her for it. We had no recourse, even if we hated it. The days after that summer night were filled with induction ceremonies and evenings spent with specialized classes learning the basics of the craft and the magic behind it.
Most children of Order members knew the gist of what went on by the time they were teenagers, but due to the covenants of silence and secrecy, we weren't allowed to discuss it until after our induction ceremonies. Not all