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"Yes," I said, swallowing hard. "As long as there are hunters out there who know what I am, I'm a liability to Father de Leon as his partner."
"That is true, I suppose," said Father Marius. "Tell me, how do you think you're faring thus far?"
The question caught me off guard. I didn't know how to answer, not only because I had no idea what Castor had been telling him in their meetings, but also because I wasn't sure myself. Especially not after the fire at the vampires' nest.
"Father de Leon is an excellent teacher," I said, choosing my words carefully.
"Indeed," Father Marius said, his pale lips quirking slightly. "But that isn't what I asked. You needn't be so afraid. It's not a trick question, and there are no wrong answers."
Somehow, I doubted that, but I nodded. "I guess it depends on the day, Father. I'm better than I was before. For the most part, I'm comfortable with hunting younger vampires, and I've only fought one shifter, but it wasn't that much of a challenge. After my encounter with the Order, though, I'm not sure I belong out there at all."
The words came out before I could stop them, and while the regret hit me before I was finished, there was no taking them back. Father Marius listened intently and lingered in silence for a few torturous moments after I was done speaking.
"That's good," he finally said.
I blinked at him. "It is?"
"Atticus is quite possibly the most powerful paladin who's ever lived," said Father Marius. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Arrow bristling at his words. "If you weren't frightened after encountering him, I'd think you were either too arrogant or too foolish to be worth anything as a hunter."
"Oh," I said. "So… I can stay as a recruit?"
"No," Father Marius answered. Only when my heart had bottomed out into my stomach did he add, "Based on Father de Leon's most recent reports, I'd say you're ready for a promotion."
I felt my eyes widen. "You mean...?"
"You're ready to become a fully fledged hunter," Father Marius said, smiling a bit wider. "I was going to call you in to discuss it later, but it seems providence is in effect."
"I don't know what to say," I said, feeling lightheaded with disbelief. "Thank you. I promise I won't let you down."
"I'm sure you won't," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I've already discussed it with Father de Leon, but there is still the matter of your initiation ceremony."
“Ceremony?" I echoed warily.
"Don't worry, Fido," Arrow said. "It won't be anything like the initiation I gave you."
Father Marius cast him a suspicious glance, his eyes narrowing slightly. "In any case, regarding the matter of psychic manipulation, I think I can help. Come see me in the mornings before your training sessions. Now, if that's all, you may leave."
"Yes, Your Excellency," I said, bowing to him again. "Thank you."
I turned toward the door and realized Arrow wasn't coming after me. Instead, he walked behind Father Marius's desk and leaned down to whisper something in his ear that I couldn't quite make out.
I decided it was better not to ask.
ChapterTwenty-Two
CASTOR
The moment I found out that Father Marius wanted to hold an initiation ceremony for Eddie, I was filled with a mixture of pride and dread. On one hand, he had surpassed all my hopes for him as my student, and as his teacher, I was undeniably proud. On the other, that meant that the gap between us was closing, and the likelihood that Father Marius would come to a decision about his successor sooner than later grew each day.
I tried not to think about it. When that failed, I tried not to obsess over it, because really, what could I do? Father Marius was going to do whatever he wanted to do. That much had been apparent to me from the beginning. If he had his mind set on Eddie being his successor one day, nothing I could say or do was going to talk him out of it. The only option I really had was to continue training Eddie diligently, since that was the only thing within my control.
In the beginning, some admittedly underhanded possibilities had occurred to me. If there was any glaring difference that separated me from Marius and the other bloodline hunters, it was the fact that I lacked their obsession with honor. Sure, it mattered to me, but survival would always take precedence.
Even so, if I had to take power by such ignoble means, I knew I didn't deserve to wield it. There was also the fact that, however much I wanted to deny it, some part of me had gotten attached to my pupil. More than I wanted to admit.
It would've been easy enough to stage a "hunting accident.” They certainly happened enough, but even if I could probably get away with it, that wasn’t an option. Not anymore.
So, I did the only thing I really could do, which was to hunt. Each day that passed, each time I went out on the streets with Eddie at my side, was fresh proof of the fact that I had raised up my greatest competition. I could grudgingly admit when Father Marius was right. While Eddie had seemed to me to lack promise in the beginning, and those first few weeks had definitely been an uphill battle, he had a natural prowess for the art. What he lacked in skill, he made up for in determination and a willingness to learn.
