Page 2 of Hell Storm

I met his gaze, instantly feeling unsettled—I still hadn’t gotten used to that penetrating stare of his. The few times his attention had been focused on me, it was almost as if he saw straight through, to the secrets I was desperate to hold.

Turning away, I freed myself of his spell, ignoring the boyish charm that bled through, despite him and the others being the epitome of the word ‘man’.

Don’t let them get to you.

“I um… I know you shared this with me because you want me to understand the bond, but if I’m honest, I’m even more confused now than before,” I admitted.

Roman shifted in his seat, running a hand through his dark curls when my gaze met his. “Honesty,” he scoffed. “Isn’t that a new concept for you, Corina?”

I glared, but didn’t speak. Nothing good would come of explaining that I only lied to protect the ones I loved.

He’d have toknowsomething about love tounderstandlove. And I guessed he didn’t.

“It’s abundantly clear everyone in this room, but me, has gone insane,” Roman fumed. “I mean, we’re more concerned with spoon-feeding this girl details about our world—a world she’llneverunderstand—when what weshouldbe focused on is figuring out who tipped off Jon Carlisle! For all we know, we should be out there, hunting down the two sentinels from the gala. If they’ve been talking—”

“If they’ve been talking,” Julian cut in as the voice of reason, passing a stern look toward Roman, “the damage is already done. The last thing we need is to be seen ripping and running like madmen, trying to silence those guards, and whoever else might speak ill of us. Wealreadylook guilty enough in the eye of the people, let’s not give them any more ammunition.”

“And besides, if we should have thought to silenceanyone,its Madam Amelia,” Levi grumbled, breathing deeply afterward. “We’ve spun so many lies, we were sloppy, forgetting to tie up one of our most important loose ends.”

I couldn’t know for sure he didn’t mean Madam Amelia should have been silenced permanently, or if that was simply my interpretation.

Silas exhaled sharply, doing little to conceal his frustration with Roman’s outburst and how it sidetracked our conversation. Roman, on the other hand, seemed to care very little whether his statement offended me, or anyone else for that matter.

Just being in theroomwith the guy terrified me, although I’d never let that show.

He wasn’t like the others. While, no, I didn’t trustanyof them all that much, it was a different kind of darkness that swelled within Roman. The fear I felt when near him, alone, had amplified my resolve to find a way out of here. I’d cooperate as long as necessary for the sake of survival.

However, the first chance I got, I’d bail.

Silas dropped down onto the couch. I’d been seated stiffly on the opposite end, unable to relax.

“We’ll sort it all out,” he expressed patiently.

As infuriating as all this had been, I couldn’t find it in me to treat him coldly. Maybe it was because he’d only spoken to mewith kindness today, and comforted me as things spiraled on that stage.

From what Ididtake from the writing—amidst foreign terms, and big words I didn’t recognize—it seemed the bond would run deep.

Verydeep.

“So, we’llallbe affected?” I asked. “Not just me?”

“Correct.” Silas offered a smile before continuing. “It will be like each of us absorbing a bit of your essence, a bit of who you are at the most basic level,” he explained. “And likewise, you’ll take on a small part of each of us as well.”

That key detail made my heart leap, and I immediately opened the binder again, in search of that particular passage.

“I didn’t read that,” I admitted. “And I don’t feel much of a change since Julian bit me.”

Since Julian saved me…

Silas nodded, making it clear this was normal. “That won’t happen until the Claiming.”

Another term I didn’t understand, but perhaps I would have if I’d managed to get through the entire encyclopedia he’d put together overnight.

“What’s a—”

“A Claiming is more than just being bitten,” he interjected after sensing what I’d say. “What will solidify the bond is … when the two of you engage in a mutual feeding.”

There was no missing how gingerly he’d just stated that. I guessed he knew I’d freak out hearing it.

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