Page 87 of This Blood that Bonds Us

Her whining echoed in the hallway as we went for the break room.

The break room smelled of wet dog and had two blue sofas and a tiny TV next to a mini fridge. I was one of three volunteers. Sydney said if I stayed for a while I could eventually get paid.

She ushered me into a story about her sister Callie and their fight over the hair straightener and how even though Callie was older, she always took Sydney’s clothes. Usually, I’d be all over small talk, but my chest was achy and it was harder to focus than usual.

I pulled the note from my pocket when she went to take a bite of her sandwich.

“What’s that?” Sydney asked with a mouth full of bread. “You’re always staring at it.”

“I’ve been trying to figure out this riddle. It’s for . . . this class I’m taking.”

“A riddle for class?” She raised a curious brow.

I wasn’t giving lying my A game anymore.

“Can I see?”

I handed it to her, hoping she wouldn’t see how worn it had become. “Where the land meets the see. . . s-e-e.”

“I have literally no idea.”

“Is it supposed to be local?”

“Uh, maybe.”

“Well, we do have Seer’s Point. It’s on the other side of the lake.”

“What? No way.”

She smiled and took another monster bite of her sandwich. “Way. You didn’t Google search it?”

Damn shitty internet.

“I, uh . . . I’m going to leave early today.”

“Got a date with Seer’s Point?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, you better go spend some time with Sarah before you go. I think she gets depressed when you’re not around,” Sydney called as I reached for the door.

I sighed. Her and I both. I already felt better. Mom was right. Of course she was.

Thirty-Seven

Aaron

I fell on my ass again, but this time, I was prepared. I leveraged my body weight in just enough time to send Felix careening into the mat.

“You’re getting good,” Dom said, barely loud enough to hear.

Felix tackled me from behind as I tried to get up. “Not good enough.”

He pinned me to the ground with his forearm. “Don’t turn your back on an opponent.”

“How is that even possible?” I grunted as I maneuvered his arm from my neck and used his weight to push him off balance.My body was slower with the lack of blood. Every day we trained in Kilian’s basement, I got more used to the feeling. It was all defensive maneuvers—keeping away from hands and not giving anyone the chance to bite me.

“You need eyes in the back of your head. Use your senses,” Dom said while I struggled under the weight of Felix’s forearm.