Page 112 of Savage Blood
A few nightworlders cast curious glances in our direction, and some demons stared right at the Infernal Sol still glimmering like a pulsing beacon on Barric’s chest. The idiot might as well announce to the world that he had the powerful amulet.
“Do you really think you can force me out of here in front of all these people?” I asked, tightening my muscles to prepare for a fight. “Fane will be here any second.”
Barric’s white teeth flashed again as he smirked. “Fane’s going to be preoccupied for a while.”
The air fled my lungs, panic gripping my heart. “What are you talking about?”
He finally tucked the amulet into his shirt. “I just made sure he was nice and distracted.”
Fury flooded my veins as terrifying images of Fane being attacked sped through my mind. The rush of adrenaline had my muscles moving, and I swiped my claws through the air and dug gashes into Barric’s arm.
He cursed and finally released me. I stumbled back, pivoted, and took off into the crowd.
Or at least I tried.
Fingers tangled in my hair and yanked me back. I hit Barric’s broad form so hard the air sprang from my lungs again.
“Let me go!” As I spun, a sharp sting spread across my scalp from his hard grip on my hair.
A burst of strength suddenly filled my veins, and even though I couldn’t see him, I knew it came from Fane. But I tried to push it back—block him, even. Fane couldn’t use all his strength on me when he needed it to deal with whatever Barric threw in his path.
The former head alpha wrapped his arms around me as he moved through the crowd, but with the extra strength pumping through my bloodstream, I slipped out of his grip and cracked my knuckles across his face.
The satisfying crunch of bone made me smile, and when I turned toward Barric, blood oozed out of his nose.
“Don’t get cocky, Tate. I’m not even trying.” Tufts of fur sprouted from Barric’s neck as his lips curled back into a snarl.
A shudder ran through me at the thought of his distortedwolf form. He probably looked worse, more grotesque and monstrous than the rest of The Collective Nosterium.
Barric’s attention rose to something behind me, and his transformation halted.
“What a lovely surprise,” he sang.
Frost trickled down my nape, and I looked over my shoulder as Reese stood behind me, her green eyes sharp and attentive.
My stomach dropped. The catatonic shifter I’d encountered at Mohan Wilds was long gone.
“Hello, Barric.” She flicked her raven locks over her shoulder, and her hips swayed as she slithered through a group of confused demons.
When I stepped to the right to make an escape, her hand shot out and gripped my shoulder.
My blood cooled to arctic levels. Reese was definitely still loyal to Barric and The Collective. Was her unresponsive, clueless state at Mohan Wilds all an act?
“You lying bitch,” I bit out and swung my fist.
Reese blocked the hit and then shoved me toward the crowd. A large, bewildered dux demon pushed me back, and I slammed into Reese.
And then the club spun like a merry-go-round.
Son of a bitch!
The sickness had to pick now of all times to rear its ugly head when I hadn’t experienced any symptoms in weeks.
Reese cursed and wrapped her arm around my waist to stop me from crashing to the ground. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I didn’t expect to see you,” Barric said. “But I should have known better. You were always my most loyal follower.”
Warm blood trickled from my nose and dripped onto hershoulder as she held me up. I wiped my face with a trembling hand, black sludge smearing the back of it.
