Page 474 of Shadowblood Souls
I clench my jaw so hard it aches, willing my mind to stay closed. But the cat is trembling and whimpering, and Matteo is watching me expectantly.
He won’t do anything to help it. He’d probably have us sit here like this for hours more, the cat wallowing in the pain I inflicted, waiting for me to finish what I started.
Tears prick at the backs of my eyes. I don’t know what else to do.
Bracing myself, I send out all the power of my frustration in one sharp mental blast.
The cat’s body jerks, its spine snapping the way Jacob often kills his targets. It slumps on the cage floor, now out of its misery.
Matteo’s smile widens, and I want to vomit again. “Good, good. Very impressive. I’ll need to have more animals brought in—larger, more mentally advanced—to see how you do with them.”
I flinch inwardly, barely holding in a protest. What good will arguing do me?
He already knows I don’t want to do this. The more I complain, the more he might feel he needs to challenge my resistance.
What if someday he bringspeoplefor me to practice my powers on?
I restrain a shudder at the chill of that thought and keep my mouth shut as Matteo emerges from his booth. My gaze falls to my lap.
I don’t want to look at him. I’ll be too tempted to unleash my anger on the man who’s directed this session.
It’d be so easy to sever his life without so much as a peep. The hunger inside me shivers with its own giddiness just imagining it.
Not yet. Not when I’d only be condemning all of us to more misery.
Lashing out doesn’t do us any good when we still have no way to escape.
I get to my feet, willing my legs not to shake, and walk past Matteo to the door. In the hall outside, I suck in a breath of air that smells just a little fresher.
My gut is still churning. It might be past lunchtime now, and I don’t have anything left in my stomach, but I can’t imagine trying to eat.
Rubbing my arms, I head back to the section of the villa where we spend most of our free time. Who is Matteo going to bring in for his “procedures” next? What is he going to makethemdo?
Is he going to traumatize my guys even further after everything they’ve endured in the past?
My fingers curl, the tips of my claws emerging. In the same moment, Toni steps into my path up ahead.
I can tell the moment I see her stern expression that she’s here to give orders. It’s not like she’d ever inquire about how I’m doing or whether I’m okay, right?
I stop about five feet away from her and trail my fingers over the plaster wall, almost but not quite scratching the faded blue paint. “What do you want?”
Toni tips her head in the direction of the drawing room. “Mr. Balthazar has a new job he needs to talk to you about.”
Oh, heneedsto, does he?
My jaw clenches. I think he needs to shove his expectations up his ass.
I said no to Matteo today, and he ignored me. But I do have a little leverage with our main captor.
He knows that we’re capable of disobeying him—and that he won’t necessarily be able to tell the difference between an honest failure and a purposeful one. That unless we’re sufficiently motivated, failure is definitely an option.
I push my lips into a tight smile. “You can tell Balthazar that I’ll deal with his demands when they’re actually a deal. I’vebeen doing what he’s asked. He needs to do something for me in return if he wants me to continue cooperating.”
Toni narrows her eyes at me. “What are you talking about?”
I stare back at her unflinchingly. “He healed Dominic like he promised. Which, by the way, worked in Balthazar’s favor too. I think I’ve done more than enough to cover my side of that bargain. Now I want to know about StreamCycle Enterprises and how his business fits in with all these jobs he’s giving us.”
A scoffing sound slips from Toni’s mouth. “He’s not going to talk to you about his personal affairs.”
