Page 605 of Shadowblood Souls
“We tried to give you that chance. When you were in the hall here, you walked right past that little girl while she cried out without even stopping to see what was going on. You?—”
Nadia breaks in with an urgent note in her voice. “What little girl? What are you talking about? Did you hurt an actualkid?”
I hesitate. Did she really not notice Andreas’s projected memory?
I guess it’s possible the impression didn’t quite penetrate her awareness, if she was hyper-focused on Cutler and his goals. I can’t remember exactly how close to the doorway she was—she might not have been in a position to see much of anything. And she walked into the gymnasium almost immediately.
She sounds as if she cares now. Like she has a conscience.
Maybe we could have saved her after all. And here I am stalking her, waiting to murder her.
“No,” I say. “We didn’t hurt anyone. It was a test to see how you’d all react. Some of your friends went to go help her, and they’re going to live.”
There’s a momentary pause. But Nadia spits out her next words. “You’re lying. You’re trying to distract me, mess with my head so you can kill me now. I’m not going to let you. Cutler was right—Cutler had a plan. I won’t let you use him either!”
Before I can fully process what she means, a figure dashes into the range of my mottled vision, racing toward Cutler’s slumped body with a metal shard gleaming in her hand.
Nadia’s going to killhimand destroy all hope of us stopping the rogues for good.
Without thinking, I shove myself toward her, my supernatural speed thrumming through my legs. Light explodes from Nadia’s body, blinding me all over again, but I’m already in motion.
The thud of her footsteps guides me. I’m at least twice as fast as her—I hurl myself into her taller frame before she’s within reach of Cutler.
We roll over on the floor, my head jarring against the linoleum. The razor edge of Nadia’s makeshift dagger rakes against my arm.
Her face appears blurrily above me. She’s raised her hand, the metal shard clutched in it, her face contorted with anger—and desperation.
In the second before she drives the blade downward, my shriek leaps up from my lungs. But my throat constricts around it.
There’s hope for her. She was worried about the little girl.
Sorsha and Jacob will have heard that too—if I sacrifice myself, maybe they can save her after all.I’llhave saved her.
The thought passes through my head, and the rest of my body balks.
No.
I want to live too. I want to save myself. I’ve fought so hard for my freedom, for the love I wasn’t sure I’d ever recover, and I deserve it just as much as anyone.
The thud of the door crumpling all the way to the floor makes Nadia flinch. Her hand wavers and then jabs downward.
And I hear Zian’s and Dominic’s voices carrying through the room.
There’s still a chance.
I open my mouth and scream.
The sound tears into Nadia’s body just as her blade nicks my throat. Her arm shudders and jerks to the side with a crack of bone.
Her other hand lights up where it’s braced against me. The searing pain that comes with her glow in close contact lances through my shoulder into the rest of my frame.
But I already knew it wouldn’t be enough just to break her outer body if I wanted to stay alive.
The agony of the burn makes my breath shudder, but I push a sharper scream from my throat and slam my power right into her brain.
Nadia’s eyes roll up. The vicious glow she was generating fades from her skin as she tumbles off me.
My muscles trembling, I heave myself over and touch her throat. Her pulse stutters on erratically.
