Page 378 of Evil Hearts

I leaned forward just as the main EMT ripped her tank top apart and prepared the paddles. Raw energy pulsed through my veins. The air caught in my throat as I shifted slightly, pushing one hand straight into her chest just as he pressed the paddles against her skin. My magic pulsed through my veins, leaking out of my body and into hers.

This wasn’t an experience like one I had ever endured. I had a unique bond with my fellow imprisoned Boogeymen, but this seemed to scream at a small piece we’d been missing our entire existence. I couldn’t bring myself to back away, even if I tried. Pure energy pulsed from her body into my own, chasing away the touch of exhaustion that was nipping at my hills.

The room glitched around us again. More of those strange static colors erupted amongst all the darkness. The majority of them seemed to surround our immediate area, especially around the frail female lying beneath me. That didn’t stop those green eyes from fluttering open.

Those pale irises were dull from the full extent of her injuries. Her body was more than willing to give out on her if I released her heart now. My fingers curled around that fragile organ, pushing magic through it to force out the beats, was the only reason why it hadn’t failed yet. Despite all that fatigue, those eyes widened at the sight of it buried underneath her skin.

Her gaze snapped back up to my face. “Y-You’re…”

You’re not human.

No, I’m not.I don’t know why those words lurked on the tip of my tongue with any hesitation about launching free. Why did I hesitate to expose what I really was to a creature who wouldn’t even remember this happening? She’d be lucky to retain a smallfragment — the sight of my mask amongst all the darkness as I struck down her attacker.

She would never know that we’d spoken. That was simply a side effect of brushing hands with death.

A deep chuckle rumbled in the depths of my chest. I stooped down closer, bringing our faces only a few inches apart. We were so close that I could feel that shallow breathing brushing against my skin. “Little doe, I am the figment of the darkness you believed to be a monster all your childhood. My shadows consume your fears. I twist every hopeful dream into a horrible nightmare.”

It wasn’t like I hadn’t expected for the young woman to twist around and try to crawl away from me despite my hand still being lodged deep in her chest. The confusion swirling around in her eyes revealed she couldn’t wrap her head around that part. Ididanticipate fear that would only add to this odd high.

The last thing I could predict was getting slammed in the face with a delicious aroma of lotus flower and vanilla. There was even a slight mix of cotton, which completely threw me through a loop. Only one thing was making sense right now and that was the startling fact that this mortal wasn’t terrified about my admission.

She wasturned onby it — and she seemed to guard one hell of a secret underneath it all.

Perhaps she doesn’t quite understand what she’s crossed paths with…

My magic pushed against the edge of my soul, seeking far more freedom than I had granted it thus far. It was a reckless move to even consider the idea, especially when I had barely gotten much of a feast from the slain man beside us.

So why couldn’t I restrain myself?

The shadows leaked through my skin with a sense of glee. I didn’t dare move a muscle. Not even my grip around her heartloosened in the slightest bit. I simply gazed down at her and watched those eyes widen as far as they would go.

Any minute now…All it would take was a single second for her mind to process what she was seeing. Then that little touch of intrigue she had going would dissipate. She would tremble beneath me with frightened whimpers to let her go.

Whether it be in the hands of Death or returning to the agony in the real world.

If my shadows weren’t so fixated on stretching out and showing this petite little female what all we could offer, my jaw would’ve crashed down onto her chest. The fear that I expected to be slammed in the face with never came. No, that fucking river of curiosity had just exploded into a goddamn raging river.

The woman stunned me to the core by raising her hand and stretching those fingers out toward the bit of my magic that had strayed closer. Her lips parted with a million questions dancing around in those wide eyes. And that arousal? Gods, it had become so thick that my lungs were seizing up from the sweet aroma.

Why do I feel this strange urge to kiss her?

My mind raced to commit her scent to memory. The intense pull I had felt from the heart of my prison returned in full force. I could do nothing but stare as those bits of smoke slimmed down and started coiling around her fingers. The surreal sight was nothing compared to the moment my magic brushed along her skin.

A violent tremor worked its way through my body as the tips of her fingers ran along my shadows. It was one thing to feel the heightened sensations when they moved against someone else. Never in my existence had anyone wanted to willingly touch them —especiallynot a mortal. I found myself lashing out a hand, slamming it down against the wooden beam beside her just to prevent from crushing her under my weight.

She sucked in a sharp breath, startled by the loud sound so close to her face. Those pale green eyes swung back over to my face. Her scent fluctuated slightly.

I tensed for a moment to process what had changed. What I found was almost enough to have me swearing out loud. She was startled by my strong reaction to her touch, but it didn’t go any further than that. Even having my face so close to hers wasn’t triggering the fear that I expected to roll over me.

Her gaze started to stray, moving around my face to take in all my features. They briefly rose up to the mask that I’d shoved up, but didn’t linger on it. Instead, she dropped it down to my lips. The arousal in the air thickened.

She felt that pull, too.

A deep growl rumbled in my chest. It was a feeble attempt to trigger the appropriate reaction out of her, despite the glee my shadows displayed from her fascination. “Do you not see my hand in your chest?” I hissed. “I have my fingers curled around yourheart, mortal. One squeeze and I end your existence. I won’t lose any sleep over it.”

Yes, you would. Don’t lie to yourself, Ambrose.The voices of my own failures mocked me.

My shadows pulsed with a burst of rage. That part of my soul was livid that I had even made the recommendation. After all, it was her cry that had pierced through all that darkness and silence. It washer painthat had broken us free from our hell.

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