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“Soon,” Vallan said with distaste as we went by, “I will demand you are no longer kept in the dark here.”

I put a hand on his bulky shoulder, squeezing. “Let me handle the timing of that, my big brute.”

He grunted acknowledgment and we parked the carriage near the stable. A white-robed acolyte took the cart, eyeing me warily.

We strode into the mansion through the back doors. I could hear Skar’s voice through the open door of the jail room, and then Garroway’s. Good. We’re all here.

Skar was treating his grisly experiment, hunched over Dimmon’s bound body on the table in the cell. My rapist was a mottled bag of discolored skin and misshapen flesh. Parts of him were exposed, pink muscle showing, and made bile rise in my throat all over again.

I kept my pescatarian dinner down this time, standing near the back of the room.

“Glad you’ve arrived safely, my wandering temptress,” Skar said without turning to look at me. He was too caught up in his pet, poking and prodding Dimmon’s exposed innards with a bloody knife. The former Diplomat leader was seemingly unconscious.

It was, alarmingly, possibly worse to see him as half a man with half his flesh than it had been to see him covered in rivulets of blood the other night. Cleaned, there was no hiding the macabre appearance of him.

“Was she much trouble bringing here, brother?” Skar asked.

Vallan said, “No trouble at all. She came willingly.”

“The illusion of choice and all that,” I pointed out, trying to give Garroway a crooked smile.

The dhampir was in a corner of the room, face covered by shadows. A wall-torch nearby made his features flicker with a deep frown, avoiding my gaze.

I cringed and rubbed the back of my neck. “I, uh, am sorry I left the Chained Sisters without telling you, Garro.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s unfortunate I can’t stay mad at you, honey badger. Because I would like to.”

My smile returned.

“I merely hope you didn’t have too much fun without me.”

My eyes reflexively moved to the barrel-chested vampire at my side. “Not at all.”

Garro hissed, stamping his foot. “You did ! Unruly vixen.” His tone was wry, his anger fake, and it made me chuckle. It was nice to see the one man in this group who had some mirth in him. Skar and Vallan could just be so damned serious all the time.

And given Dimmon Plank’s current state, and the goals the fullbloods had, their seriousness made sense.

Vallan said, “I have told her more about us.”

“And?” Skar’s tone was clipped.

“I want to stay,” I announced. “I am ready to assist.”

Skar set down his torture knife on the table. “Quite good.” He turned, eyes matching mine, and stalked forward. “How far are you willing to go, love?”

“As far as I must,” I said, “to see the end of Olhavian tyranny and Nuhavian subjugation.” I gulped hard as he approached. Heat and danger came off him like a physical thing. His damned sinful attractiveness always did things to my insides I couldn’t control.

His thin brow perked. “You would like to free the humans of their shackles, is that it?”

I nodded firmly, meeting his gold-stained eyes. “We can help each other, Skar. I will give you Olhav, you will give me Nuhav.”

He smiled devilishly. “You make it sound so simple.”

“No, it will be ridiculously dangerous. We might fail and die. Erm . . . die more than you already are—”

He inclined his chin, giving me that one.

“—but I am done fighting against the pull I feel for you three. I think it’s fair to say you’re finished with it too. I won’t keep running. I’ve found the answers I need.”

“These answers, were they given to you by Vallan?”

I reached into my tunic. “Partly.” My hand came out with Antones’ note, which I handed to Skar. “He said we should talk to you about this. Is there truth to it?”

Skartovius read the note carefully. I watched his eyes, searching for any sign of deceit as he scanned the page. I found none—only vague concern threading his brow, and a deep frown.

“This is news to me, little temptress. I admit being distracted lately”—he glanced behind him at Dimmon—“and suppose I should’ve paid better attention. Unfortunately, you stole all my attention.”

I sighed. “Then perhaps we can make plans. Alter them to fit our needs.”

Skar nodded, stuffing the letter away in his tunic. “This does change things. I’m already getting ideas.”

“You’re nothing if not a schemer, Master,” Garroway pointed out.

“Quite right, cub.”

“Why don’t you show her your new trick?”

Glancing over at Garro, he gave me a smug smile. I hated surprises. “What’s he talking about?”

Skartovius turned to Dimmon. The room seemed to tilt and a wave of dizziness passed through me—

Before I realized the room wasn’t moving .

. . it was Skartovius’ shadow near the wall-torch, shifting and constricting.

With great effort, Skar’s shadow slithered on the ground, up to the table.

The knife he’d set down lifted as if by magic—with the dark patch of his arm, his shadow, holding the dagger. Except Skar’s arm never actually moved.

The nobleblood’s face sweated as the dagger floated through the air. He let out a raspy sound and the dagger fell hilt-first into my palm.

“What the fuck did I just witness?” I croaked.

Skar rubbed his sweaty brow. “I don’t understand it yet, love, but apparently I can control my shadow now.”

“My Loreblood.” My gaze lifted, shock coloring my features. Even Vallan looked surprised. “Garro drank from me and now he’s looking out from the eyes of rodents. You drank from me and can suddenly warp your own shadow? Fuck me True, what else can I do?”

Garro said, “My question, what will Vall show?”

“Who says he drank from me?” I asked defiantly, crossing my arms over my chest.

Garroway laughed and walked past me to leave the cell. He patted my shoulder on the way out. “Please, vixen. I know you better than that and you’re a horrible liar. It’s written on your face plain as day.”

He exited before I could answer, which left me reeling and shouting after him, “It is not!”

“Don’t mind him,” Skar said once Garro was gone. “Take that knife and help me with your torturer. It’s high time you made him pay.”

“How?” My voice was meek now, anxiety running through me. “I already burned his damned hand off.”

“My question isn’t what Vallan’s blood will reveal. It’s how this wretch’s body will react if given a sampling of your essence.”

My lip twitched with fear, realization hitting me between the tits. “You want to see how the healing of my blood compares to your own.”

His smile was devious and evil. I had to suppress a shudder to hold my ground.

“Quite right, little temptress. Quite right.”