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“He's kept me company since I was a baby,” she continued. “Along with a few others.”

My body wanted to run, but I was frozen in place, my blood pulsing louder against my ear. This is just a dream. A figment of my imagination. How she was here too, I didn't care to know.

A strange sound of whispers and whining came from the monster, but his mouth didn't move. Celestine tilted her head, shifting her gaze to Paralysis for a moment before coming back to me, as if the creature had said something to her.

The thumping of muffled music grew louder, as the debris continued to fall, a bit of it getting into my eyes. I shut my eyes, rubbing against it.

The music was clear now and when I opened my eyes, I was in the centre of the dance floor, back in the club. Bodies of sweaty people dancing bumped against me. My head turned side to side, unsure of how I got here and then my eyes locked with Celestine's pale ones across the room.

“You lost,” she mouthed to me .

I blinked then stared at the ceiling of the club.

My neck ached as it had been stretched back to rest against the top of the booth.

I lifted my head, suddenly sitting back in the spot I once was with Celestine leaning against my arm.

Symeon was on my other side and Kahlik across from me, both pale and staring at nothing but what was in front of them in a daze.

The memory of the Hallways, like waking from a dream, slowly became further and further from my grasp, until I could barely recall them anymore.

Celestine moved off my shoulder, and the others snapped out of their trance. “So what,” Kahlik started. “Have you claimed Reaper, then?”

“What?” I asked, my mind hazy and jumbled. What were we talking about again?

Oh, right. They called her a dog for ignoring them.

“I've been claimed by Silias,” Celestine said.

They laughed at the fact.

She turned to me. “Why are they laughing?”

People usually reserve claim over their loved ones to protect them, being able to prioritise them, like Niko had claimed only Renee and I.

Silias’s claims were far stretched. He had claimed countless people and areas in exchange for money that it was now worth nothing.

The claimed areas were now in need of protection from the Kokkino clan if they didn’t keep up with the payments.

“You really think he can protect you?” Symeon asked.

“What do you mean?” Her brows furrowed.

Let's not scare her. “We should go.”

“You're not going to tell her? Does she even know?” Kahlik asked.

“Tell me what?” I could hear the frustration in her voice.

“Do you know what's going to happen to you when you turn twenty, Reaper?” Symeon had a cruel grin on his face .

“Stop,” I said. This isn't the time nor the place for this.

She shook her head. “No.”

“I always wondered why all those people have only been saying what they want to do to you. I didn't realise the reason they hadn't gone through with it yet was because of your age.” He laughed with wide eyes.

“People want to kill me?” she clarified, but Celestine wasn't shocked by it. It's obvious there'll be people who want revenge for those you've murdered.

“That and…” Symeon glanced at me for my reaction, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. “They're going to make it slow, Reaper.” He began describing exactly what they were going to do in as much detail as he could recall.

“Enough,” I snapped at him. “You're done.”

“Woah, you're getting upset over nothing.” He smiled. “I'm just warning her. Something you should have done.”

“No, you bloody sadistic dog.” I growled. “Not like this.” I would have told her eventually, but she wasn't ready for it yet.

“You think I'm afraid of threats from people I don't know?” Celestine asked him. “You don't know me.”

“I don't need to know you,” Symeon said. “You're small and you will never be stronger than anyone who's just a bit larger than you.”

Celestine's mouth parted slightly.

“Hey, man,” Kahlik muttered to Symeon. “She's just a kid, calm down.”

All this because she decided Symeon wasn't worth her time and his personality flipped. Celestine didn't owe it to anyone to be nice to them, but if she isn't, if I wasn't here, what would people like Symeon have done to her? The thought made my stomach churn.

Celestine bit her lip, turning away from the group. “I want to go home,” she mumbled to me .

I nodded for her to get out first, hating Symeon more than I already did at that moment.

“Oh, come on, I'm giving you the truth of the world!” Symeon shouted as we made our way out of the club. “You should be thanking me!”

We took the exit leading to an alleyway. The fog had set in the city, neon purple lights illuminating the narrow way. The crisp air swept through our skin and as the door closed shut behind us, the music dulled.

Celestine asked me in a low voice. “Is Symeon one of them?”

One of those who've threatened her safety?

Not that I'm aware of, but after his behaviour tonight, I'm not so sure.

He wouldn't cross me, I know that, and he now knows I'm training her—But he wasn't afraid to say all those things to her in front of me.

If I could just claim her—Properly and publicly claim her…

“I don't know,” I finally answered.

“How many people do I need to worry about?”

You can't trust anyone. “You just need to focus on your training–”

“Training? Isn't Symeon right? No matter how much I train I will never be strong enough to take care of myself.”

“You're going to be fine, Celestine. You’re agile and you're talented in wielding a knife. You can go up against anyone if you wanted to.”

She snapped her head towards me, her eyes flickering a red hue. “And when were you planning on telling me any of this?”

I shook my head. “Honestly, it's not my responsibility to tell you. Silias and your clan should have– Actually…” I let out a short laugh. “If they really cared about you at all, they would have never let you make a name for yourself or kept your capabilities a secret. They shouldn’t have even asked me to train you, because that only puts your name more out there. ”

“Well, what about you? Niko let you do this.”

“That’s different,” I said, “I chose to do this, and I wanted my name out there. I don't believe you did, did you?”

Her eyes lowered. “What are they waiting for?”

I shook my head. “You’re seventeen, Celestine.

Your age is the only thing protecting you from people who are worse than I am, worse than anyone you’ve ever encountered.

” I never wanted to be the one to tell her this, but clearly no one warned her.

“Everyone in the Underworld knows who you are and has heard about you. There are people waiting for you to turn twenty, so that they don’t lose respect for doing unspeakable things to a child, but they’ll have no shame when you’re legal.

Some of these people may go after you before you're twenty, but it’s unlikely. ”

“Who exactly are these people waiting for me?” she asked.

“I'm not quite sure.” I admitted. “There are those who are so twisted in the head, who do things completely unspeakable. They go by the name Kynigos. It’s a group of four families who used to be Demon Hunters. I haven't been able to track them down.” I’m no detective.

But Silver Lining goes after them… maybe I should introduce Celestine to her.

She squinted her eyes at me, not having heard of them.

“You may think that the clans are in control of the Underworld, Celestine, but it's actually the Kynigos. Everyone knows about them, but the reason no one talks about them is because no one knows who they are.”

“I thought the Stygian clans controlled the city.”

Yeah, that’s what it looked like. “Power shifts between Stygian clans and Etherian clans, but neither are really in control.”

In reality and only if you were deep in the Underworld, would you understand that the real puppet masters were the Kynigos .

Which is where my plans falter.

I could take down the clans, but I still wouldn’t have complete control over the Underworld. Not fully. I’ve got two years to find them before they take me and then Celestine for a test that would completely traumatise and destroy us if we didn’t die from it first.

“So, there’s nothing I can do but wait for them to find me?”

I nodded. “They'll be the first ones, then the rest will follow. It’s the rules of the Underworld.”

“Like an initiation?” she clarified. “But why do they do it?”

I shrugged. “Why does anyone do anything? Power, money, control. At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter why. They just want to scare us and remind us that we don’t own the city and that we aren’t invincible like our names mean.”

There was a long silence as she let those words sink in.

All of us had or will go through it, all of us, except Siren. I don't know how, but she had managed to avoid the Kynigos.

“And why do you care so much about what happens to me?” Celestine asked.

Because I realised that I may have accidentally become attached to you.

“Cel, there you are!” Sterling approached us.

Celestine shook her head and muttered something to him as she passed him.

Sterling turned to me. “Thanks for taking care of her. Do you need a lift to the East?”

“Sure,” I said. The trains weren’t running at this hour.

He nodded, and I followed him to the car, parked illegally, but when you’re in the inner circle of the Kokkino clan, you can do whatever you please. He let out a sigh. “Leo’s sleeping at some girl’s house.”

I didn’t ask . I got in the passenger seat, watching Celestine from the rearview mirror .

“The guy I was with apparently had a partner already,” Sterling ranted. “Can you believe that? He didn’t even say anything, and I only found out when his partner showed up!”

“That’s rough,” I commented.

Sterling started the car and reversed into the streets, completely disregarding the people standing behind the car.

“What were you doing in there? I saw you with Symeon.”

“Just catching up,” I said. “Nothing interesting.”

Sterling never talks this much, at least not to me. I'm pretty sure he hated me and the feeling was mutual. Is he… I turned to look at him, his head bobbing back and forth.

Oh, gods, he's drunk, and he's driving.

“How much did you drink tonight?” I asked when Sterling swerved the car left and right, attempting to merge into another lane without indicating and receiving a few honks from angry drivers.

We're going to bloody crash, aren't we?

Sterling waved his hand in the air, and I almost screamed at him to keep both hands on the wheel. “Don't worry,” he said. “I can see just fine.”

This is not how I wanted to go, it’s such a boring, preventable death.

I glanced back at Celestine and we exchanged looks. She rolled her eyes like he does this all the time, but that was more alarming than reassuring.

Sterling's eyes squinted at the sign ahead of us. “What’s that sign say?”

“Oh, bloody hell,” I muttered, gripping onto the handle above, as if it would do anything for my safety.

Sterling burst into a laugh. “I'm only joking! I'm a great driver. Right, Cel?”

“Debatable,” she mumbled.

“Just drop me here.” I pointed at the centre of the East side of the city .

I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough and Celestine immediately hopped into the passenger seat. “Thanks.” I nodded at Sterling. “See you, Reaper.”

She gave me a small smile in reply and I closed the door before they sped off towards the South side.

My phone buzzed in my pocket with a text from Symeon and my breathing ceased.

SYMEON: Didn't think you'd let a girl of all things be your downfall. But I guess she's got her uses. Best to keep her close, it'd be a shame if something happened while you weren't looking.