Dark Descent: The Arondight Codex - Book One by R Nicole (best books to read all time TXT) 📗

It felt like passive-aggressive manipulation but staying here and becoming a Natural was what I wanted. Man, these people were good.

“Fine,” I said. “So be it. I’ll train.”

Greer smiled, looking a little too pleased for my liking. Turning to Wilder, she snapped her fingers.

“I’m not a dog, Greer,” he drawled. “I don’t come when you whistle.”

“Wilder,” she said, ignoring his insult, “you are assigned as Scarlett’s mentor.”

“Excuse me?” That got his attention. He straightened up in the armchair, his fingernails long forgotten.

“Why else did you think you were here?” Brax asked.

“As a reference on her résumé,” he stated, biting back as hard as he could, “not petitioning for a job I don’t want.”

His words stung, but why would I expect anything else? I wanted to like Wilder, but he just kept pushing everyone and everything in the opposite direction as hard as he could.

“This is not open for discussion,” Greer declared. “The Codex demands all Naturals have the highest level of understanding. You are the most qualified to assist Scarlett in her journey.”

“So, that’s it? The Codex has spoken?”

She nodded and turned her attention back to me, leaving Wilder to stew in his own juices. “Welcome to the Sanctum, Scarlett. Your path won’t be easy, but in time, I hope it will be rewarding.”

Aldrich and Brax stood, each shaking my hand like it was a mystical signature on a contract.

I was in. I was going to get what I wanted all those weeks ago. I was going to learn how to fight and take my life back. This was the purpose I was searching so hard for. Maybe this time I’d find out who I was meant to be.

“Are we dismissed?” Wilder rose to his feet and glared at me. So much for celebrating, then.

“Go,” Brax said, waving his hand. “Please.”

Wilder strode away, his boots thumping against the carpet. He was a whirlwind of annoyance that I was forced to jog to keep up with as we left the library.

Greer was right—my path was going to be hard if I had to deal with Wilder’s temper tantrums day in, day out. Why did he hate me so much?

Once we were in the hall, I sighed and a smile crept across my lips. The same burst of adrenalin that’d seared through my veins the night I’d confronted Wilder outside of the Hung, Drawn, and Quartered overcame me. What did they call it? Passionate victory. Good choice of words, Scarlett.

“Don’t smile like that,” Wilder snapped.

“Why not? I won. I’m finally going to learn who I am.”

“Here’s the thing, Purples,” he said with a sneer. “This isn’t a victory for you. I’m being punished and so are you. Get that through your scarred little head.”

“Low blow.” I pouted and rolled my eyes. “What did I do to get into trouble? I can understand you being in the doghouse with your stellar attitude, but me? I get they were arseholes, but now they’re giving me what I want, and they’re helping Jackson.”

“You talk back, you used your Light openly, you’re different, and your friend is being mutated by demon DNA that has rendered him impervious to alteration. Do you want me to keep going?”

I scowled and shook my head.

“They’re being nice to you because you’ve got something they want. The sooner you understand that, the better off we’ll both be. We’re tiny cogs in a much larger machine, remember?”

“I’ve got something they want?” I scoffed. “Like what?”

“They know something’s different about you, but they don’t know what.” He twisted his finger around a lock of my hair, painfully pulling against my scalp. “There’s more going on here than either of us know.”

“That hurts, Wilder.” I narrowed my eyes, uncomfortable at his proximity. He was totally within kissing distance.

He sneered and let me go, putting space between us.

“You think I shouldn’t trust those three?” I glanced over my shoulder, but we were alone. “What are they called anyway? The council, elders, tories?”

“Arseholes.”

“What did they do to you?” I asked straight up. “Or should I be asking, what did you do to them?”

“Maybe one day I’ll tell you,” he said darkly. “But for now, don’t trust anyone, Purples. Not even me. If there’s only one lesson I can get through your thick skull, then make it that one.”

“I don’t understand this world, Wilder,” I argued. “I don’t…”

He turned and stepped into my personal space again, lowering his lips towards my ear. He was so close, I could smell his cologne again—spice, male sweat, and something else… something metallic.

“A demon who can alter human DNA has been stalking you,” he murmured, his breath tickling my ear. “Then add in all those other things, the Balan who was present when your parents died, your purple Light, and your immunity to alteration, and you’ve got one hell of a conspiracy beginning to take shape… and you’re at the centre of it.”

“But… you said I wasn’t special. And how do you know about my parents?”

He ignored me, much to my ire. “There’s one of those things they don’t know about yet.”

I drew in a shaky breath, the gravity of the situation finally making sense. Was I right to keep the hue of my Light a secret? It was looking that way, but Wilder also said not to trust anyone, including him.

“Something more is going on, and they’re going to try to use me to get to you,” he whispered.

“This is going from bad to worse,” I murmured, trying not to panic.

I had no idea what to do. Did I escape, play along, or confront them? It wasn’t an easy decision, not with Jackson still locked up in the vaults at the mercy of his strange mutation.

“You’ve been given permission to train,” Wilder said, straightening up, his voice returning to its normal volume. “So that’s what you’ll do.”

I had no other choice but to agree. I’d gone from being special, to being kicked out and used as bait, then welcomed back into the