“You’re the best.” Cissy loops her arm around mine. Together, we walk across the lunchroom to a table filled with very handsome guys who have names like Chip, Tripp, and Bif. All of them have smirky smiles, muscle-bound chests, and no need for demon lust in order to attract the opposite sex. Yet, they can’t seem to get a word out without working their thang. The conversation’s boring stuff, like school and the weather, but these guys say every word with a sultry voice while their eyes flare red. Every other girl within a twenty-foot radius peeps at them and blushes.

Except me.

I shake my head. Maybe I just inherited the wrath side of the Furor ‘lust and wrath’ combo. Another thought slams into me, this one far, far worse. Since I’m part ghoul, I might only be attracted to ghoul guys. That realization is depressing, repulsive, and, unfortunately, all too possible.

Eew, eew, eew.

“Myla, you’ve been called to serve.”

Yawning, I open my eyes. Two weeks have passed since I last fought in the Arena. Since that day, Cissy and Zeke have become the poster children for public displays of affection, Mom’s stepped up her morning interrogations, and I haven’t gotten a single new dreamscape from Verus. Life has certainly taken a nosedive.

Man, do I ever need to kill something.

Walker stands at the foot of my bed. I roll over, stretch, and peep at my Darth Vader alarm clock. 5 AM on the nose.

“Hey, Walker.” I sit up straight. “How pumped am I that you’re here?”

Walker’s mouth winds into a grin. “Very pumped, obviously.”

“I’ve been itching for a match for weeks.” I throw back the covers and hop to my feet. “Wait. You don’t think this’ll be another match like the last one, do you? If I see another good human sacrifice herself to Hell, I swear I won’t be able to stop myself from doing something.”

“I’ve been assured you have a suitably awful opponent today.”

“Sweet!” I pause, folding my arms over my chest. “Wait a second. I have a bone to pick with you.”

“A bone? Oh my.” He winks.

“Stop being cute and sarcastic.” I waggle my finger in his face. “I have it on good authority that you know exactly who I am. You’ve been holding out on me, Walker.”

“The night of the Ryder party.” He tilts his head to one side. “You were listening under the window, weren’t you?”

“Damn straight I was.” My inner demon starts to stir. Anger pools in my blood. “Now, spill your guts. Exactly what do you know about who I am?”

“I know you’re like a sister to me, and I’d never do anything to hurt you.” He sighs. “If I don’t tell you things, it’s because I can’t.”