The man has a staff lit with fire on both ends. We watch as he tosses it in the air and catches it behind his back.
“It would be a lot more impressive if he wasn’t using his vampire speed to assist him,” I whisper to Sienna.
“Agreed,” she adds with a sideways glance. “But that’s a vampire for you… always cheating.”
“No need to cheat when you’re the superior species.”
We both whirl around to find Kole looking down on us with a smug expression.
“Is that what Mommy and Daddy told you when you couldn’t compete with Thane?” I taunt with a smug grin of my own.
He yanks my arm so hard that my shoulder nearly pops out of its socket. “You don’t know the first thing about our family.”
“And I don’t care to! As far as I’m concerned, you’re all monsters.” I pull my arm back and rub my shoulder with my thumb to soothe the slight ache.
“Trust me when I say you haven’t even begun to feel the wrath of usmonsters.” He eyes me up and down, shaking his head. “What’s been done to you is child’s play compared to the things Thane and I have endured.”
He turns around and storms off, but not before I catch the glimpse of pain that flickered behind his eyes. It’s a look that most people wouldn’t notice. Only someone like me. Someone who has also endured more than others could even fathom.
Kole
Just the mere mention of my parents is enough to make my blood boil beneath my icy skin. How dare she! She has no idea what I’ve been through. What Thane has been through. The two of us spent our entire childhoods being pitted against one another. How we’ve been able to get to the point we’re at now is a damn miracle. For some human girl to think she can speak on something she knows nothing about is unacceptable.
No one talks about our family and gets away with it. Another lesson she’ll be quick to learn. I’ll make sure of it.
Chapter 12
God, I’m so sick of being pushed and pulled like some damn ragdoll! My comment may have been a little unwarranted, but Kole deserved it. He’s not innocent. He follows Thane’s orders like some weirdo cult member looking to climb the ranks.
“Are you okay?” Sienna asks meekly.
“I will be once I’ve had another drink.” I take her by the hand and lead us further into the maze, heading straight for one of the servers holding a tray of champagne flutes. “One for you, and one for me,” I say, switching out our empty glasses.
“Bad influence,” she repeats, reluctantly taking the new glass from my hand.
“You know you love it.”
“Just don’t tell the others.”
“My lips are sealed.” I run my fingers along my mouth and toss the invisible key over my shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go see what’s happening over there.”
We manage to slither our way through the crowd until we reach a group of leaders and other guests gathered at the backof the garden. They’re huddled around shouting and making bets with one another.
“I can’t see anything from here,” Sienna says, taking the lead. “Let’s get closer.”
The few leaders we bump into don’t even seem to notice us. They’re all too busy clapping their hands and taunting one another.
“Who’s next?” a werewolf shouts, scanning the growing crowd.
Two people volunteer and step out into the grassy area where the werewolf is standing. We watch intently as he flips a coin and orders the two volunteers to get into position. The woman, who is obviously a vampire judging by her white irises, picks up a bow and loads an arrow. The vampire who lost the coin toss begins balancing a round object on his head several yards away from her.
The werewolf in charge starts a countdown and the woman draws back the arrow. I turn to Sienna, who matches my confused expression with her own. When the werewolf reaches the end of his countdown, the woman releases the arrow, and it lands in the other man’s shoulder. He grimaces, but stays still, keeping the object from falling off his head.
“Told you she’d miss,” the man beside us mutters to someone I can’t see.
“One more chance, Erika.” The werewolf hands her another arrow, and she reloads it with a look of determination.
“Don’t miss!” the man next to me taunts from the sidelines.
