Page 135 of Savage Blood
“Don’t pretend like you’re some heroic savior.” My fingers curled around the iron balcony so hard the metal threatened to dent. “You’re a selfish, heartless lunatic who used your position of power to lure in runaways and people with no family to do your dirty work and die.”
She gave a careless shrug. “We all have a role to play. Some are fighters, and some are cannon fodder.”
Rage ignited in my gut as my talons burst out and teeth sharpened further. My inner wolf scraped against the barrier, longing to tear Coltrane to tiny pieces. The desire to taste her salty blood burned within me.
Before I could haul myself over the railing and jump to the floor, Fane’s presence coalesced at my back. His arm wrapped around my waist to keep me firmly planted on the balcony.
“You won’t make it out of this place alive, Coltrane,” he said, his low, threatening voice raising goose bumps on my nape. “If Tate doesn’t kill you, one of them will.”
Barric’s laughter filled the room, and he tossed his hands in the air as he angled toward Coltrane. “He’s right, Anna.”
Her lips thinned as she clutched the dagger, her knuckles turning white. “I won’t go down without a fight. And believe me, I have more tricks up my sleeve.”
Even though enemies surrounded her and she had no wayout, her words still spilled cold unease through my system. What else could she possibly have to fight against Barric and the rest of The Collective?
“Oh, I’m sure you do, Anna.” Barric took the wet cloth Ben offered him and wiped the blood from his chest. “Why don’t you run along and try to find a way out? I’ll catch up with you when I’m finished here, and you and I will have a little fun.”
Acid oozed up my throat at the thought of Barric’s idea of fun. He licked his lips like he wanted to eat her. If he caught up to her in that beast form, he probably would.
Coltrane didn’t waste time as she backed toward the doors leading to a labyrinth of hallways. She kept her dagger raised, but no one made a move. Barric wanted her to run—so he could hunt her down later.
Once the former raven captain vanished from the room, Barric tossed the rag to Ben.
“Let’s get down to business. We have a ritual to perform with our guest of honor.” His scarred hand motioned toward me, an eerie smile splitting his lips.
I gritted my teeth, the fury within building until my muscles trembled. “You’re even more psychotic than I thought if you believe I’ll just hand myself over to you to be sacrificed.”
His disturbing laughter spilled out as he ambled toward one of the food tables, stepping over Hudson’s decapitated body and plucking a grape from a golden tray. “I’m glad I never got the chance to kill you, Tate. If you hadn’t survived and then been bitten by the hybrid, you wouldn’t be the very thing I need to eradicate the scourge of our species.”
Fane tore his mask off and tossed it to the floor. “You’re not laying a fucking finger on Tate.”
“Come now, Fane.” Barric snapped his fingers, and six sizable shifters, three on each side, closed in on us.
The scarlet sheen in their eyes—a side effect of the Infernal Sol—made it clear they belonged to The Collective Nosterium. Waves of heat rose from the demon shifter as the slashing black tattoos—visible only on his hands and neck—twitched. His beast wanted out.
“Don’t make me come up there and get you myself.” The amulet glowed against Barric like a flashing warning sign. “Or better yet, I might direct a little chaos and fear your way.”
Was he tapping into the stone’s power consciously? Barric hadn’t made a big show of feeding on fear, but he definitely had the chaos part down.
Jax strolled toward Barric, who grabbed another grape off the table. “That would be fun—watching Fane writhe on the ground like a giant worm.”
“Can you even tap into fears like that, Barric?” I asked, fighting the desire to snatch my dagger out and toss it at Jax’s head. “You probably can’t.”
The six Collective Nosterium members inched forward. On my side, one of them, a bear shifter, growled, his teeth flashing. A chill slinked down my back as saliva dripped down his chin.
He was one of the members we fought in the crumbling town square, and memories of his scaly animal body—like the color of swampy mud—leaping on Alicia played through my mind.
Barric tilted his head as he rubbed the amulet again. “How about a demonstration, Tate? I know all about your dark, twisted fears, and bringing them to life would give me so much joy.”
One of the shifters closing in on me lunged, but Fane darted by me, grabbed the leopard by his silver jacket, and tossed him off the balcony like he was barely more than a rag doll.
His scream echoed through the grand room, and a thud—and a nauseating crack—followed once he hit the marble floor.
Another shriek burst from the shifter as he grabbed his leg, his bone poking through his bloodstained pants. “My fucking leg!”
Fane gave a terrifying smirk. “You should really learn to tuck and roll, Joshua.”
“Enough!” Barric yelled, throwing the platter of grapes at Joshua. “Get him up and out of here, Jax.”
