Page 16 of The Clash of the Damned (The Titan Syndicate Saga #2)

“I’m grateful for my family, and that Sloane is our missing piece.” Dom raises his glass to me, and I smile so hard my cheeks hurt.

“Well I’m grateful for being rid of toxic relationships,” Jude offers as she downs yet another glass of champagne. I’m about to suggest cutting her off when Luca’s temper finally snaps.

“Oh for fucks sake.” Luca raises her hands and locks me into place with her blood manipulation magic I’ve heard so much about.

Turning her ire on me, she says, “If you move, I will pull your blood particles out of your body, and that is a very painful way to die, which no Supernatural can survive. Understood?” I nod meekly.

Luca doesn’t realize she’s given me the one thing I need to get out of here unscathed.

Magic. Her magic feels different to mine, heavier, like a weighted chain covering my body.

But that doesn’t matter, magic is magic, and I have what I need.

Gently lifting my hand to keep the glow hidden, I siphon Luca’s magic in small doses while I pretend to be trapped so I can see what grand plan they have in store for me. “You can’t hold me forever, Luca. What’s the plan?”

Amelia storms forward, impulsive, as she offers, “I can just kill her now, and we can be done with it.”

Rolling my eyes at her suggestion, I respond, “I’m bored. Next.”

Then Dom speaks. “Was it all a lie, Sloane?” The pain on his face is almost enough to break me. But he is being just as deceptive as me. He had this whole evening planned and lied to my face. I should be offended, but really, I’m impressed. We’re a better match for each other than I realized.

“No, Dom, it wasn’t. But this isn’t about us, even if I wish it was.”

He turns his back as Luca tries again, and I beat her to what she was about to say.

“Let me educate you on some of our history. I’m sure Dom has told you some of it, but let me fill in the gaps.

Hecate hunted the first of my kind because he was…

defective. She executed him like an animal.

Except, he had already knocked someone up, and as we know, Supernatural blood breeds true.

That’s how yours truly came to be here.” I wiggle my eyebrows since my hands are supposedly occupied.

“Yes, we know, you’re special, get in line,” Amelia says.

Turning to look at her, I let my disappointment shine through.

“What, jealous now that I stole the spotlight from you? You were the Supernatural I was the most excited to meet. Your part in the plan with the Vances was genius, and we had something in common with how we lost our mothers…yet all you’re showing now is stupidity, and I’ve never been more disappointed.

It’s like you’ve forgotten what you’re capable of. ”

I see hurt flash across her face as my words find their mark, and I continue sharing the story I’m so familiar with.

“We were finally able to settle in New Orleans and create our own lives, away from you, but it was never going to last. Hecate found us. But she didn’t know a secret about her failed children.

While we couldn’t partner with other Supernaturals, we could partner with human legends and strengthen our bloodline.

Anyone want to take a guess at what I’m talking about?

Prove at least one of you isn’t that stupid? ”

They think they have the upper hand, but really, even tied up in this chair, I’m in control.

Jude chews at her lip before she finally answers.

The only one brave enough to. “Dom expected you spent time in New Orleans, and there are enough legends from there to work with. Papa Legba? Marie Leveau? Something I’ve missed? ”

I smile. She’s usually all brawns and no brain, yet here she is proving us all wrong.

“Well done, Jude, you’re usually not smart enough to come to this conclusion on your own, but you’re right.

My ancestors convinced Marie Leveau, the Voodoo Priestess, and her descendants to join forces with us and strengthen our bloodline.

When we finally fought back against Hecate, do you know what happened? ”

I pause to look at Dom. I have his full attention and see his jaw working as he hangs onto my every word.

“My ancestors siphoned all the magic out of her. It seems without it, she would die, a trait her offspring inherited from her. Now her body is dust in the Earth, just like a normal human. The Siphoners have been waiting for someone like me. After that ancestor killed Hecate, they were waiting for someone as strong, if not stronger to help our people out of the shadows. I’m the chosen one that will signal the end of the Supernaturals. ”

Dom roars in grief at hearing what’s happened to his precious ancestor, and I take that as my cue to go.

I stand free from Luca’s magic, having absorbed enough of it.

“If you had been paying attention to my story, Luca, you would have stopped using your magic on me immediately. And here I thought you were the best of your generation.” Luca stumbles, but Amelia catches her as she tries to use her magic again, despite what I just said. I ignore her and turn to Jude.

Lifting my hand, I blow a kiss towards Jude and tell her to remember, activating the dormant spell I had placed on her.

Almost instantly, she becomes feral. Then I throw my glowing hands towards the glass windows to activate the next part of my spell, and crazed humans break through the glass.

With my distractions set, finally, I can run.