Page 110

Her next hit had me nearly seeing stars, but I didn’t even try to block it. My heart was aching. Shattering. She was my sister. My twin. All I’d wanted was to get close to her. But I could see it wasn’t an option. She was far too entangled with PARA. Her mind so closed off that she would never see reason.

“I am the light,” she said between heavy breaths. “Maybe the dark should die with you.”

My eyes snapped to hers. “I thought we couldn’t survive without each other.”

“Maybe it’s wrong. Because I don’t want to live in a world that has you in it.”

I ducked when she swung again, her words ripping me apart. I didn’t want to hurt her. But I also wasn’t about to let her kill me. She kicked at me, her foot making contact with my chest so hard that I staggered back into the wall. I braced myself when she lunged at me, and I wrapped my arms around her waist, taking her back to the floor.

“Don’t do this,” I warned, emotion thick in my voice. “Don’t make me do this.”

“I tried. It’s clear you’ll never change.”

The Shadows were shifting uneasily all around us, but they didn’t know what to do. Good. They didn’t need to be involved in this.

I rolled on top of her, grabbing her wrist before she could hit me again. Adrenaline and dread were flowing through my veins as I looked down at her.

“Keeva, listen to me,” I ground out when she attempted to shove me off. “We can change this world. Without PARA.”

“No,” she bit out. “You’re too far gone.”

The air left my lungs when she wedged her knee between us and knocked me away. I scrambled up, confusion hitting me when she jumped to her feet and raced to the back wall. Herpalm slammed on a small button, and immediately an alarm began blaring.

“PARA still outnumbers you,” she shouted. “You can’t win this, Kali.”

The alarm was deafening, and my heart dropped. It was the same exact sound when Zan and I escaped from Project Hope. I was positive PARA soldiers would be storming in here any moment. Before I could make another move, Keeva rushed at me, her speed so fast that I barely managed to dodge out of the way. She snagged my arm, but I yanked away before grabbing her shoulders and slamming her into the wall.

She let out a wild laugh, her eyes gleaming in triumph. “What are we doing? Just going to keep fighting when we can’t kill each other? Give up, Kali.”

Her eyes bore into mine, and my fingers dug into her shoulders as I kept her against the wall. Would we forever be trapped in this circle if we couldn’t agree? I had seconds before PARA soldiers appeared, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to fight them all.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I breathed out, a lump growing in my throat. “I don’t think we’ll ever be on the same side.”

“We can be if you choose the light,” she murmured softly.

“Maybe I am the light.”

She scowled. “You’re not.”

The door behind us slammed open, and heavy footsteps filled the air. The soldiers clashed with the Shadows, and shouts mixed with gunshots. Depending on how many there were, I maybe had moments before they got to me. A smug look crossed Keeva’s face.

“You’re going to regret what you did to Rowan,” she hissed.

My heart squeezed when I realized what I was about to do. “No, I won’t.”

I let go of one of her shoulders, and spun her around, smashing her chest against the wall. She shoved against me as I grabbed her arm, wrenching it up to help keep her immobile. She let out a pained snarl, and I leaned against her, keeping her in place.

“In our mother’s note, she told me that I have the choice of being the light or the dark,” I whispered in her ear. “I choose to be the lightandthe dark.”

I had no idea if this would even work. But something inside me was urging me to do it. That it was the right choice.

My fangs slid down, and I bit into the side of her throat, swallowing as fast as I could. Keeva cried out in surprise, bucking against me.

“What the hell are you doing?” she shrieked.

I didn’t answer, sucking harder. Her blood was different from any human’s. It wasn’t quenching my thirst. But as it spread through my body, a new sensation swept over me. Something I couldn’t decipher. Whatever it was, I felt like I was floating in a sea of tranquility. Of peace.

Keeva’s screams grew quieter, her fight slowly leaving her as I drained her blood. Guilt had my heart beating unevenly. If she did this to me, I’d never forgive her.