“Ava, it’s a pleasure to see you.”

I’d smelt Sebastian before I heard him. As usual, the tall Keja was wearing an Armani suit that complemented his athletic build. I flashed him a warm smile. “Hey, Seb. How’s it going?”

“All is well, thank you.”

“Come to see how your recruits perform?”

“Of course. Do Sam and Jared know you’re up here?”

I nodded. “I begged them to let me watch.”

His eyes narrowed. “You gave them that pouty ‘don’t hurt me, I’m an innocent kitten’ look, didn’t you?”

I laughed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re implying that I’m manipulative.”

Sebastian opened his mouth to speak again, but then the whispers abruptly died, garnering everyone’s attention. Sam, Jared, and Evan had entered the arena.

It was Sam who spoke first. “I’m sure you all recognise the three of us, so I don’t think we need to introduce ourselves. As Sebastian will have explained to you, our intention is to form a female squad of ten. We already have five. This does not mean that fifteen of you will be going home. It could be that you all leave. It depends on your capabilities and resilience. We can’t afford to be lenient or give chances. We need to be sure that you can handle being part of a squad. It’s not easy. It’s not pretty. You will go on assignments that make you feel sick to your stomach. You will see things that haunt you.”

I could vouch for that.

“You will be trained to kill, and you’ll be required to kill. Because the rest of your squad have to know that someone has their back. If you can’t deal with any of that, you need to leave now.” When no one moved, she gave a nod of approval.

Jared stepped forward. “Something about each of you caught Sebastian’s attention. It could be your combat skills, it could be your strength and endurance, or it could be your individual vampiric gift. It could even be all of them. But if you can’t control your bloodlust, all of that is irrelevant.” He nodded in our direction, and I realised he was giving a signal to someone above the VIP box.

Moments later, gas was being released from the hoses that were protruding from the roof. “Why gas?” I asked Sebastian.

“It’s not gas,” he replied. “It’s a special cocktail.”

I frowned. “Of what?

His grin told me I’d like his answer. “Different scents of blood.”

Ooh, clever.

“This is exactly what happens in battle,” continued Jared, his gaze boring into each of the recruits. “Various blood scents surround you, rousing your bloodlust. It is absolutely essential that you can think clearly through that bloodlust; that you can remain vigilant, focused, and in total control.”

That was when a bare-chested human entered the arena, blood dripping from a bite on his neck. Like that, the females turned restless and appeared to be trying to hold their breath. The human sidled up to Evan, who then commanded each of the girls – one by one – to step forward. I watched closely, wondering if any of them would cave to temptation. Maybe that was why I didn’t sense the vampire behind me until a strong set of arms curled around my shoulders.

“Hmmm. This brings back memories.”

Sebastian glanced my way, sighed at the sight of Salem, and returned his attention to what was happening in the centre of the arena. Apparently he didn’t see the point in trying to send away the obstinate Pagori who was perched on the seat behind me, curving his body over mine.

“I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be up here.” My words came out embarrassingly shaky, since he was running the tips of his fingers along my collarbone. I felt him shrug one shoulder carelessly.

“I wanted to see you.”

I gestured to the sight below us, wincing in sympathy as a Pagori was sent away. “Did that happen at your try-out?”

“Yes. Two of the recruits gave in to their bloodlust and tried to have a taste of the human’s blood.”

By the time the test currently taking place was over, two more Pagoris had been sent away. It was no surprise, really, since the breed had an overpowering bloodlust. “Poor things.”

Sebastian exhaled a disappointed sigh. “I had such high hopes for them. Shame.” He left the room in a blur, most likely intending to wish them well.

“The second part of the try-out will test you physically,” Jared announced as he, Sam, and Evan led the females outside.

“What happens out there?” I asked Salem, since we couldn’t follow.

He brushed his nose against the sensitive spot behind my ear. “Several Pagoris from the legion are waiting at the fringe of the rainforest. Each recruit will have to reach the end of the forest in the fastest time they can. But…it’s not as easy as it sounds. They won’t be allowed to step on the ground – they can only use trees, rocks, and logs. Also, they won’t be allowed to use their gifts, because this is all about their physical abilities. As if that doesn’t make it tricky enough, they’ll also have one of the Pagori squad members chasing them.”

I gaped. “What? But that’s crap. I mean, these girls aren’t trained.”

“That’s why they get a ten second head start. But if they’re caught, it’s game over. And they go home.”

I sighed. “I feel kind of...guilty.”

“Why would you feel guilty?”

“Because I got offered a spot in the legion without having to go through all this.”

“That’s because you proved you can cope. You controlled your bloodlust during the battle to protect The Hollow. You showed that you’re damn fast –”

“Yeah, but that’s only because of my gift.”

“Doesn’t matter. Yes, your gift gives you an edge. But it’s about more than speed, or all the Pagoris would win this test at every try-out, wouldn’t they? It’s also about agility, about using every physical strength you have. Agility is a strength of your breed.”

“How did you know I was up here?”

He nipped the tip of my ear. “I followed your scent when I caught it outside.” He inhaled deeply. “I smell it, and I think ‘mine’. Have you accepted the reality that we’ll be ‘more’ yet, Ava?”

I twisted in the seat to face him. Instead of dropping his arms, he clasped them around me. “Look…I don’t think we’d match well.”