Page 114 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood

“Was there another attack?” he asks Ivana, but she shakes her head and gives him a look that he clearly understands.

“Celeste,” he curses under his breath.

I look between the two of them, and when neither of them says anything, I do.

“What about Celeste?”

Ivana slaps Ajax on the back with a smile before heading off to train with Piper. I put my hands on my hips and wait.

“Thanks for that,” he shouts in her direction before turning back to me. “Celeste is just a spoiled heir with nothing better to do with her time than attack humans.”

“I already know who she is; her father owns my bloodhouse, remember. I want to know what she is to Karius?”

He moves around me, falling into the stretches that we always do before we train. I watch him; he points to the space next to him, and I fall in beside him, stretching out.

“Spit it out, Ajax.”

“There’s not much to say, really. She and Karius had a thing once, and well, she…you know…wants it to continue, but you really don’t need to worry about that.”

Something tightens in my gut, and a flash of me killing her crosses my mind.

“I’m not worried,” I say. I stretch out my leg and find Ajax watching me with a knowing smile. “What? I’m not.”

He stands and holds his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t say a word. If you want to pretend not to care, then that’s up to you.”

I stand up in frustration. “I don’t care. Karius can screw whoever he wants. It has absolutely nothing to do with me.”

Suddenly, I hear Piper laughing and turn to find her and Ivana exchanging amused glances.

“I don’t get what’s so funny.”

“You really believe what you’re saying, don’t you?” Piper asks, and I turn to her in surprise.

“I expect this from him, but you, Piper.”

She feigns innocence with a smile. “I’m just being honest.”

“We’re not judging, Red. I prefer Karius when he’s around you; he’s less uptight. Minus the time you tried to kill him, of course.”

“I’m going to killyouin a minute.”

“Whoa, let's save that energy for the impures.” He gives me a look, but I roll my eyes, earning me one of his biggest smiles. “We’re mixing it up today so you can take out all of that pent-up anger elsewhere.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I want to see how you handle fighting someone whose style you’re unfamiliar with.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Like who?”

“Me.”

I turn toward the sound of Kaia’s voice as she enters the training room, her face stony as usual.

“Are you trying to get me killed?” I whisper to him. “She hates me.”

“I’m a vampire, remember, I can hear you,” she says, pointing at her ear.

“Well, it’s the truth.”