Page 586 of Shadowblood Souls
“You protected us too,” Billy says. He flickers through the shadows to emerge at my side and takes my hand tentatively. There’s nothing but genuine appreciation in his big faun eyes as he smiles up at me. “Even when shadowkind have attackedyou, you’ve never wanted to see us hurt unless there was no other choice. I should know that better than anyone.”
Tears hit me like a punch from inside my skull. I swipe at my eyes. “I hurtyoubefore. You didn’t?—”
Billy’s smile doesn’t waver as he cuts in. “You stopped. I felt you pull back—I felt how quickly you yanked away the moment you realized. It was foolish of me to leap into the middle of the fight. We all make mistakes. I might not have much experience with the mortal realm yet, but it seems to me that what should matter is what we do about our mistakes when we see the problem.”
For the first time, I fully believe that he doesn’t blame me for aiming my power at him. I’ve known all along that I nevermeant to do it, but it still felt like a vicious act. Like proof of my monstrousness.
What if it’s actually a sign of how human I am, that I could screw up so badly… and regret it so much?
Rollick clears his throat. “My associates aren’t looking to cast you out. But we do need to come to a decision about what to do about your fellow shadowbloods who are still out there on their rampage. Last night only culled their numbers by about a quarter.”
“Right,” I say, still grappling with my whirling feelings. “I heard we captured a few of them. What happened to those three?”
The demon tips his head toward the doorway. “We’ve got them in another room. You can come see them.”
Something about his tone makes my stomach sink. The guys join me as we head out the door—where we nearly run into Toni, who’s rushing over to the bedroom with a paper bag clutched in her hand.
She pauses and swipes at her now-rumpled bob with a slightly self-conscious expression. “Are you all right, Riva? You must be feeling better if you’re walking around. I just got into town a few hours ago—I was out grabbing something Pearl said she wanted for breakfast.”
At the mention of the succubus, a hint of a flush colors Toni’s cheeks. Huh. I can’t help remembering the little kitchen interlude I saw between the two of them back in Rollick’s Spanish mansion.
“I’m doing fine,” I say with a quick smile. “I’m sure Pearl will appreciate the food.” From what I understand, shadowkind don’tneedto eat in the usual mortal way, but a lot of them seem to enjoy the act all the same.
As Toni hustles by, Rollick leads us to the third bedroom. He pauses outside the door. “All three of them have been… difficultany time they start to come to. Lull has been keeping them unconscious with her powers to avoid any violence.”
The lamia. I guess that’s a little better than constantly drugging them up.
I cross my arms over my chest, just shy of hugging myself. “What have they been doing when they wake up?”
Zian rubs his shoulder. “One of the kids tried to tear my arm right off when I went to talk to him. I could barely hold him down—whatever his powers are, they include a lot of strength. He wouldn’t stop yelling long enough for anyone to get a word in.”
Rollick eases open the door and motions us into the room. Three cots are set up with the dozing figures, who are pinned to their beds with heavy chains.
The one girl has a gag tied across her mouth. The man is blindfolded.
Before I need to ask, Andreas points to a large black splotch on the wallpaper. “The older guy has some kind of rotting power he projects with his eyes. He nearly disintegrated a hole in the wall.”
The plump woman with a silvery sheen to her skin wavers out of the shadows near the teenage boy—the one who attacked Zian, I guess. She looks at Rollick in question. “He’s starting to wake up. Should I send him back under?”
Even as she speaks, the boy’s limbs twitch. I square my shoulders. “I’d like to see how he is. At least as much as you can let him wake up before he’s a real threat.”
Rollick inclines his head to give his agreement. Lull stations herself near the boy’s head in anticipation of using her powers.
A tremor runs through the boy’s body. He jerks against the chains before his eyes have even opened.
Then he thrashes his head from one side to the other, but the movement is still a bit sluggish with sleep. “Let me out of here! I’m going to rip you all to pieces, you freaks. If I?—”
The lamia brushes her fingertips over his hair, and his voice falters. His eyelids droop again, but they don’t fully close.
I dart to the end of his cot. “We want to help you. But we can’t do that if you’re trying to fight us. If you could just listen for a minute or two—my friends and I are shadowbloods just like you?—”
“Nothing like us,” the boy mumbles out in a thickened voice. “Deserve everything you get. I hope Cutler finds you and chops you all to?—”
His arms have started to slam against the chains again. With an apologetic pursing of her lips, Lull presses her whole hand to his head, and he trails off into slumber.
I take a step back, my posture deflating. How the hell can we get through to him when he’s still so caught up in his rage, even separated from the rest of the group?
There’s obviously nothing more to see. Rollick ushers us back into the living room.
