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FOR THE MOST PART, TRAINING always lasted for at least three hours, but Uncle Newt decided before we even got to the training grounds that our session was going to be cut significantly shorter today what with everything else that was going on as well as the fact that Eddie probably needed the company today.
It wasn’t like I didn’t expect Eddie to warm up to the Palmers - Eddie was the only person that I knew of that could see the beautiful side of people. Even when it came to Gavin and His angels, she still saw something in them. That was why she always refused to let us kill them no matter how awful they were to her, I never understood that and I had to admit sometimes I envied it.
As I started to leave the training grounds, Koa, Finn, and Nine jogged to catch up with me. I noticed that Nine seemed a little dazed, but I tried not to let it bother me too much even though it did.
This wasn’t the first time that I’d seen him like this, but any time I brought it up, I was usually met with awkward stutters or a subject change. Uncle Newt had tried countless times to get him
o seek out professional help with it, but he never got too far with it. Nine was terrified of anything to do with doctors and medical tests.
As the trio walked beside me, Koa was the first to start up the conversation.
Koa was undeniably the most friendly of all of us, but his childhood also sucked the least of all of ours, so there was that. Koa was a unicorn amongst the demons when it came to having a fairly decent childhood. Most of us weren’t afforded that luxury - the fact that minions mostly consisted of those that Victor took in and Victor only ever took kids in when there wasn’t another real option said everything that needed to be said as I was concerned.
“Hey, Athie,” Koa began, “What do you think of all of this?”
I shrugged. I wasn’t sure what to think of this. I knew better than Eddie about what forced King Victor to send her away, but that didn’t mean I liked it.
Even though she was close to Phoenix and me, Eddie trusted her father more than anyone else in this world. I was worried about the things that she would try to bottle up when we didn’t have King Victor there to pry it out of her for us.
“I think it’s what needs to be done to keep Eddie safe,” I mused, not bothering with formalities since all of us (except for Uncle Newt) called her Edelweiss, Eddie, or an equivalent anyway, “And if something else good comes out of this in the long run, then this is even more worth the trouble.”
“But we did kind of uproot her entire life for this,” Finn sighed.
“It’s not the first time, and probably won’t be the last time either,” I pointed out, then looked at Koa, “Is your brother still going to join the Angel Hunters, Koa? You know the trials are coming up.”
Koa shook his head, “No, I don’t think he is. I think he’s still too scared to do it.”
I nodded, not in the least surprised by that.
Kai, though he was a sweetheart and an absolute cutie pie, had no business being on our team. Even if “Angel Hunters” was now a name and not much more than that, our job still wasn’t the prettiest one in the world. I couldn’t see Kai lasting long once he realized that.
Koa ran a hand through his hair as a bead of sweat dripped from it and nearly into his eyes. “I just wish that he was with us,” he admitted, “At least so I could see him more often.”
“Well, while we’re here and near Minion Village now, you should take advantage of that fact while we are. Just don’t forget what we’re here for.”