Pure Read Online Free PDF Page A

which confirmed I was correct. I groaned. “Awesome. Well, hopefully that doesn’t happen.”
    “Agreed.”
    I shifted uncomfortably, my brain unable to really process the new threat. “What are you doing over here, anyway?”
    Aiden pinned me with a dark look. “I was going to see Marcus. What are you doing roaming around by yourself?”
    “Clive was supposed to escort me back to the dorm, but that kind of fell through.”
    His eyes narrowed and then he sighed. Tipping his head toward the dorms, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark cargos. “Come on, I’ll walk you back. You shouldn’t be out here alone.”
    I pushed away from the doors. “Cuz there’s a daimon still on campus? And furies ready to attack?”
    He glanced down at me, frowning. “I know your flippant attitude is an act. It’s probably what made you turn an apple into a deadly weapon. You of all people know how serious this is.”
    My cheeks flushed at his reprimand. Guilt twisted my stomach into raw knots. I stared down at the markings on the pathway. “I’m sorry.”
    “I’m not the person you should be apologizing to.”
    “Well, I’m sure as hell not apologizing to Lea. So you can forget that.”
    Aiden shook his head. “I know what Lea said upset you. I can even… understand your reaction, but you have to be careful. People are—”
    “Yeah, I know. People are watching me, blah and blah some more.” I squinted at the shadows of the patrolling Guards. It was the time between dusk and nightfall, but the lamps hadn’t kicked on yet. The largest buildings—the ones housing the school, training facilities, and dorms—slipped dark shadows over the pathway. “Anyway, do you guys have any idea where the daimon could be?”
    “No. We’ve searched everywhere and are still searching. Right now we’re focused on keeping the students safe.”
    We stopped at the bottom of the steps outside my dorm. The porch was empty, a sign of everyone’s unease. Girls usually hung out here, hoping to get some guy time in. “Did Melissa see the daimon? Was she able to give some sort of description?”
    Aiden ran a hand over his forehead. “She barely remembers anything from the attack right now. The doctors… well, they think it’s the trauma. A way of protecting herself, I guess.”
    I looked away, grateful it was dark outside. Why couldn’t I forget what’d happened in Gatlinburg? “It’s probably more than just that. She’s a pure. Where one of us would be trained to pay attention to details, to gain as much information as possible, she wasn’t. She’s just like a… normal girl. And if the attack happened at night, she probably thought it was a nightmare. Waking up to something like that? I couldn’t even imagine.” I stopped. He was staring at me strangely. “What?”
    “It’s just that you’re thinking along the right lines.”
    I couldn’t keep the goofy grin off my face. “I’m that awesome. I know.”
    His lips twitched as if he wished to smile. “So, how much trouble are you in?”
    “Grounded basically, but I guess I got off light.” I was still smiling like an idiot.
    “Yeah, you did.” He looked relieved. “Try to stay out of trouble and please don’t sneak around the grounds. I doubt the daimon is still here, but you never know.”
    Drawing in a deep breath, I folded my arms over my chest. “Aiden?”
    “Hmm?”
    I stared at Aiden’s boots. They were shiny, never scuffed. “It’s starting, isn’t it?”
    “You’re talking about what your mother told you, aren’t you?”
    “She said this is what they would do. And Eric’s still out there. What if he’s behind this and—?”
    “Alex.” He leaned toward me. We were close, but not as close as we’d been in the gym. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Eric or not. We’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again. You have nothing to worry about.”
    “I’m not scared.”
    Aiden reached out, brushing his fingers over mine. It was a brief touch,