Page 33 of Kingdom of Chaos
Eleven
We take turns driving,and switch seats often, which is how I end up sandwiched between Imogen and Talon in the middle of the night. Titus is behind the wheel, and he puts on soft music that has Ensley tipping her head against the window and falling asleep within minutes.
A light drizzle taps against the roof; the steady swoosh of the windshield wipers adds to the lull. The combination makes my eyelids heavy, but I force them open, refusing to give in to sleep. Even though I have zero desire to snuggle up to either of my seatmates—for very different reasons—my head still bobs with exhaustion.
“It’s okay if you want to sleep.” Talon’s voice is low, his lips close enough to my ear that I feel his breath brush the shell, sending a shiver down my spine. “I don’t mind if you want to use me as a pillow.”
In my sleep-deprived state, the offer sounds far more tempting than it should. My body sways toward him before I catch myself and lean deliberately in the opposite direction, making my thoughts on that suggestion crystal clear.
I bump into Imogen, who immediately elbows me in the ribs and snaps at me to give her some space, even though she’s hogging more than her fair share of it. Shooting her a sour look she doesn’t even see, since her head is already buried in her makeshift coat pillow, I scoot back toward Talon, leaving the tiniest sliver of space between us.
Talon chuckles and I glare at him, silently hoping he can’t see me blushing in the dim light. But as if he can read my mind, his gaze drops to my cheeks, then lifts back to my eyes with a smug look.
It’s then I remember he has perfect night vision. I learned that during the first Chaos trial when he found, and basically rescued me, in the cavern tunnels.
What kind of creature are you?I wonder.
I’m no longer sure Talon’s a vampire, not after considering all the powers he may have gotten through Shadow Striker. His ability to manipulate shadows might’ve come from one of the other Arcane Society members rather than being his own. Honestly, any of the powers I saw him use during Chaos could have come from someone else. So I’m just as clueless to what creature he is now as I was the day I met him.
What if, after all this time, it turns out he’s a snake shifter?
Ew.
“What’s that look for?” Talon asks.
I realize I’ve pulled my upper lip into a disgusted snarl. Quickly smoothing my expression, I shove the thought of snake shifters from my mind. “Nothing,” I mumble.
Talon falls silent, and within five minutes I’m fighting a losing battle to stay awake, and nodding off again. Between the steady movement of the car, the soft rain, theswish-swishof the windshield wipers, and the mellow instrumental music playing through the speakers, it’s too much.
If I stay quiet, I’m done for. I don’t sleep well sitting upright, and if I drift off I’ll definitely end up slumped against Talon—or worse, Imogen—whether I intend to or not.
Talon is staring out the window when I say, “How does Shadow Striker tie into the Society’s mission?”
I keep my voice low, but loud enough for him to hear.
Talon glances over, one brow raised. “What made you ask that?”
“I’ve been wondering for a while. But honestly? I just need to talk or I’m going to fall asleep.”
He smirks. “Told you you’re welcome to.”
“Yeah, not happening. So, about Shadow Striker . . . ?”
I can see the indecision in his eyes. Keeping Society secrets is a reflex for him, but what’s the harm in talking openly now? The worst has already happened to him.
Because of you, a voice whispers deep inside, and guilt settles heavy in my gut like a brick.
“You already know that Shadow Striker remained in our world to keep the human world safe,” Talon says, and I nod, even as I try to bury the guilt over Talon being cut off from not only the Arcane Society but his family as well.
“Well, part of keeping the dagger safe was making sure it was bonded to one of our members at all times, so it couldn’t bond to someone else. Over the centuries, champions were chosen through the activation trials. When one Society member passed away, another would rise up to bear the burden of keeping the dagger safe. After Shadow Striker bonded with a new wielder, each of the members of the Society was pricked with the blade, giving the wielder the powers they needed to protect the dangerous relic.”
“So Shadow Strikerdoesonly duplicate powers rather than steal them.” I suppose it doesn’t matter now either way, but it was certainly heavy on my mind during Chaos.
Honestly, I hope I never lay eyes on Shadow Striker again. I know it’s selfish of me to only be going to the human world to get Becks and bring him back, but Kerrim and the cursed weapon are too much for me, or our ragtag group, to handle.
“Onlywhen it’s given willingly. Otherwise, it does strip the creature of its power,” Talon answers gravely.
That gives me pause. A forgotten thought tickles the back of my mind, urging me to remember, but I’m too exhausted. When I reach for the memory, it slips away like mist. All that’s left behind is a gnawing sense of unease that makes my stomach churn.
