Page 528 of Shadowblood Souls
I start with the silent shriek again, tentative at first. My sense of the guys’ bodies sharpens immediately, but I can’t tell if that’s only because of the innate connection we share.
It isn’t enough to trap them. Jacob adjusts his weight on his feet as if to show that he’s still mobile.
My fingers curl into my palms, my claws itching at the tips. I ramp up my mental scream a little farther, and a little farther again, and?—
Jacob and Andreas jerk and stiffen. Even as I reel back the force of the shriek, a waft of pain hits me, the hunger inside me absorbing it with sickening eagerness.
Drey’s foot. When I release them, he stumbles—but Dominic is there to catch him.
Andreas can’t contain a hiss as he sinks onto the loveseat. A burn forms behind my eyes as I watch Dom seal the bones and sinews I fractured.
Even with the men I love, some part of me ishappyto hurt them.
Rollick clears his throat. “How did that compare to the shadowkind?”
I blink, willing back the tears, and do my best to even out my voice. “Easier than with them, but still harder than regular people. I’ll probably want to use my voice if I need to hit hard and fast and I don’t need to be totally stealthy about it.”
The demon hums to himself. “That makes sense. It seems wise to attempt a few more trial runs, don’t you think?”
Jacob nods, holding my gaze steadily.
Andreas is already pushing back to his feet. “I’m good; I’m good. No sweat.”
It takes me a moment to clear the blur of moisture from my eyes. I’m doing this for them, I remind myself. So that when it’s actually life or death, I’ll deal out death where it belongs.
“Okay,” I say with a rasp. “From the top.”
If we do this right, as soon as tomorrow there could be no more need for carnage.
Seven
Riva
The breeze cools with the falling darkness. I pull my hoodie tighter around me and finally turn back toward the mansion.
I’d hoped the fresh air and solitude would settle my nerves. I slipped away after our hasty dinner, shaking my head at Griffin when he shot me a questioning glance and counting on him to stop the other guys from following.
He must have been able to tell I needed the time to myself, because I remained undisturbed while I wandered among the trees that surround Rollick’s mansion.
The crisp smells of the greenery and the murmur of the breeze through the leaves do set a peaceful atmosphere. That atmosphere hasn’t quite penetrated the tension twisted up inside me, though.
I’m not sure anything would.
When I enter the house, a hush fills the halls. I think most of the shadowkind have retreated into the darkness for the nightrather than keep their physical forms. But on my way to the guest bedrooms, I catch female voices filtering from a doorway.
It’s the kitchen. I pause a couple of steps from the threshold, keeping my silence as I take in the puzzling scene.
Toni stands by the stove, her back to me, stirring something in a pot that wafts a creamy, sweet scent. Pearl has hopped up on the island kitty-corner to her, watching with an avid expression.
“You learned how to make this stuff in India?” she says.
Toni nods. “It’s better with saffron and cardamom, but it doesn’t look like your boss keeps that wide a variety of spices.”
Pearl laughs. “I don’t think he does much cooking. A benefit of not needing to eat food: you can wait until there’s something really worth tasting. Did you usually learn stuff from the local people whereveryourboss took you?”
Toni hesitates before she answers. “Not exactly. I didn’t really have time. But Willa—his wife—always made a point of mingling with the locals and picking up customs from them. She had a knack for knowing which ones I’d be interested in hearing about too.”
Her voice has softened with that last sentence. Pearl’s expression softens too. She leans closer as if drawn by the audible emotion. “She meant a lot to you. Tell me about her?”
