“What if someone’s mate dies?” I ask. “How does that work?”
“Usually, that only happens if someone murders them,” Macy says. “Vampires are the only immortal creatures, but the rest of us tend to live a really long time.”
“You wouldn’t have to worry about that,” Jaxon insists. “No one will ever try to touch you once we lead the Circle. No one would dare.”
I don’t know how I feel about any of this, including the fact that Jaxon has apparently been making plans in his head for our future without consulting me at all. And the fact that he seems to think it’s going to be his job to take care of me for the rest of our lives. I mean, I’m okay with taking care of each other, but I’m not okay with being some kind of burden he’s responsible for.
No effing way. I’ll just have to double my efforts researching gargoyles. I don’t want to be anyone’s burden. I want to take care of myself.
Jaxon turns to discuss some particularly cool strategy with Mekhi, and I can’t stop my gaze from seeking out Hudson’s to see if he agrees with Jaxon that I need protecting.
“You could kick all our asses, Grace.” Hudson’s fathomless blue eyes never leave mine. “And then some.”
I laugh. I can’t help it. I don’t believe him even a little, but the tightness in my chest eases a little bit, anyway. I mean, if Hudson thinks I’m kick-ass, that’s gotta count for something, right?
“Damn straight it does.” Hudson grins at me, and I realize I’ve missed it in the time he’s been so quiet.
Before I can think much about that, though, Macy complains about a wolf she wants to teach a lesson. When she doesn’t elaborate, I remember she never answered my earlier question. “Macy? You’re not really competing, are you?”
Macy’s whole face lights up. “Of course I’m competing! This is the first year I can compete, and I can’t effing wait!”
“You go, girl,” Flint says as he drops down onto a chair at the end of the table beside Hudson, who gets up and leans against a nearby wall. “This year’s tournament is going to be epic.”
Flint holds a hand out for a fist bump, and Macy nearly swallows her tongue. Right before she bumps his fist hard enough to give herself a bruise. Apparently, some things never change…
“Completely epic,” Jaxon agrees. “When do we need to register our team by?”
“This Wednesday,” Flint says. He waits for a few seconds, then says oh so casually but not actually casually at all, “Do you guys have your team together yet, Jaxon?”
Jaxon eyes him for a few seconds, and at first I’m confused by what’s going on—if Jaxon is going to do this, isn’t he going to compete with the Order? But then I remember what Hudson told me yesterday about how the game fosters interspecies relationships…and injuries, apparently.
“You want to team up?” Jaxon asks, just as casually but not really.
“I was thinking about it. Eden and I were going to partner up with Xavier, but we still need to add some vamps and witches.” He looks at me. “And maybe a gargoyle?”
When hell freezes over.
48
Win, Lose, or Die
“What? Me?” I ask, my eyes going huge. “I mean…I don’t think… Can gargoyles really compete?” I know Amka said I could, but I thought she was just teasing me.
And, by the way, please let the answer be no. Please let the answer be no. I’m not fabulous at sports to begin with, let alone paranormal sports where the goal is not to die, but there is no guarantee. Not to mention the fact that I have no idea what my powers are yet… I mean, besides turning to stone, which doesn’t seem very helpful in a game anyway.
“Ludares is open to every junior and senior in the school,” Flint tells me. “So, hell yeah, you can compete. Plus, I’m totally down with having a gargoyle on my team. Who knows what you can do?”
“Nothing,” I answer. “I can do nothing. That’s the problem.”
“That’s not true,” Hudson tells me from where he’s still leaning against the wall. “You can do things. You just don’t know what they are yet.”
“How do you know?” Equal parts terror and excitement thrum through me as I lean forward. “Did you see me do something when we were together?”
The whole table is staring at me again. I ignore them because apparently this is my life for now. I hadn’t meant to ask the question out loud, but sometimes I get so caught up or invested in the conversation that I don’t realize what I’m doing.