Page 78

“Not fucking possible,” I breathed out in disbelief as I watched blood seep from the wound.

Bright red blood.

The blood of a human or vampire. Not of a Shadow.

“He’s not healing.” Rowan folded the knife, putting it back in his pocket. “He’s human.”

Kali’s lips parted in shock. “My blood does that?”

No one answered her question, and Keeva moved next to Rowan as she bit down on her own wrist, tearing her skin before shoving it against Jacob’s mouth.

“Drink,” she ordered in a voice that made it obvious she was entrancing him.

Jacob obeyed, swallowing thickly until she pulled away. Kali let out a gasp when Keeva grabbed the sides of his head and twisted, snapping his neck in one move.

“Now we wait,” Rowan said as Jacob’s body fell to the floor when the two men released him.

“Wait for what?” Kali snapped.

“Now we know.” Keeva smiled. “Your blood turns Shadows back to human. Mine should do the opposite. I can create Shadows. But the process is similar to the creation of vampires. He needs to die with my blood in his system. A balance, Kali. We are the balance of dark and light. Of good and evil.”

Hearing her voice what just happened didn’t make it any more believable. Kali and Keeva had power that could change this world. Amaros knew. That was why he wanted them both so badly.

“Now the question is, does it also extend to vampires.” Rowan grabbed the back of Norman’s neck and dragged him to Kali. “Drink from her.”

“Please,” Norman begged in a ragged voice. “Just kill me.”

“Now why would I do that when I can possibly fix you?”

Pulling out his knife again, he cut Kali’s arm before pushing Norman’s face down, forcing his mouth over the small wound.

“Drink,” he ordered sharply. “Or the torture I already did to you will seem like child’s play for what I’ll do next.”

Norman sputtered and choked as he drank Kali’s blood. She stared at him in silence as he fell back, landing on his ass. Just like the Shadow, he let out a groan as he jerked in pain. It wasn’t as bad as when Jacob changed, but clearly her blood was doing something to him.

“I want you to entrance him.” Rowan looked at me. “I want to see if he’s human.”

“Fuck you,” I spat out.

“Try again.” Two soldiers dragged Norman toward me as Rowan followed. “You don’t do what I say, then I take you from this room. And who knows when you’ll see her again.”

“I’m not strong enough,” I bit out. “I haven’t had blood in days.”

“Don’t fucking bullshit me,” Rowan bellowed, backhanding me across the face. “You do what I order, or I swear to everything, you won’t lay eyes on her again.”

My jaw clenched as I glared at him. Bending to this asshole was the last thing I wanted. But after these last ten days, I knew he wasn’t bluffing. I didn’t care that I was chained to the floor. If I didn’t have eyes on Kali, I would go fucking insane.

They forced Norman to his knees, and Rowan gripped his hair, tilting his head back. “Look at him.”

Norman’s body shook as he met my eyes, and I forced myself to focus. I hadn’t been fully lying when I said I was too weak. While I could still entrance, it would use energy I didn’t have. My head swam in pain as I locked gazes with Norman.

“How many Shadows does PARA have?”

Rowan scowled. “Ask a different fucking question?—”

“Hundreds—”

Norman’s answer was cut off when Rowan shoved him away, anger sprawled on his face as he looked at me.