Page 554 of Shadowblood Souls
Rollick rubs his hands together. “Still, a reach of twenty feet—that’s not bad at all. Especially when you started out needing direct physical contact.”
“Yeah.” And the last time I stretched my abilities, I’m not sure I could have grasped on to energy more than a quarter that distance away.
Balthazar does excel at turning people more monstrous than they already were.
Lance clicks his claws together. “Is it my turn now?”
Rollick chuckles. “Are you really that eager to lose a little essence?”
“If he can steal it.” The shadowkind man grins at me in challenge.
This is the part of the test that I was least looking forward to.
I swallow hard. “I wouldn’t have to take very much, right? Just enough to know whether I can take any at all. If I can absorb some energy, then there’s no reason to think I’d run into any obstacles taking a larger portion later.”
“I definitely don’t want you draining my associates to oblivion,” Rollick says dryly. “Have a little taste—see how quickly you can take hold. That should tell us plenty.”
Lance positions himself several feet away and watches me expectantly, his striking violet eyes looking more amused than anything. “Ready when you are.”
Careful and controlled. I’m the best at those virtues out of all of us shadowbloods—at least, among the Firsts.
I inhale slowly and aim my tentacles toward Lance. The hum of energy that emanates from his body gives a different sensation from what I’m used to from plants, animals, or humans. It’s a little airier, wispier, like the haze that spills from their bodies instead of blood.
I have to concentrate harder to latch on to the ephemeral impression. My tentacles sway in the air, my nerves jitter—and there, I’ve got it.
A waft of life force, ten times as giddying as what the plants can offer, sweeps into me. A shiver runs through my body, welcoming it.
Lance shivers too, his jaw flexing. The subtle signal of discomfort chills me.
I let go with a jerk of my tentacles back toward my body as they emerge another tiny bit farther. The extra energy dances through my chest and limbs, but I feel sick at the same time.
“You were right,” I say to Rollick. “I can take from shadowkind. It was a little hard getting started, but I think it’d be easier now that I know what to expect.”
“Good to have the confirmation, although it seems unlikely that our main foe will have many if any shadowkind still on his side.” Rollick glances at Riva. “The most important test is how quickly and effectively you can drain a fellow shadowblood.”
My pulse stutters. Of course Riva isn’t here just to offer moral support—she’s another target.
The thought shouldn’t horrify me as much as it does. I didn’t flinch when I watched her inflict her talent on Jacob and Zian. But then,sheobviously balked at doing it.
I once pieced this woman back together from the brink of death. I’ve refused to sacrifice any part of my talent or the monstrous appendages that come with it so that I can be ready whenever she needs me again.
Nothing could feel more wrong than to steal any of the life I’ve preserved so carefully away from her.
Riva takes the same spot Lance did. She smiles at me without any sign of concern. “I’ll be fine. I’ve got lots of strength. And every time I usemypower, I replenish it.”
I don’t really think I could hurt her badly by accident. My mind can’t even wrap itself around the idea. But nausea bubbles in my gut just at making myself pretend that I’m going to attack her.
I close my eyes for a second. This isforher too, isn’t it?
To make sure I’ll be prepared to defend her from every enemy we might encounter in the days ahead… including the ones with shadows in their blood like us.
I hold on to that justification and fix my gaze on Riva. My tentacles extend toward her.
Memories of much more pleasant encounters tickle up in the back of my mind. The first time she kissed one of my suckers… The way she’s accepted my tentacles right inside her…
I shut down that line of thinking before my face can flush too much and yank myself back to the present. All I need is a little tug of energy out of her. Just enough to tell if it’ll be much more difficult than I expect.
I’m aware of her presence in multiple ways—the quiver of connection through our marks, the tingle of the talents she could lend me, and the pulse of life resonating through her body. I narrow my attention down to the last of those and ever so tentatively pull.
