“Evolution of what?” I pulled the fang out slightly.
“The war is to gain more supernatural allies and to infiltrate the territories.” She sighed, and her hair fell in her face. “They will take over Kalista as a new and improved species.”
I shoved the fang back into her upper cheekbone as she screamed. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“I can’t—”
“You can!” The other fang hurled into her left eye, deep into the socket. Her screams of pain filled my magic, and my shadows swiped at her arms like a whip.
“Okay, okay!” she sobbed.
I brought my shadows back but kept the fang in her eye. “We’re listening.”
“The humans want to become a different breed of human, like the werewolves, but better! The human specimens are close to the form they all want to become. They want to harness technology and magic in the same way we harness magic.”
“And what kind of magic would they use?” Rhett crossed his arms.
“Ours! All the supernaturals’. They want to take our magical essence and combine it with bionics to create an actual superhuman.” Tears flooded her cheeks as snot dripped from her nose. The blood on her face was a fucking improvement.
“How did you sneak them through the wards?”
“I know the weak spots! I just zapped it with my magical energy to create holes big enough for them to enter!”
”Is that all?” I looked at Thorn, who studied Vicki with a calculated expression.
He nodded. “That’s all she knows.”
Rhett growled, and the room grew thick with pheromones. Vicki moaned, and her body shook violently in the chair before her eyes widened.
My shadows lurched into her chest cavity, retrieving her heart and hovering it over her body.
I whipped my head toward Rhett. “What the hell? Did you just steal my kill?”
“She harassed me for months,” he said, but his eyes were wide with fear.
“He didn’t mean to kill her. He didn’t even realize he was using his pheromones,” Thorn said, and Rhett’s shoulders trembled.
“She reminded me of someone I hated,” he spat. “I wanted her to die, and my pheromones must’ve sensed that.”
“But I was going to kill her,” I whined.
“You two are crazy.” Thorn held up his hands before turning toward the door. “My head feels like it’s going to explode, so I’m going to sleep it off. One of you should report to Rowan.”
Rhett and I shared a glance, and I sighed. “Go report to the firedrake. I’ll clean up our mess.”
Another one of my little bird’s threats had been eliminated.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Alister
Atugginginmychest stirred me awake. Behind my lids, a pink tether trailed out at arm’s length, and I reached for it. My hand hit a soft, warm body, and I forced my eyes open to see my sweet ruby lying next to me in my bed with her eyes shut and her breathing steady.
My body throbbed as my magic awakened again. I winced. Whatever liquid the vampire bitch had injected me with isolated my magic in a way I didn’t think was possible, but I couldn’t even think about that. Not when my sweet mate was curled next to me on my bed with tear stains down her cheeks.
“Alister?” Wren’s voice was groggy, but she grabbed the hand I had on her arm and sat up in an instant. “How do you feel? Is everything okay? When did you wake up?”
Magic simmered between us, and I could feel her worry flood into me.
