“Shadow.” He reached for her again.
“No—” She smacked his hand away, taking another step up. “Why are you being cruel? I get that you don’t want to be near me, that you’re toodangerous!” she spat the words. “I mean, it’s why you’re leaving, but to deliberately hurt me?”
“I will never do that,” he said gently.
At the stark sincerity in his eyes, she swallowed hard, agony crashing through her in a huge wave. The only person to genuinely care about her was gone. She wrapped her arms around her trembling body. “How?”
“Gang fights. Aethan and Týr found the aftermath when they patrolled underground. He’d been stabbed.”
“Wh-wh—” She cleared her tears-swollen throat. “When did it happen?”
His gaze searched her face. “The night after you were hurt.”
“And you didn’t tell me straight away?”
“You were injured, feverish. It took you nearly two damn days to fight through whatever dark magic the bastard used in his tracking spell. You couldn’t do anything, Shadow, not then, not now, not until that bull’s-eye on you is fully healed.”
Frustration choked her, knowing he was right. But her blood burned for vengeance. While Nate and Aba had saved her, Eddi was the one who truly cared about her…watched out for her.
“Thanks for finding my backpack.” She wheeled away and sprinted up the stairs.
“Shadow, wait.”
Nowhe wanted to talk?
She ignored him and dashed for her room.
His footsteps thundered after her. Callused fingers wrapped gently around her wrist, halting her escape. And meeting his understanding gaze, yearning flashed through her. She wanted to throw her arms around him, ask him to hold her until her pain eased. But that would never happen.
Nik hated demons, and she possessed a part of them.
“Don’t you have to be wherever you had to rush off to several minutes ago?” she asked, tone flat, stifling her pain and unwanted jealousy.
Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on him. His mouth tightened. “Don’t leave the castle.”
Yeah, that was the most important thing to him, that she kept her ass safe, and his duty would be done.
She marched off because crying wouldn’t bring Eddi back. So, she locked down her sorrow. But she was going to kill that son of a bitch, Tolvi, as soon as her damn wound healed.
And Nik… he…he could go fly a kite.
As if she would just sit back and not avenge Eddi’s death.
Chapter 11
The painin Shadow’s eyes at learning of Eddi’s death torqued Nik. If he could bring back the dead, he would, for her. But he couldn’t.
He strode through the empty rec room, fingers fisting, the dark souls’ shrieks spiking his skull—theós. He ground down on his teeth. It was the price he paid for the emotions he let free while kissing Shadow. She had a way of cracking his usually rigid control.
He had to get back to the monastery ASAP. With the blood moon growing stronger, his mental shields were thinning precariously, as proven by his early morning gym ice session.
Nik stepped out onto the terrace as dawn broke, rubbing his chest, the emptiness back in spades. But three days away from her…and with her impulsiveness…
Dammit. He got out his cell and shot a message to Hedori.
Have to go to Romania.
Don’t let Shadow leave the castle.
