Page 196 of Shadowblood Souls
Riva
When I flick out my claws and bring them to my arm, all four of my guys stiffen where they’re standing around me.
“Riva!” Andreas protests, but I’ve already sliced open the skin beneath my shoulder in a shallow cut.
As a thin trickle of blood streaks down and a tiny whiff of dark smoke gusts up in the ocean breeze washing over the yacht’s deck, Jacob lets out a sound like a growl. His hand jerks up as if he was going to catch my wrist but thought better of it.
“Never again,” he says roughly. “You don’t hurt yourself.”
I look from him to Zian, who has tensed with anguish etched across his face, to Andreas’s tight expression, to the horror in Dominic’s eyes.
“It’s no big deal.” I motion to the tiny white scars that mottle my pale skin from elbow to armpit. “I did it at least once a week when they were holding me at the cage-fighting arena.”
Zian’s face contorts with even more distress. “Why would you?—”
“So I knew you were still out there,” I say with impatience I can’t suppress. “That was before I knew you were all going to be asshats about seeing me again.”
Standing beyond our little cluster, Rollick lets out a sudden sound that might have been a muffled snicker.
Jacob’s stance has gone totally rigid. A faint creaking emanates from somewhere in the vicinity of the yacht’s front cabin until Andreas gives him a punch to the arm.
Jacob shakes himself, his gaze searing into me in a way that sets all my nerves jangling—with both alarm and other emotions I’d rather not acknowledge.
“Heal her,” he snaps at Dominic.
I scowl. “I can do this. I don’t need?—”
“You don’t need to get hurt ever again,” Jacob interrupts. “Not if we can help it. It’s the least we can fucking do.”
He turns to Rollick. “I’ll handle the bleeding for the tests.”
The demon shrugs. “It’s up to you. I’d just like to get on with it, if you’re done posturing for the woman who clearly isn’t impressed by it.”
A tiny smirk tugs at my lips. No, Rollick definitely isn’t a completely bad guy.
Dominic has already rested his hand on my shoulder, but he searches my gaze before extending his power. Waiting for my permission rather than following Jacob’s orders automatically.
I have made a lot of progress with my guys. With all of them, really, even if it’s hard to know what could be enough from some of them.
“It’s really fine,” I tell him. “You know how quickly we heal on our own. It’ll seal up in a matter of minutes.”
The bleeding has already stopped. I’d have to prod it to get it going again, but I don’t feel like provoking a longer argument.
Dom gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “If you’re sure. I don’t mind at all.”
“Imind. The protecting each other doesn’t just go one way, in case you’ve forgotten.”
I reach up to squeeze his hand in return and then step away so it isn’t a question anymore. We walk across the deck toward the bow while Jacob hangs back.
The test doesn’t really work if we’re standing right next to each other.
Rollick watches the proceedings with obvious curiosity. “The shadow part of your blood seeks out each other naturally?”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t just happen. I had to concentrate on my memories of them.”
Zian frowns. “How would the other shadowbloods be able to focus on us?”
“They could have watched recordings from our time in the facility,” Andreas says. “There’d be years of footage.”
