⸻

Raine skipped seventh period. He had never skipped seventh period. He had skipped several other periods. But not seventh. The teacher liked him. That made it rude. Today, he didn't care.

He sat behind the auditorium where nobody went unless they were smoking or making out. Raine was doing neither. He had considered smoking. He didn't smoke. That seemed like an unnecessary additional crisis. His hands were shaking. He hated that. He tucked them beneath his arms. A monster. No. Not monster. He wasn't doing this. It had been a person. A weird person. With— claws. And a face that— No.

Special effects. Drugs. Hallucination. Gas leak. Government experiment. Literally anything else. Noah had a sword. That was harder. Maybe Noah was insane. Actually, that would explain several things. Raine laughed despite himself. Then immediately stopped.

What the fuck was happening? His phone buzzed.

NOAH.

Of course. He declined it. Immediately another call. Decline. A text.

'Please answer.'

Raine stared. Another.

'I'm sorry.'

Another.

'I should have told you something was going on.'

Raine typed:

'Something?'

Three dots. Stopped. Started again.

'I don't know how to explain it without sounding insane.'

Raine laughed.

'TRY ME.'

Noah did not answer. Raine waited. Thirty seconds. A minute. Then:

'There are things in the world most people don't know about.'

Raine stared. He typed:

'That is the most serial killer shit you could possibly have said.'

Noah replied immediately.

'Yeah okay reading it back that was terrible.'

Against every instinct, Raine almost smiled. He stopped himself. No. Angry. He was angry. He typed:

'What attacked us?'

Long pause.

'I don't know which kind.'

Raine's stomach dropped.

'Which kind?'

No response.

NOAH.

Finally:

'I can explain some of it. Not over text.'

Raine stood. Absolutely not.

'Then don't.'

He locked his phone. It buzzed again. He ignored it. Then again. Ignored. Again.

"Jesus fucking Christ."

He looked.

'Are you safe?'

Raine's anger faltered. Of course that was the question Noah chose. Not are you mad? Not can we talk? Safe. Raine typed:

'Yes.'

The response came immediately.

'Okay.'

Nothing else. Raine stared. For some reason, that made him angrier. And less angry. Which was worse.

⸻

Noah let him go. Every instinct told him not to. But Raine had said he was safe. So Noah waited. He hated waiting. He spent the rest of the afternoon keeping track of Raine from a distance while pretending not to.

Raine noticed twice. The second time, he flipped Noah off from across the courtyard. Noah considered that progress. By the end of the school day, Raine was gone before Noah could reach him. Probably intentional. Definitely intentional.

Noah stood beside the front entrance watching students scatter toward cars and buses. His phone rang. Soteria. He answered.

"Yeah?"

"You encountered a dracaena?"

"Maybe."

"You said you couldn't identify it."

"I was busy."

"It left residue consistent with one."

Noah sighed.

"Then congratulations. Mystery solved."

"It tracked him directly."

Noah's humor disappeared.

"I know."

"That confirms he's a demigod."

Noah stared toward the road where Raine had disappeared down.

"No."

A pause.

"Noah."

"It confirms something wanted him."

"Monsters do not hunt mortals like that."

"Sometimes they do."

"Rarely."

"So not never."

Silence. Noah knew exactly how ridiculous he sounded. He continued anyway.

"We still don't know."

"You watched shadows obey him."

"They didn't obey him yesterday."

"And today?"

Noah closed his eyes. Raine had told him. It moved when I told it to.

"Noah."

He hated this. Because the second he said yes— Raine became one of them. A demigod. A person with an expiration date Noah could practically see stamped across his forehead.

"No," Noah said.

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"You are exceptionally bad at lying to people who trained you."

"Then why do you keep asking?"

The voice sighed.

"We need you objective."

"I am objective."

"You're defending him."

"He has nobody else there."

That silenced the voice. Noah immediately wished he hadn't said it. His mind flashed to Raine sitting on the school steps that morning. His mother acting weird. His shadow moving. The way his face had changed when Noah held out his hand.

"He has a family," the voice said.

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you."

Noah rubbed his forehead.

"Just give me another day."

"For what?"

He didn't know. Another day before the truth became real. Another day before Soteria came for Raine. Another day before Noah had to look at him and see demigod instead of just— Raine.

"I need more information."

The lie sounded better than the truth. Eventually:

"One day."

Noah exhaled.

"Thanks."

"And if there is another attack, you bring him directly to Soteria."

Noah looked toward the road again.

"Fine."

The call ended. One day. He shoved his phone into his pocket. Tomorrow he would tell Raine something. Not everything. Something. Enough. Probably. Maybe. He was getting very tired of that word.

⸻

Raine got home at 4:38. Twenty-one minutes later than usual. His mother was waiting in the living room. That was never good. She sat perfectly still on the couch. The television was off. No Bible. No cross in her hands. Somehow that was worse. Raine stopped inside the doorway.

"Hey."

Her eyes lifted.

"You're late."

"Bus."

Lie. Her gaze moved over him.

"You smell like death."

Raine froze.

"What?"

His mother stood.

"You were near one."

Raine's stomach dropped. The stairwell. The creature. Noah's sword. Dust.

"What are you talking about?"

Her face twisted.

"You were supposed to stay away from him."

"Noah didn't do anything."

"You don't know what he is."

Raine's pulse jumped.

"What he is?"

She went still. Fuck. Raine stepped closer.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing."

"No."

He laughed, exhausted.

"No. We're not doing that again."

"Raine."

"You keep saying shit and then pretending you didn't."

"Watch your mouth."

"I almost got fucking attacked at school today."

Silence. His mother's face emptied. Raine regretted telling her immediately.

"By what?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me."

"Why?"

"Raine."

"No."

His voice rose.

"You tell me something first."

"Lower your voice."

"Who is my father?"

Her eyes closed. Raine laughed.

"Of course."

"Please."

"Please what?"

"Stop asking."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

That hurt more than it should have. Raine stared at her.

"That doesn't answer anything."

"I'm trying to protect you."

"From who?"

Silence.

"Dad?"

Nothing.

"Whatever attacked me?"

Nothing.

"Noah?"

Her eyes opened. There. Raine saw it. Something when he said Noah's name. Not hatred. Fear.

"Why are you scared of him?"

"I'm not."

"Bullshit."

"Raine."

"What is Noah?"

His mother whispered something. Raine almost missed it.

"What?"

"He shines."

Raine's skin prickled. The music room. Noah standing in sunlight. For one bizarre second, it had looked like the light belonged to him. Raine stepped backward.

"No."

His mother started crying.

"He found you."

"You said that yesterday."

"He wasn't supposed to."

"Who?"

She covered her mouth. Raine's patience broke.

"WHO?"

His shadow exploded across the floor. Both screamed. Darkness shot outward from Raine's feet, racing along the walls. Picture frames shook. The lamp shattered. Every light in the room died. His mother backed into the couch.

"No!"

Raine couldn't breathe.

"Stop!"

The shadows froze. Every single one. Raine stared. His mother stared. The room was dark except for daylight leaking through the curtains. His heart pounded.

"Stop," he whispered again.

The darkness slowly receded. Not all the way. It gathered at his feet. Obedient. Waiting. Raine's eyes filled with tears.

"No."

His mother whispered:

"I'm sorry."

Raine looked at her.

"Tell me."

She shook her head.

"Tell me what I am."

Her face crumpled.

"I can't."

He laughed. Broken.

"Then I'm done."

"Raine—"

"No."

He grabbed his bag.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know."

"You can't leave."

"Watch me."

She caught his arm. Raine ripped free.

"Don't."

She froze. For a second, they stared at each other. Raine was shaking. So was she. Then his mother whispered:

"If you leave this house tonight, he will find you."

Raine looked toward the door.

"Who?"

Her answer barely existed.

"Your father."

Silence. Raine turned back. Everything inside him stopped.

"What?"

His mother realized what she'd said. Too late. Raine took one step toward her.

"Dad is alive?"

She started crying.

"Mom."

Nothing.

"Is he alive?"

"I can't—"

"IS HE ALIVE?"

"Yes!"

The word shattered something. Raine stared. Seventeen years. No name. No photographs. No answers. He had imagined graves. Car accidents. Cancer. War. Every possible explanation for a father who never came back. Alive had somehow never been the one that hurt the most. Raine's voice came out small.

"He's alive."

His mother sank onto the couch. Raine stared at her.

"And you knew."

She sobbed. Raine backed away.

"Who is he?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"The promise."

She nodded.

"What happens if you break it?"

His mother looked at him. True terror. Not the feverish religious fear. Not paranoia. Something real. For the first time, Raine believed her.

"I die."

The room went silent. Raine stopped breathing. His mother wiped at her face.

"I swore I would never tell you who he was. I swore I would never tell you what he was. I swore you would live as a mortal for as long as I could keep you one."

Raine stared. The word snagged.

"What?"

She covered her mouth. Again. Too late again.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing."

"Mom."

"Please."

"Why did you say mortal?"

She shook her head. Raine stepped backward. No. Nope. Absolutely fucking not. His mother stood.

"Raine—"

"I need air."

"Don't leave."

"I need air."

"He'll find you."

"Apparently everyone is finding me!"

He opened the door. His mother screamed his name. Raine left anyway.

⸻

He called Noah. He hated himself for it. He hated Noah a little too. But when Raine found himself three blocks from home with shaking hands and absolutely no idea where else to go, Noah was the first name he thought of. The phone rang once.

"Raine?"

Noah sounded breathless. Raine closed his eyes.

"Where are you?"

"What happened?"

"Can you just answer?"

A pause.

"My apartment."

Raine frowned.

"You have an apartment?"

"Long story."

"Of course."

"Where are you?"

Raine looked at the street sign. He told him.

"I'm coming."

"Noah—"

The call ended. Raine stared at his phone.

"Fucking asshole."

Seven minutes later, a car pulled up. Noah got out. Raine blinked.

"You drive?"

Noah stared at him.

"That's your question?"

"You're eighteen."

"Yes?"

"I don't know."

Noah looked him over.

"You okay?"

Raine laughed.

"No."

The honesty surprised both of them. Noah's expression softened.

"Get in."

Raine hesitated. Then did.