Page 70 of Forged in Blood

Yeah, let’s go to the diner down by the highway that does the waffles Kai likes. I think Ophelia is gonna need a good breakfast after last night, Xavier says.

I shake my head. The acoustics in this house are so weird. I can hear them as clearly as if they were standing right next to me, but Xavier’s in the kitchen, and I guess Axl must have joined him there.

You did make sure she had plenty to drink, right? We took a lot of her blood.

I smile at Malachi’s concern for me. But… What the hell? Malachi went to check on the pledges. This is impossible. Their voices are in my goddamn head.

Malachi goes on talking to Axl and Xavier, and I shove my fingers in my ears, hoping it will drown out their chatter. But their voices remain as loud as if they were in the room with me.What the hell?

Ophelia?The three of them say at once.

Why are you all in my head? And why can you talk to each other in there?

Why are you in ours, Cupcake?

What in hellfire?How would I know? It’s not like I want to be. What the hell have you done to me? How long have you been able to speak to each other like this?

Always, princess, Axl says.It’s part of our bond.

Your bond? And you didn’t think to warn me of this particular development? Get out of my damn head!I internally shriek the last few words, my hands gripping the basin so that my wobbly knees don’t betray me by letting me fall flat on my ass.

What the fuck’s going on?Malachi says, sounding as confused as I am.

Stop talking,Axl orders, and they go silent.

What? Wait! No. Don’t stop talking. Tell me what’s happening. Why are you in my head? Will this go away? Is this some kind of post-orgasm thing?

Silence.

Axl! Xavier!

Silence.

Malachi!

More silence.

I stomp my bare foot on the tile floor and curse at my stupidity when my heel throbs.I know you can all hear me, dammit.

They don’t answer.

I stare at myself in the mirror. I still look exactly the same, but now I have three vampires in my head. At least I had them in my head.It must have just been a glitch. Some freaky post–vampire bite thing. Now allis right with the world again.

It wasn’t a glitch, baby.

Malachi!Xavier and Axl shout in unison, making my head spin.

This is ridiculous. Why am I here arguing when I can go talk to them the old-fashioned way—in person with our mouths. I march down to the kitchen to find Axl and Xavier huddled together in front of the fridge, like coconspirators in an epic prank.

“You want to tell me why I can hear you in my head?”

Xavier tilts his head and grins at me. “Can you though?”

I shake my head. “Well, not right now. But I could. What was that? I thought it was only a one-way thing, like you could read me, but not the other way around. And it was only supposed to be emotions and intentions and stuff, not full-on telepathy. What is happening to me?”

The look Axl and Xavier share has the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, then Xavier nudges Axl in the ribs, which only serves to ignite my temper further. “Will one of you tell me what the hell is going on?”

“Must you be so infernally loud, Ophelia?” the professor says from behind me

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