Page 403 of Shadowblood Souls
Over a distance, I could outrun any of the younger shadowbloods—and most of my guys as well. But my initial shocked hesitation and Sully’s desperation give him all the head start he needs.
As I dash after him with other footsteps thumping after me, he’s already throwing himself at the shoulder-height gate. He flings himself up and over the bars.
I reach him in time to snatch at him, but I only catch his sleeve before he’s wrenching away.
Wrenching away… and taking just a couple faltering steps farther before he teeters. He sprawls forward at the edge of the bridge.
His name rasps from my throat. “Sully.”
There’s no point in yelling it now. He couldn’t respond even if he wanted to.
Within the span of a few heartbeats, he’s slumped on the dusty pavement, unconscious.
Nadia sucks in a sharp breath. I turn abruptly to look at the others—especially the kids.
“Balthazartoldus that if we go past the walls, the sedative will automatically kick in. It doesn’t do us any good testing it.”
There aren’t even any guards posted by the bridge. We don’t see any of the villa’s staff until we draw back into the garden with an anxious air, trying to figure out what to do about Sully, and a couple of men in trim blue uniforms come trotting out with a stretcher to collect him.
“Where are you taking him?” Booker calls out to them as they carry Sully back to the house.
They keep walking as if they haven’t even heard him.
I feel as if my entire stomach has solidified into a chunk of stone like the blocks surrounding us. Andreas glances at me and tucks his arm around my shoulder, but the warmth of his embrace barely penetrates my skin.
The sense I had when Balthazar spoke to us this morning stabs even deeper through me.
This isn’t like any of the other times. He isn’t like a regular guardian.
How the hell are we ever going to get out of here?
Fuck, how can we eventhinkof getting out of here when Dominic can’t leave his enclosed bed?
Those are the thoughts traveling through my mind when another man emerges from the villa’s main doors.
This one is dressed in regular clothes: a black mock-turtleneck and dark gray slacks that hang a little loose on his gaunt body. Every movement highlights the sharp angles of hisjoints. You’d almost think he was a robot constructed out of giant toothpicks.
He strides over to us with an air of brisk authority, the breeze ruffling his salt-and-pepper hair. A tuft of a pure white beard points down from his chin.
He stops about ten feet away and snaps his fingers at us. Atme, it becomes clear a moment later.
“Riva. Come.”
Like I’m a dog he’s bringing to heel. My posture goes rigid, another flare of the anger that’s feeling increasingly futile searing through my chest.
“What for?” I ask. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Jacob and Zian are already stepping in front of me like bodyguards. I can tell from their stances that they’d pummel the guy to pieces if I gave the slightest indication it was necessary.
The man regards them with what might be a spark of amusement in his pale eyes before motioning to me again. “It’s not a punishment. You’ll be the first to extend your powers. The procedure is totally painless.”
He has a softly rounded accent, his dictation just slightly halting in a way that suggests English isn’t his first language.
Zian frowns. “You have a procedure to increase our powers?”
“It should accomplish that.” The man rubs his hands together, and his gaze takes on a flintier cast. “It will be better for you and for Mr. Balthazar if it does. I believe he told you that you should follow my instructions—I’m Matteo, or Matt if you would rather. Let us go.”
My primary staff, Toni and Matteo.We’ve already determined that the coolly taciturn woman who led us to the drawing room is Toni.
