Page 75 of A Dawn Of Blood

Letting out a sigh, I give him a determined nod. “Yes, it might take us some time, but we’ll find what we’re looking for.”

Chapter 55

It’s the middle of March, but it’s still cold outside, so there’s a fire roaring in the Main Hall. While Alaric is back at the enemy base, and Nuala, Dryden and Raven out on a mission, Nimueh is chuckling to herself with a picture book in her lap and de Groot is sitting at the radio desk with a tense look on her face, putting down the information she’s getting from the channel transmitting the current state of affairs in the Enslaved World.

I myself am sitting at one of the corner desks with my research in front of me, trying to focus on finding ways to obtain at least one more vampire power.

But my eyes keep getting drawn to Cain. He’s in the corner opposite mine, doing his gazillionth set of push-ups today, and as always, he’s doing them as calmly and efficiently as if he were chilling in his own private gym, not spending his days in captivity among people who — despite all my efforts — aren’t exactly being friendly to him.

He’s making it seem like being held prisoner is something he’s mastered a long time ago and this particular instance is starting to bore him a little.

I slowly start giving up on my research. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, there’s the question that’s demanding all my attention and slowly driving me insane — how the hell do I make progress with him already?

It’s been weeks since we kidnapped him and he’s always somewhere in my line of sight, the collar forcing him to stay in my proximity.

It’s in the room next to mine — connected with a door I keep unlocked — that he sleeps.

Every evening, I bring the food to his room, finding his eyes already on me, as if he can sense me coming just like the waymybody seems to be perpetually keeping me aware of his presence. But then he looks away with that lip curling in disgust, and I take a seat, I eat and I try to talk to him, while he just keeps doing whatever it is he’s been doing. In silence.

I haven’t even made him stop downright ignoring me, let alone start talking to me. Everything I know about him, I’ve learned through observing him.

One, he’s extremely rigorous when it comes to training, more so than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s like he has an endless supply of willpower that captivity is not affecting in the slightest. With each day that goes by, he only seems to be spendingmoretime working out.

Two, ever since the first day, in literally every single thing he’s done, he’s been like clockwork. Although,thatcould be a tactic, especially considering how he intentionally made me believe all his powers were being blocked when we first captured him. He could be trying to fool me into thinking he’s highly predictable, so he could strike when we least expect it.

Three — and this is the one I find the most surprising… he doesn’t seem to have an ego, especially not the kind that’s generally associated with men of his status. He only ever brought his title up the first time I called him Hot Stuff. Whenever one of my people try to demean him in some way, he exhibits none of that usual huffing and puffing that accompanies a desperate need to reassert dominance. There’s only arrogant but entirely composed defense, with just enough offense thrown in to discourage further attempts.

Other than that, it’s hard to observe anything about him. He seems to have no vices, no interests, no need to connect with others.

So far, barring those first two days after I kidnapped him, I haven’t seen his control sliponce. Not even in the slightest.

It’s like he’s a living machine.

And apart from the fact that he seems to be cautious of me and that he harbors disgust and hatred for me, he doesn’t seem to have any other feelings for me whatsoever.

It’s all making me start to wonder if there evenisa way to get closer to him. If my thinking we’re mates is actually a figment of my imagination.

“Have they come back?” Lorcan’s voice snaps me out of it.

I turn to raise my eyebrows at him, seeing worry on his face. The mission Nuala, Dryden and Raven went on is not exactly dangerous — they’ve gone to check the last of the Old Norse temples, but there are still things that could go wrong.

“Not yet,” I tell him with a gentle shake of my head.

He lets out a grunt and moves straight for Cain. “You,” he calls out with scorn in his voice, “didn’t I tell you to stop blocking that chair?”

With slow, deliberate movements, Cain stops doing push-ups and jumps to his feet. I fix my eyes on the two of them, expectingtrouble simply because the spot in front of the chair is the spot that’s farthest away from where I’m sitting.

“Did you?” Cain drawls as he stands straight, towering over Lorcan.

“I did,” Lorcan snaps.

Cain motions at the table behind him. “Won’t you hand me that bottle of water,” he says in that calm, commanding voice of his.

My eyebrows shoot up when I see Lorcan do it, then realize what he’s done. “Did you just use Mind Magic on me?” he spits out, throwing an incredulous glance at the rest of us.

Nimueh is in her own world, and de Groot is looking at Cain with hatred in her eyes, but she’s not bothering with the situation.

Cain downs the water, then shakes his head. “No, that’s just how weak-willed you are.” I think I see a hint of a smirk. “Now find yourself another spot to keep withering from.”

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