Page 48 of Shadow Dreaming

“Do it,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “Just fucking do it. I don’t care anymore.”

Without a thought, without any remorse or guilt, I brought my blade down into her heart. She stiffened, then let out a garbled cry, and she—too—burst into ashes.

I stood, dusting myself off, then turned to stare at my companions. They looked different when I was in this form, more vulnerable. I waited as Dante and Penn approached.

“Kyann, come back to us. Remember yourself. Remember who you are,” Penn said.

I snorted. “This…is who I am. And I feel glorious.”

“You need to come back,” Dante said. “You don’t have the strength to control this side of yourself yet. Listen to us, please?”

From somewhere deep inside, a part of myself whispered, you have to go back inside. I’ll learn to let you out safely. Please, don’t hurt our friends.

I didn’t want to let go. I didn’t want to creep back inside, muffled and chained. But something sparked in me, like a fever dream, that I wasn’t safe if I stayed on the outside, and my friends weren’t safe. So I reluctantly let go, as my alter self emerged.

I blinked and let out a long breath. Then, overwhelmed by the energy from my inner demon, I began to shake.

“Are you okay, Kyann?” Dante asked.

I shook my head. “No…yes…I don’t know. I’m back now. But I have to talk to Seton. She’s getting stronger, and it’s harder to make her go back in.”

“Let’s get moving, before anybody else comes along,” Orik urged.

“Remember,” Penn said. “You saved those kids. Your demon didn’t like what was happening any more than you did. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

I licked my lips, nodding. “I suppose you’re right.”

“You know I’m right,” she said.

As we climbed the ladder, I kept thinking about the vampire’s expression before I killed her. She knew she was going to die, and she looked relieved. I couldn’t be sure, but I had the impression that I’d freed her from a life she had never asked for.

We reached the top within minutes, finding ourselves on the other end of the parking lot. A short jog brought us back to our vehicles. It was nearing noon, and I was hungry as hell.

“Meet back at the office. Carson, can you call Sophia and ask her to order in lunch for all of us?” I fastened my seatbelt.

Penn, from the backseat, said, “I should contact the Crystal Court.”

“Yeah, about that,” I said. “We need to have a talk before you do that. It’s important.”

“All right,” Penn said, sounding puzzled

I put the car in gear and drove out of the parking lot, still dwelling on what had happened, and wondering if I would ever learn to control my inner demon. Or one day, would I be the one trapped inside, trying to get free?

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

By the time we got back to the office, Sophia had lunch waiting for us. She’d ordered in a variety of Chinese takeout from Mama Chang’s, a Chinese restaurant near our office. She’d also ordered a fruit platter and pastries from a corner grocery mart.

When Penn followed me in, Sophia rushed over to give her a hug.

“Thank the gods.” She gave her the once over. “What do you need?”

“Food. A shower. The feeling of safety,” Penn said, trying to laugh, but the next moment, she broke down. “I thought they were going to kill me.”

“Lock the front door,” I told Sophia. “Let’s eat, and talk about this.”

Sophia locked gazes with me, then softly asked, “Do you want me to make an appointment with Seton for you?”

I nodded. She could sense the demon on me. “This afternoon, if you can.”

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