Page 313 of Shadowblood Souls
“I just wondered—and maybe this is a weird thing to ask, so you totally don’t have to say—has she mentioned anything I did that bothered her?”
I blink at him, feeling totally out of my depth. He thinks Nadia isupsetwith him?
At my startled silence, Booker barrels onward. “It’s just, her aura gets kind of… strange when I’m around, like agitated or something, even though she always acts nice. If I did offend her or something, I’d want to apologize. I mean, I really like her.”
He stops abruptly, a flush coloring his cheeks.
I’ve never had anything like a normal family, but in that moment, swept up in a rush of amused affection, I have the urge to ruffle his hair like I’m the worldly big sister in a sitcom. Except it’d be a bit of a reach when he’s nearly a foot taller than me.
I can’t stop a real smile from tugging at my lips. I’m not going to betray Nadia’s secrets, but it seems fair to say, “I think she’d really like to hear that. She’s definitely not upset with you.”
Booker studies me as if trying to read more into my words and lets out a chuckle with a rush of breath. “That’s—that’s good to hear. Sorry if it was a strange thing to bring up?—”
“No,” I say quickly, meaning it. “I don’t mind at all. I know most of us have only just met, but we’re all kind of family, right? We should help each other when we can. At least, I want to.”
“Yeah.” He flashes me a more confident grin. “Thanks.” Then he lopes over to join the others at the base of the climbing route.
I watch them for a moment with an uneasy twist of fondness and apprehension in my gut.
Maybe he and Nadia will find something special together like I have with my guys.
Maybe Clancy will force the issue if he realizes they’re into each other, to see if they’ll form the same kind of connection we have.
My teeth set on edge. I can’t let that happen.
I don’t know the best way to get us out of here or how to protect us once we’re gone, but I know we can’t stay here any longer than we can help.
I have a while yet before I’m due back at the facility for my lunch period, so I set off for my other planned training activity: firearms. I might prefer close combat where I can use my supernatural strength and claws, but when it comes to dealing with people as well-equipped as the guardians, weapons could definitely come in handy.
And I want to take into consideration all the weapons we could have access to.
The shooting range is set up in a cavernous room at the top of a carved flight of steps leading from the valley floor. A broad waterfall covers the entrance, the warbling of the water drowning out any sound that resonates out of the mountain.
When I duck past the waterfall, a guardian is standing several feet down the hall on the other side, keeping an eye on things. No doubt I was watched along the path I took to get here as well.
I could kill any of them if I wanted to—but that wouldn’t do us any good. Clancy knows I’m not going to go rogue without my guys. And the second I attack any of his people, their ankle bands will let him know.
We’re still shackled; he’s just given us a longer chain.
As I step into the shooting range, my spirits lift a bit. Andreas is standing down by the end, next to a younger guy I don’t know and little Tegan.
There is something deeply wrong about watching a twelve-year-old raise a pistol and blast away a target with cool focus.
Andreas brightens at the sight of me, and my pulse stutters with the sudden thought of all the things he doesn’t know. I haven’t seen him since getting back from my mission.
There’s no sign in his expression that any of my other guys have filled him in on the pieces he’s missing.
I grab a pair of earmuffs and examine the array of weapons on offer, presided over by another guardian. They’re basic handguns and rifles, including a couple with sniper scopes.
I haven’t done much work with long-distance shooting. I pick up one of those and move to a lane that’s deeper, with a more intricate target at the far end.
Something about the process of positioning the gun and focusing on the stick figures I’m supposed to pick out in the target drawing is unnervingly reassuring in its familiarity. I sink into the same focused state Tegan must have found.
Squeeze the trigger. One, two, three, four times.
I miss one of the targets by half an inch, but the bullets tear straight through the others. The finished sheet whirs away, and another takes its place.
I’ve blasted my way through five of them when I notice Andreas heading over to the equipment area. As he takes off his earmuffs, I lower my rifle.
