Page 471 of Shadowblood Souls
Her gaze shoots back to the man on the screen. “Apparentlyheknew that was likely to happen all along and doesn’t care.”
“Didn’t bother to warn us either,” Zian adds in a wary mutter.
My own anger flares inside me. I know how badly Riva takes it when her powers get away from her. I’m not sure there’sanything she hatesmorethan the idea of hurting someone who didn’t deserve it.
And this jackass has forced her back into the chains of guilt and self-doubt she worked so hard to throw aside.
I’d like to smash the fucking TV screen and his stupid face with it. But I know that’s not going to accomplish anything useful.
Elsewhere in the room, a chair leg cracks.
“Now I’m ensuring that all of you know,” Balthazar says in a tone so calm it makes me want to smash a whole lot of other parts of him too. “It’s an understandable trade-off for the growth of your powers, but I’m sure you’ll adjust in time.”
Dominic folds his arms over his chest. “Are you going to help us with that adjustment or just expect us to figure out how to adapt to the changes you’ve forced on us on our own?”
Balthazar’s bland response is barely an answer. “I can see you’re all motivated to harness your powers. I doubt it’ll be much trouble.”
I glower at him. “Fucking bullshit.”
Our captor considers me for a moment, his lips curving just slightly. Is heamusedthat we’re upset?
Then he turns his attention to Riva. “If you’re particularly worried, maybe you should spend more time with Griffin. From what I’ve seen, he has a steadying effect on all of you.”
His gaze flicks back to me. “And it might be best if Jacob keeps his distance from the rest of you while he gets his own issues with control sorted out, since he was dealing with those before Matteo even got started with him.”
My jaw starts to clench. “If you don’t like my temper acting up on your furniture, maybe you should stop pissing us off.”
Matteo tilts his head at a contemplative angle. “You have struggled the most out of all the shadowbloods I’ve worked with.”
Balthazar hums in agreement. “Your companions need to think of what’s best for themselves, not just what will pacify you. Why would they want to be around someone unsafe, who doesn’t even care enough to keep his destructive emotions reined in?”
My skin burns with a heat that’s both fury and shame. I suck in a harsh breath, and Riva shakes her head.
She narrows her eyes at the screen. “Jacob’s only ever struggled because of all the shit the organizationyouhelped form put him through. We’re not afraid of him.”
But has she already eased a little closer to Griffin? How much does she believe her defense of me, deep down under the loyalty that comes instinctively to her?
Is it possible some of the forgiveness she’s offered really has been an attempt to placate my temper for her own protection? It’s not as if Ididn’thurt her—and badly—not that long ago.
Balthazar speaks as if he’s pulled the conflicted thoughts right out of my skull. “Look at how well you’ve convinced her that you need coddling. Are you really surprised that she’s gravitated toward your brother now that he’s back with your group?”
Griffin stiffens, but whatever he says, it’s lost in the roar of rage that floods my head. I close my eyes, grappling with the caustic rush of anger turned more venomous by the fear that he might be right.
I can think of times all the others seemed to treat me with kids’ gloves. What if they’ve just been waiting for an excuse to shove me away, to get rid of the problems I make for them?
Have they been fuckinglyingto me all this time, feigning friendship as well as forgiveness?
The darkness behind my eyelids brings me back to the endless nights in my cell while the guilt over Griffin’s death—the death that never actually happened—gnawed through myinsides. Swallowing a growl of despair, I glare at the screen again.
And catch the glitter of triumph in Balthazar’s eyes an instant before the smug prick wills it away.
Understanding hits me in a chilling deluge that douses all my fury.
He wants this. He wants to get me worked up, have me questioning my friends, provoke me into doing something that might encourage them not to trust me in turn.
He almost succeeded.
I don’t know why he’s trying to carve a fissure through our group, but it can’t be for anygoodreason.
