I’ve never reached for this scale of power, certainly never controlled it. I’d love to toy with them, make them fight each other, or better yet, send them marching into that building to drag Lars out for me. But that would be reckless. I need to conserve my strength for Tali.
Still, this feeling—absolute control over the masses—is intoxicating.
I can tell the moment they feel me, their fear overtaking every other emotion. With that understanding of their fate, I snap my fingers.
Death is a beautiful thing. It’s peace. Something that most peopledon’tdeserve. I am a monster, because watching as head after head pop like an inflated balloon, sends shockwaves of pleasure straight to my core. Even the muffled sounds of hearts bursting has my clit tingling. I severed arms, and shredded apart skin.
Every brutal death, so fuckingglorious.
Bodies collapse, but not before blood sprays into the sky, creating a tempest of the peace I’m so close to reaching.
Crimson liquid seeps down the sidewalk, trailing into the drains and spilling onto the street. Though Kayn’s dawn kept the world around us shrouded in a red darkness, I knew what would remain once it faded.
This is the world they made when they kidnapped and tortured me. This is the destruction they set in motion. I am the villain they created—and then set free.
The corner of my lip twitches as I glance down at Brice. He shakes out his coat while Mister clings to his nape, holding on tight.
“We will be here keeping more from entering the building,”the Werewolf huffs.
I nod, and just before I move to go in, a hand grabs around my wrist. Turning, Sydni has her eyes trained on me. “Be safe.”
My chest tightens, and I give her a gentle smile. “You too, princess.”
Before rushing off, I glance at Niyla and Alaric. “Protect her.” I give the command, sending it through the blood bond. Theywilldo as I say. “Her life matters above anyone else’s.”
Kayn huffs. “Sure I can’t come? Come on… a threesome would be?—”
“No,” Kairhyse cuts him off.
“She’ll be kept safe,”Brice says.“You can trust that.”
I watch him—and everyone else—nod, then turn to Kai as we break into a sprint.
We’re both covered in blood as we charge into the brightly lit lobby. Towering glass panels stretch three stories high before meeting the ceiling, everything pristine—until we drag our destruction in with us.
Several bodies come charging through the security panels, guns poised right at us and firing without even a second thought. Kai is gone from beside me, and I curl my shoulder in before rolling behind the lobby desk. I can’t risk any bullets lodging into my brain, and while I could heal one, dozens will incapacitate me.
The loud thump of several bodies has me peeking over the barrier. My monster stands over them, his finger pointed at me, and pinching as though summoning me.
I roll my eyes.This isn’t meant to be fun!
Okay, I’m having fun, but I’m still nervous. These are grunts, and he needs to be more mindful.
Standing, I look from left to right before strolling toward him.
“Be more careful, that head of yours is?—”
I haven’t even finished my sentence when something crashes through the wall to my left, slamming straight into Kai.
“Kairhyse!” I scream, pushing off my foot just as he’s crushed into the adjacent wall. A beast of a man stands before him, hands wrapped around Kai’s neck, spikes beginning to jut out from his back.
Gathering my hemokinesis, I grip against a blade and throw it right at the man’s back. A thick scaled tail breaches from its backside and swats itaway. It was only meant as a distraction, because the moment his tail slaps harshly against the marble flooring, my fist is making contact with his cheek.
It grunts, and its grip on Kai loosens slightly, just enough for him to kick the Shifter right in the chest.
They are going to go afterhim, and I need to be mindful of that. He stands, pops his neck, and disappears.
“Be careful, you fucking prick,” I hiss, scanning for him. There aren’t many shadows left for him to slip through, leaving me alone with what I can only guess is a croc Shifter.
