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My refusal was on the tip of my tongue, but he wasn’t bluffing. I’d do anything to just lay eyes on Kali. I slowly openedmy mouth, keeping my eyes locked on Keeva as she pushed the large cloth into my mouth. It kept my jaw wide, and a second later, she grabbed a longer piece of fabric. She raised on her tiptoes to wrap it around my head before moving behind me, tying it tightly to keep the cloth in place.

“Don’t need you biting anyone,” Rowan murmured. “Or trying to entrance my soldiers. Thanks to your family, our warehouses keep getting burned down.”

Good to know that not everyone here was on hawthorn. Rowan glanced at one of the men, and suddenly the chain holding my arms was released. I collapsed to the ground, pain tearing through my wrists when I caught myself. I stretched my arms, wondering if I had enough energy left to fight my way out of this room.

“Don’t do it,” he warned coldly. “I’ll string you right back up and leave you here if you disobey. You might be stronger than me, but not against Keeva. Especially when you’re not at full strength.”

“I can handle him,” Keeva said smugly. “Let him try.”

“We don’t have time for you to play,” Rowan snapped. “Fix his cuffs.”

It took every ounce of my control to stay still when one of the men unlocked the left cuff. Keeva was close, waiting for me to try something. Rowan was right. I didn’t stand a chance against Keeva with so much hawthorn in my body. My arms were yanked behind me and locked again. With a man on either side of me, they grabbed my arms and led me out of the room. Then a thick bag was shoved over my head, cutting off my vision, and severely affecting my hearing. Even my smell was distorted because the cloth was covered with some strong floral scent.

They forced me to walk for a while, and we made three turns, then took an elevator down. I wasn’t sure how many floors we descended, but it was more than a couple. Kali was theonly thing on my mind. I was half expecting to be transported somewhere else just to be tortured more. Rowan wasn’t going to chance letting me get close to Kali. After getting off the elevator, they led me a little farther until we suddenly stopped.

I let out a grunt when something hard hit the back of my legs, forcing me to my knees. Someone tugged on the cuffs, causing the spikes to cut into me again. A noise from directly in front of me was the only warning before the thick collar was yanked hard enough that I could feel blood dripping from punctures in my throat.

The bag was ripped off, and I blinked at the bright fluorescent lights. Ignoring the pain, I forced myself to look down, seeing a chain was locked to the floor and connected to the collar, making it impossible to get off my knees. The floor was a shiny metal, just like the walls of this massive room. Empty and sterile, like a medical facility. I wriggled my arms, and realized those cuffs were chained to something too, because I couldn’t move them.

“Those chains will hold him, and the spikes will keep him weak.” Rowan’s voice had me looking to the side. “Don’t waste anymore hawthorn on him. She’ll need more. Her mother grew a tolerance to it after her transition, and I’m not sure how much she’s had in her system while being with the Kanes. Keeva is already able to handle small amounts with no reaction.”

The soldier nodded and strode away. It was then that my gaze went directly in front of me, and I saw Kali. She was maybe ten feet away, and her name fell from my lips, but the gag muffled it. I jerked in the chains, only succeeding in reopening my cuts. Panic swallowed me whole as I continued to struggle.

She was in a metal chair with her wrists and ankles cuffed to the legs and armrests. The same collar on my neck was encircled around hers, though hers looked to be slightly looser, allowing some movement. Her head was slouched to the side, her eyesclosed. Her chest was moving up and down, and her erratic heart rate proved she was only unconscious. My eyes fell to her arm where a small tube was taped to the inside of her elbow where her vein was. Black blood was draining out into a large bag that was attached to a pole next to her.

Rowan laughed. “You can’t say I don’t keep my promises. There she is. Now, you get to watch and see why she’s so wanted. The entire reason she was born.”

Chapter 28

Kali

“She’s waking up.”

I twitched, letting out a groan as pain swirled in the darkness. My eyelids were so heavy, it was impossible to open them. I couldn’t move. Was I really awake? Was this what death felt like?

“Give her blood. She needs it with how much we’re taking from her.”

Something warm touched my lips before it was forced into my mouth. I coughed and sputtered, the liquid scorching my dry throat. Then it tasted delicious, I sucked on my own, relishing it. Until it was pulled away. The pain dimmed slightly until something pinched my neck, making me scream in pain.

“Give her the entire vial. I want her to stay out of it as long as possible.”

My body went tight as I fought against the poison invading my body. There were muffled yells coming from somewhere around me, and for some reason Zan’s face invaded my head. My heart clenched with pain. He was in trouble; I could feel it. I twisted my arms, feeling a sharp pain surrounding my wrists.

“She’s not passing out.”

“Did you give her all of it?”

“Yes, sir.”

My mind was so hazy, I couldn’t tell how many voices were around me. I didn’t remember how I even got here.

“It’s only been three days. She shouldn’t need more hawthorn yet.”

“Then she’ll wake up.”

“Fuck. Fine, give her another half a dose. Mix in the sedative and double that.”

I flinched when a second prick cut my neck. More burning. It invaded every cell of my body. I writhed, unsure if my shrieks were passing through my lips or staying trapped in my mind.