Page 205 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

Pulling my shadows up, I push them forward, imagining them wrapping around the chains and ripping them apart. They clang to the floor as Malik follows them with a grunt, landing on his knees.

Shouts come from outside, telling me our time is up. The guards are coming. Even with the shadow beast on watch, we needed to get out of here.

“Looks like it’s time to go,” I tell Malik.

Malik rips the mouth guard off his face, glaring at me.

“You should have left me where I was.”

“Chained up where your free will is taken from you? No. If you want to stay here, fine. But at least now you get to make that choice yourself.” If he stays, that’s on him.

“There’s never been a choice. They took that years ago. I’ve already accepted that I will die here.” The fire in his eyes slowly fades, making something in my chest tighten.

“Maybe, but today that’s a decision you get to make for yourself.” I turn to leave but stop when Malik calls out.

“What the—”

I turn back to him. His wide eyes are on the spot where the beast just disappeared. He opens his mouth and looks at me but stops, taking a step back.

“What are you?” he asks, as if he’s seeing me for the first time.

Something inside me could sense his fear. It leaked off him in waves, heading straight for me.

“Nothing you need to worry about.” The guards were if they caught up to us.

Malik looks at me warily. He opens his mouth to speak but stops when his body tenses up. He grabs his head, crying out in pain as his body folds to the floor.

I go to move toward him when he begins to shake, as if taking some sort of seizure.

“What’s going on?” I move closer but stop when an unlawful, deep growl comes from his lips.

Malik changes before my eyes into the pissed off demon with the purple horn. He flinches a couple of times before going completely still.

“Malik?” Nothing but silence greets me.

I inch forward, making sure he’s still alive when he jumps up and flashes forward.

Before I know it, he has me pinned by my throat up against the wall, all the while snarling in my face.

It takes a moment for the shock to clear before I get pissed. I am not going to let anyone hurt me like this again.

I let the darkness rise up inside me. It comes quicker than last time, pouring out of me and whipping out at Malik, sending him flying toward the wall in front of me.

Dropping to my feet, I raise a hand to my throat, breathing through the sharp burn as my ability heals it.

Glancing at Malik’s demon, I watch as he starts to tremble again. His horn recedes, replaced by hair, his body shrinking as he transforms from demon to man.

Malik pants. Sitting up, he grabs hold of his head. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry.” He releases a harsh breath and lifts a hand from his face, raising it in apology. I’d tell him to go fuck himself, but the complete look of devastation on his face stops me.

I sigh. “I know you can’t…controlit.”

Malik shakes his head. “I wasn’t always like this. But it’s why I can’t leave. I’m a danger to anyone who comes near me. My demon can’t tell the difference between who is trying to hurt us. He only sees the threat.”

“And you have no control when you choose to shift?” Did King take that from him too?

“No.” Malik frowns, glancing up at me. “I’ve never shifted back that quick either. Not unless the guards use me as their entertainment to fight those creatures.”

“What—”

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