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“You will not interfere. You will stand here and watch while she fights Lucio.” He paused for a moment. “What were you talking about in my office?”

Fear slithered through my chest as I ran through the conversation. I couldn’t lie, but I didn’t have to tell him everything if he didn’t ask specifically.

“Kali wants to save Warner.” My monotone voice echoed in my ears. “I told her he couldn’t leave the property.”

Amaros broke eye contact, and I slumped against the cage once he let go of my face. My brothers were staring at our father with anger in their eyes. We’d grown up believing he would never use entrancement on us, but that illusion was now shattered.

He turned his head to the side to look at Kali. “Go.”

Her jaw was clenched tight as she backed away, heading for the open door of the cage. I moved to go after her, only to freeze before I took a single step. My limbs were heavy, and I let out a curse when I physically could not go any farther.

“Watch, Zan,” my father ordered, his eyes staying on Kali as she entered the cage.

I gritted my teeth, not responding. He had mentioned before that he wanted to test her abilities, but I thought he would wait until her transition was complete. I’d been hoping I would have gotten her off the property before this happened.

“You.” Amaros pointed at the vampire with short brown hair. “In the cage. I want you to defeat her. But do not kill her. Understand?”

The vampire nodded, his brown eyes gleaming with cockiness as he strode to the cage. Rage slithered through me, my heart thrashing in my chest. Something I was sure my father could hear. Viggo stepped up beside me, his arms crossed as he watched the vampire enter the cage.

“Let’s see your strength, Kali,” Amaros demanded, slowly stalking around the cage.

“I don’t have a weapon.” Her eyes stayed on the vampire in front of her.

My father chuckled cruelly. “You don’t need one.”

“I don’t have fangs like all of you,” she ground out. “It’s not a fair fight.”

“You don’t have them,yet,” he countered. “Maybe you need to find yourself in a difficult situation for some of your skills to transpire.”

Viggo blew out a breath, glancing at me. He didn’t need to say anything since we were both thinking the same thing. This wouldn’t be the last time he put Kali in the fighting cage. He’d keep doing it until Kali fully transitioned and he could see the extent of her strength. Like he did when we were kids.

“Go ahead, Lucio.” Amaros nodded at the vampire who was in the cage, standing about ten feet from Kali. “No killing her.”

I stayed right in front of the cage, inhaling a shaky breath. This type of entrancement was different. Being physicallycontrolled was far worse than when he forced answers out of me. My pulse spiked when Lucio stalked closer to Kali. My feet dragged like cement, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move. It was fucking infuriating.

“She’ll be fine,” Viggo muttered under his breath. “She’s strong.”

“Not that strong—not yet,” I hissed. Her strength only came in spurts, and while I believed she could handle a regular vampire for a short period, there was no way she would last in the cage. Amaros would push her to her limit.

Kali lunged to the side when Lucio attacked. She lashed her arm out, smashing her fist into his throat. She crouched down, swinging her leg out with enough power to knock him down. He choked out breaths as he scrambled back to his feet, his eyes wide in shock at her quick moves. This didn’t have anything to do with her Shadow strength. I’d seen her fight like this before her birthday.

Amaros was watching intently, with his hands behind his back, slowly pacing around the cage. Pax was leaning against the wall, his body rigid as he stared at Kali. The other vampires were just as interested in the fight, looking impatient as if anticipating they’d have their turn in the cage.

Kali’s small cry had my eyes snapping back to her, and I grabbed the bars, my fingers curling around the cold metal until my knuckles were white. Lucio had hit her hard enough to knock her to the ground and was on top of her before she got to her knees. A growl vibrated in my chest when his fangs sank into her shoulder. Her face scrunched in both pain and disgust as she grabbed the sides of his face, attempting to rip him away.

My eyes darted to the cage opening until a heaviness slithered through my limbs, reminding me that I had no control over my body. I glanced back at Kali as she wrapped a hand around his throat, but her strength wasn’t enough to shove himback when he bit her again. Hot rage smothered me, my heart pounding in my ears. She wasn’t angry enough. If she wanted a chance to beat him, she needed to let anger take over.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out, and I muttered a curse.No interfering.My father had chosen his words wisely. I couldn’t even say anything to help her.

“Maybe her transition will take longer,” Amaros murmured thoughtfully. “Her strength isn’t anything near where I thought it was. How disappointing.”

Chapter 12

Zan

Kali whipped her head to the side to glare at Amaros while her hand tightened around the vampire’s throat. Loathing filled her dark gaze, and a smirk tipped the corner of my lips when I witnessed it. He might not have meant to, but my father just gave her the push she needed to let fury overtake everything.

“I’m stronger than you,” she whispered, looking at Lucio. “You’renothing.”