Page 10 of Of Blackened Blood (The Blackened Blade #3)

“I’m not entirely sure,” I answer as his brows furrow, my own lack of knowledge on the subject making me feel abashed.

“But I do know that when they appeared I became stronger, more than I ever felt, even before the bracelet.” I clench my fist, feeling the thrum of my own strength move throughout me.

“I also became quicker; the world became a blur when I put my mind to it.” A smirk tilts my lips as I look to Annex, then Ezra, and then Mallyn.

“And I can fight with ease, the moves coming to me as naturally as breathing. I also recover quickly from training and from injuries and can heal faster than any shifter I know of.”

“So, they appear and you what ... power-up?” Creed questions, a genuine look of curiosity in his gaze as his eyes flick between the marks on my wrists. “You also threw dark blades back and forth and wielded them with ease. Are they a part of this or connected?”

“I think so. It definitely felt like they were. It’s as if they came from inside me, pulled from my very core and summoned for me to use.

To fight and protect.” My brows pinch together as I shake my head.

“I know that sounds strange. And I clearly don’t have a lot of answers for all this.

” I wave my hand toward my body as a small scoff leaves my lips and I mumble.

“ Even though it’s my body .” My shoulders fall a little as I meet each of their gazes.

“I want answers myself. I just don’t know where to start.

I didn’t think it would be a good idea to go around flashing people and asking them if they knew what these marks were. ”

Annex’s eyes widen before he takes a step toward me.

“Whoa there, Red. The only flashing you’re allowed to do is here .

And speaking of ...” A mischievous gleam enters his blue eyes.

“I think we should do a more thorough search on you for other marks that may have appeared.” A devilish smirk tilts his lips.

“Maybe in places you can’t see or reach so easily? I’ll happily help you look right now?—”

He reaches for me, but Ezra cuts his words and movements off with a slap to the head. “Not right now. Read the room.”

“Reading is Mal’s domain. I prefer to act,” Annex quips as my grin reappears.

“Yeah, like an animal.” Ezra shakes his head, the playful tone of the two lightening the mood in the room instantly.

Annex turns my way, giving me a wink. “I don’t mind a bit of primal play.”

Ezra scoffs. “You really?—”

“So ...” Creed cuts them both off, his eyes still narrowed and watching me.

“You don’t know what these marks are, but you feel they’re connected to you gaining power and those blades that you .

.. summoned,” he muses before nodding contemplatively.

His gaze then meets mine. “And they’ve only appeared recently?

Did you notice what triggers the marks to appear since you’ve said they didn’t all appear together? ”

My eyes widen slightly. “I never thought much about the timeline or a trigger ... I only focused on honing the abilities that seemed to grow after they appeared.” I woke up with the marks on my hips after I returned to the past, so that could have been the trigger for those.

Especially since I never had any marks on my body before I died.

Maybe me dying in my past life and returning was the catalyst for all these marks.

But that’s the one thing I can’t tell them about.

This is already a lot for them to digest as it is.

So I focus on my newest marks instead, my gaze flickering to my wrists.

“The trigger for these marks ... they appeared before we were attacked. I woke up with them.” My brows scrunch together trying to remember before I woke up and what had happened .

.. the Christmas party, Creed being a prick, Verod and the strange beast’s attack, and then me falling asleep in the dormitory . .. and waking up here.

I felt strange after the attack and had some weird dreams ... and the guys said I slept for days. Was the attack the trigger?

I open my mouth to say as much and then close it just as quickly.

They didn’t know about the attack that night. I went to my dorm afterward and they never mentioned anything either.

My gaze meets Creed’s before I flicker it to each of the guys around me. Mentioning that could cause an argument between them, and right now— as much as I want to give Creed a piece of my mind —wasn’t the best time.

Staying united against a common enemy was more important than bickering between ourselves. I’ll tell them when we’re more settled and have answers. And I’ll make Creed pay for his bullshit soon enough too.

“Maybe you need more time to think,” Ezra says, his hand wrapping around mine as a warm smile stretches his cheeks.

Did he take my silence and contemplation for confusion? But I guess that works to my benefit.

“You did only just wake up not long ago, Micai and have already pushed yourself too much,” Ezra continues, giving my hand a gentle squeeze before Creed sighs.

“It’s fine,” the amber-eyed asshat replies. “I guess we already know about as much as you do now.”

I nod, giving the dickhead a small glare. “I wish I knew more too.”

And I do. I don’t have nearly enough information on everything that has been happening around me, and not on just the marks either.

“Maybe we can help with that.” Creed pulls himself up straight, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

My eyes widen before narrowing suspiciously toward the dick. Why was he being Mr. Helpful all of a sudden? Why would he want to help me ?

Wasn’t he trying to get rid of me just mere days ago? Not wanting me to be around his brothers because I wasn’t good enough?

He rolls his eyes at the glare my gaze has formed into, a smug curve growing on his lips that I don’t like the look of.

“I can tell what you’re thinking from that expression, Micai,” Creed calls, and Ezra and Annex begin to chuckle.

“We all can,” they both chime in.

“You can’t blame her,” Mallyn adds, a playful smile growing on his lips. “You’re not exactly known for being considerate .”

Creed scoffs, throwing him a small glare before turning back toward me.

“We have enough contacts and connections. Someone among them may have the answers to your questions and possibly have seen these ‘marks’ of yours before, or something similar at least. We’ll reach out discreetly and see what we can find first before pulling you in. ”

I give him a slow nod, my gaze still slightly narrowed.

What are his motives for helping me? Doesn’t the prick hate me?

Was this his way of apologising for what happened between us, and the shit he said that night?

An actual apology would help. Not that I would accept it so easily.

Or was this because I helped during the attack? And helped to save Ezra?

I guess that would be a more plausible reason.

“We’ll find something to work with soon,” Creed continues, pulling me from my thoughts.

I give him a slow, wary nod, wondering what such generosity would cost me in the future. My soul, or maybe my firstborn?

But he just shakes his head, the look on his face telling me he can read my expression better than I’d like and maybe loosely infer what I’m thinking.

And the grin on his lips tells me he finds it somewhat amusing.

Which pisses me off.

I promise if he could really read all the thoughts I’ve had of him... he wouldn’t be smiling. A dark smug tugs at my lips.

“Do you know anything else about the bracelet?” Creed asks, ignoring my dark little smirk.

“I’ve already got a few feelers out and should hear back soon.” Ezra stands, joining Creed.

“Good.” Creed nods, his gaze slightly darkening.

“Because if you’re right about those chains being made of the same metal and magic .

..” Creed’s voice lowers, a more serious look taking over his expression as he flits his eyes to each of us.

“Then either she got them from the same place they did ... or Micai’s sister is somehow involved with the group that’s attacking us. ”

They all turn to me, a slight look of worry and sympathy entering their gazes. But my mind isn’t worried about Seria, but the ones behind those dark metal cuffs. They’re definitely too similar to the shackles that The Facility use, albeit a bit smaller. It has to be them.

And all those disappearances of supernaturals as well?

It’s no coincidence ... but how do I tell the guys that?

How do I tell them I know it’s The Facility without revealing my past life?

How do I convince them the tales we’re taught as kids are real?

How could I make them believe me without telling them about my past?

I take a second to compose myself and decide to tell them what I can, even if it doesn’t fully make sense. Something is better than nothing, after all.

“Seria is a problem that we’ll have to look into.

” I nod, finding their gazes. “But I may already have an idea who’s behind this attack.

” I take a quick inhale and continue before any of them can interrupt me.

“This may sound weird and a bit crazy but ...” My heart rate picks up, my gaze flickering anywhere but their faces, worried I might see a look of disbelief on them.

“The group that attacked this place, that attacked Erving’s .

.. from those chains and how you’ve described the disappearances .

..” I finally meet their eyes, finding Ezra’s first. “Have you ever heard of The Facility?”

His eyes widen a fraction as Creed scoffs, shaking his head. “This is no joke, Micai?—”

“I’m not kidding.” I meet Ezra’s, Annex’s and Mallyn’s curious stares before falling back to Creed. “We’re told they move in the shadows taking supes who don’t listen, who don’t behave, that they’re taken and never return again. That fits with the disappearances you’ve mentioned.”

Creed rolls his eyes, his lips parting and ready to argue my point before I continue.