My voice vibrated in every ear, and to help get my point across, I shaped my shadows into needles and pressed them against their necks.
Silence. Stillness. I was pretty sure they didn’t even blink.
Gathering my power and allowing the muted light to filter back in, I smiled at the wide-eyed Bowel babies. They knew what I could do. I was fully aware my military talked about me.
“The infection is spread through biting. Anyone infected will have black veins and black blood. When they start to transition, they’ll have razor-sharp teeth and horns. If you see or hear of an infected, report it. If you’re able, bring them in. If not, kill them or run. That’s all. Return to your training.”
The pet frowned at the ground as if puzzling something out. Did he have information on Lilith’s infection? Would she have included him, or was he just as much a pawn as I had been with Etan?
Before I could decide if I wanted to strike up a conversation with him, Sam walked up onto the dais.
Every muscle in my body froze. But Lucille didn’t have any peaks in her emotions; they seemed the same as when she left.
“Oli—” Alexei started.
Sam shook his head. “No. Ronen, you’re going to want to see something in the dungeons.”
“MJ, you have your orders. Alexei, split up the Nightmares. Keep half here to monitor and…” I glanced at Ridigar, still sprawled on the floor. “Take Ridigar and the other half out to patrol,” I said, releasing him.
Alexei fisted a hand over his heart in acknowledgment, and MJ dipped her head.
“And one of you make sure the pet is put in his place,” I added before following Sam to the dungeons.
After unlocking the runes and the key on the dungeon door, Sam offered me his blood.
“I’m not concerned about you using your powers.”
“You do understand high-level Virtues can kill just as easily as heal, right? It only takes one touch to drain your energy.”
“Aren’t you a pacifist?”
“Afteryou see what’s down there, I don’t think anyone has the luxury of being a pacifist.”
I walked through the threshold, my skin crawling as Sam led me toward the cell where Alexei and I placed the first infected soul. A foul smell thickened with each step, as if a rotting body had been sitting out in the sun for too long.
“The infection’s mutating. And fast.”
Seven Hells.
The angel’s skin no longer appeared tan. Of course, he had the black veins vining his body, but I was surprised I could even see them against his newly blackened skin. It looked like someone had painted him with his poisonous blood. Horns shot out of his head, just as black, and when he turned, his eyes were devoid of any color. He stared at us, tilting his head back and forth like he was trying to determine who we were. Then he flicked out his pronged tongue, tasting the air before luscelering into the bars.
I shoved Sam back and flung up a solid barrier of shadows, protecting us from his clawed hand.
“It gets worse.”
“How?”
Sam ushered me to the next cell and to the cause of the horrific stench. It was the blood-banded female who had been bitten. I only knew from the remnants of her hair lingering in the cell. Her flesh circled her remains in melted, oozing clumps, and her bones… Well, those were mostly devoured in her leftover liquids as if her blood had turned to acid. The blood-banded male beside her was in the same decaying state.
“Does the king know about this?”
“Yes,” Sam replied.
“And their souls?”
Sam heaved a breath. “The king thinks the infection ate away at the blood-band, eliminating his control over their souls. They didn’t cycle, but he said the darkness grew over the land.”
Were their souls disembodied like Saraqael’s? Or just gone? Would anyone see them again?
