Page 541 of Shadowblood Souls
Or possibly there is, because a few steps from the door, Toni glances over at me. “I’m sorry. For—for every way I contributedto what he did to you. I shouldn’t have let myself become just a tool for him, putting aside all my own opinions.”
The apology means more than I’d have expected after she’s already said as much to us as a group. I dip my head to her in acknowledgment. “He did a number on you too. At least you found your way back.”
The corner of her mouth curves upward in a sad-looking smile. “Do your best to make sure you always do too, all right?”
I don’t answer her, even though I’m touched by her concern. Because the truth is, as terrified as my experience in the garden makes me, I wouldn’t let that terror get in my way.
I’d never risk another person’s life with my talent, but if keeping myself concealed for a few more minutes made the difference between saving my friends and the woman I love or not? I’d accept my doom in an instant.
I can’t even say whether I’m more worried that it’ll come to that… or that I’ll never get the chance to make that much of a difference.
Eleven
Riva
Isit up straighter and roll my shoulders. The lines of the map that’s spread on the floor in front of me swim before my eyes even when I close them.
I rub at my eyelids and blink, and the afterimage starts to fade. My uneasiness doesn’t.
Balthazar hasn’t returned to his base in the Carpathians, which isn’t really a surprise. He doesn’t know how much we figured out about his security systems there, but he’s not taking any chances.
Instead, every time I check his location, he seems to be moving between places. I’m not sure he’s stayed at any of his properties for more than an hour or two.
He must be conducting most of his business by private jets and helicopters. Placing calls, making plans, even sleeping while in motion.
Which means we can’t pin him down. I never know where he is for long enough that we could get there before he’s someplace else.
He’s had the younger shadowbloods moved too. The ones I sensed—and then saw—in the Romanian base I now trace to a spot in Poland. Toni confirmed that Balthazar owns a large plot of land there and had been doing construction on it in recent years.
They aren’t all together. I just located Booker off in the middle of Finland. The only one left I know well enough to search out with Griffin’s ability is Ajax.
I lean back on my hands for a moment first, trying to regain my concentration. There are too many other considerations niggling at my mind.
It doesn’t help that I’m far from sure that mapping out the locations of our younger counterparts does us any good. Balthazar wasn’t with Nadia and the others when they left the mountain base. He’d already taken off on his own—he’s directing their movements from afar.
I thought it would comfort me a little to know where they are, but instead it’s only deepened my sense of helplessness.
I don’t know how to get them out. I don’t know what Balthazar is putting them through now that their powers are more useful to him.
He’s certainly been busy.
One of the other niggling thoughts has me pulling out my phone. When I flick to the news app, nausea curdles in my gut.
There’s a hunt for the “monstrous” terrorists going on in Turkey right now, soldiers storming enclaves they’ve identified as suspicious. I’m guessing that Balthazar has used the shadowkind who work for him under duress to get intel.
The army hasn’t been video-recording the assaults, but rumors of smoking carcasses are floating into the news reports. They’re hitting their intended targets.
Shadowkind are dying.
Balthazar has continued to spread his efforts worldwide. A couple of days ago, his shadowbloods destroyed Houston’s city hall building, killing dozens, and now the Americans are up in arms too.
And not just the military. Roaming squads of citizens, their weapons and vests no doubt arranged by Balthazar, have turned vigilante.
I overheard Rollick on the phone yesterday, ordering his Miami hotel shut down. Recommending that all his employees there either join us at the Spanish mansion or disperse into hiding.
He put on a nonchalant front about it, acting like this was just a momentary inconvenience that would blow over, but guilt winds through my chest when I remember the conversation.
Balthazar has been stockpiling money, property, and weapons for so long. Building his economic and political influence. Gathering information to inform his strategies.
