Page 41 of Wrath

“Thank you, Jade,” Z said formally, not pushing for more answers. It was apparent we wouldn't get them at the moment. “Please come find me if you remember anything else. And go see Davia for your next assignment.”

The woman nodded, shakily got to her feet, and then hurried away without a word.

“I’ll make sure she arrives safely,” Mali told Z with a tentative smile.

Once the two women were out of sight, Z spun on us, a tight frown on her face.

“This isn’t good. At all. What is Aaliyah planning?”

“We should have someone following that army,” Devlin said, his mind probably already spinning with battle plans. He and Lupe were good at this—leading. They did so with an effortless grace that was almost enviable. “If Jade ran straight here, then they shouldn’t be too far ahead.”

“Do you think they’re heading for the kings?” Z worried her lip with her teeth.

“It’s a possibility,” Ryland said, some of the shadows lifting from his face. His ice-blue eyes gleamed in the rising sun. “Aaliyah may want to free the kings to have them on her side in the battle to come.”

“We’ll need to warn our troops stationed nearby,” Devlin added. “Tell them not to engage until we know more.”

“If Aaliyah manages to free the kings, then we’ll need to fight her, them, and whatever nightmares remain loyal to them,” Z pointed out, and renowned terror permeated the air.

We all knew that was one battle we might not survive. All of them individually? It was possible. But together? I shivered and attempted to force air into my spasming lungs. I accidentally inhaled too deeply and caught a whiff of Z’s sweet, natural scent.

The hunger returned with a vengeance.

My teeth lengthened, and I felt a growl crawling up my throat, buzzing like an electric saw. I quickly turned away before anyone could see my reaction.

Fortunately, they were all too preoccupied with the problem at hand to notice anything was amiss with me.

“I was giving this a lot of thought,” Devlin began, tapping his fingers against his pants rhythmically. “Remember Dair’s theory? Aaliyah is somehow able to exacerbate the sins of nightmares, so it stands to reason that you can calm them. And it worked, didn’t it? Not just with us but with the mages.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Agitated color crept into her cheeks.

“The mages are actively helping, Z,” Devlin continued. “They’re not just sitting on the sidelines. They’re using their magic to make change. To save lives. They’re being…diligent.”

Z winced as if she’d been slapped, and I could tell she wanted to argue. But there was nothing she could say that would change the situation. Everything Devlin said was true. We had discussed this before, in detail, but hadn’t confessed our theory to Z. We knew it would freak her out.

“Why would Lilith allow this to happen?” Z threw her hands in the air, exasperation tinging her tone.

“We have no idea what her plans are. We only know what we’ve seen with our own two eyes.” Devlin gently placed his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. “The mages are changing, Z, and we believe that the rest of the nightmares will begin to as well once their trials are completed.”

Z opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. She glanced at Ryland first, whose shadows flickered around him like a cloak, and then at Bash. Finally, her gaze settled on mine, and the intensity in her eyes singed my already frazzled nerves.

“Okay.” Z sucked in a sharp breath. “Okay. Okay. Okay. Let’s head back to the tent and talk about this.”

“I’ll join you guys in a bit,” I said, focusing on a swaying tree branch just above her head.

At one point, there would be blood dripping from the leaves onto the ground. I could still hear the repetitive drip-drip-drip in my head, taunting me, reminding me of what would occur if I didn’t feed.

“Jax? Are you okay?” Z eyed me with concern.

“I’m fine.” I tried to offer her a smile, but it felt shaky around the edges.

I hadn’t smiled in so fucking long, I had almost forgotten how to do it.

She didn’t look convinced.

Determination swept through me, filling every single cell of my body.

I needed to get a handle on my bloodlust, and soon. Maybe once I cleared my head, it would be better, more manageable. Or maybe I’d attack her at the first opportunity.

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