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“It doesn’t matter,” he said, forcing himself to calm down. “You won’t be leaving here.”

“Look what you can do, Kali,” Keeva said, clapping her hands together. “You can change the war. Ruin the vampires. And I can build the Shadows. The world is ours.”

Kali wasn’t paying attention to her. Her eyes cut between Norman and the Shadow who Keeva had killed after feeding him her blood.

“Give her hawthorn and more sedative,” Rowan commanded. “I don’t care how much it takes. I want her out of it so we can move her.”

Chapter 31

Kali

“Move her where?” Zan hissed, failing to hide his panic.

I didn’t fight when a soldier came up and shoved a needle in my neck. I pretended the pain was excruciating, letting out a scream. If they were going to move me, then they couldn’t know the hawthorn only felt like a small sting now. My body wasn’t rejecting it like it used to. Zan was screaming threats, tearing his skin as he fought against the chains.

“Sir, we have a problem.” A PARA member entered the room, fear in his voice.

I closed my eyes, playing the part of being in pain as I threw my hearing to listen to their conversation.

“What?” Rowan snapped.

“They’re walking in the woods, getting closer to the city—the vampires,” the guy’s voice shook slightly. “Hundreds of them. I don’t understand. The sun is up. They already killed all the men who were scouting the forest.”

My heart skipped. Not vampires. Shadows. They were coming for me. How did they know where I was? Zan was quiet,and I was positive he was listening too. Rowan cursed, and I heard his footsteps.

“Even if they get in, they’ll never find us. We’re floors underground.” He paused. “But we need to up our timeline and get Kali out. Organize the men. Two of you stay. The rest, go suit up just in case. I don’t want them getting over the walls. We have enough weapons to make sure that doesn’t happen. Go now.”

“Give it a few minutes for the hawthorn to fully take effect,” he ordered someone. “Then I want her moved.”

“Yes, sir.”

There was a flurry of noise as everyone exited, and then there was silence, making me believe that Rowan and Keeva had also left. I cracked an eye open just to be sure and witnessed two PARA members coming up to me.

“One wrist at a time,” a guy said uneasily. “She looks out of it.”

My heart thumped wildly as he released my right arm. They waited a moment before unlocking my other wrist. The second it was free, I lashed out and grabbed his neck. My body protested weakly from moving for the first time in days. I squeezed harder, making the guy choke out a small breath.

“Let him go,” the other one screamed in panic. He grabbed my wrist, trying to wrench me away, but even in my weakened state, he was no match for me.

“Look at me,” I said quietly, yanking the guy closer.

Fear was etched on his face when he met my eyes. “I’m full of hawthorn.”

I smirked wickedly. “Thanks to you—so am I. And I’m so damn thirsty.”

He screamed wildly as I pulled him close enough to bite his throat. I sucked hard, the slight burning proving that hawthorn was present. For some reason, I was now immune. Energy flooded my body with each swallow, and before I had nearlyenough, I looked to the side to see the other man pulling his gun out. Since he hadn’t backed away, it was simple to let go of the PARA member I was feeding from and snatch the weapon out of his hand. It took me a second to pull the trigger and put a bullet in his skull.

“Don’t,” the man cried, trying to scramble away from me. “I’m sorry.”

Grabbing the collar of his shirt, I dragged him back as he struggled. “Lying will get you nowhere.”

Sinking my fangs back into his throat, I drank and drank until his heart slowed and then finally stopped beating. I drew in a long breath, my mind clear for the first time in days. My veins were flooding with strength.

“Kali.”

I snapped my head up, meeting Zan’s gaze. He gave me a small grin, even as his eyes still swarmed with panic. His battered body had my gut churning. I needed to get him out of here before Rowan came back. They never planned on letting him live.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.