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In my ears.

My body.

My lungs.

I can’t contain it any longer. I need to move.

In less than a few seconds, I run ten laps of the room then release a wall rattling scream that rises and swells against the constraints of the tunnels.

When I open my eyes, the others have returned. They are staring at me, and at the Fire Bird, wide eyed. Brynn mutters, “What the hell happened?”

Then he looks at me.

I see myself reflected in the darkness of his eyes and I smile at the image.

I have not felt this raw, this hungry, this uncontainable, for a thousand years. It’s as if I am a new vampire all over again, except this time I know what I am capable of and I know how to control it.

Brynn takes a step back, and gestures for the others to do the same.

“She is exactly what I hoped she’d be…” I whisper.

Brynn’s eyes flicker to where Nova is now sitting up, hunched in Miranda’s arms. “Then we should all have a taste,” he drawls.

A snarl parts my lips. I stride forward, throw a hand around his neck and pin him against the wall. With my face close to his, I stare into his eyes and whisper, “You touch her, you die.”

For a moment, Brynn looks afraid of me, but then his gaze moves to the spots of blood at the corner of my mouth and he swallows hard. His lip twitches, revealing his pointed canines, and he runs his tongue over them.

Letting him go, before the scent of the fire becomes too much and he does something that will make me end him, I stride back to the throne and drape myself across it.

“When we have drained her, I’ll need volunteers to test the product. We will need to be careful with how much we use.” I crane my head and nod at Brynn. “Those who show me they can be patient will be considered.”

“Zephyra.” Miranda stands and helps Nova to her feet. She is barely conscious, and slumps against Miranda’s shoulder. “She needs to rest.”

I do not want her to leave.

I don’t want her anywhere but here. With me. Forever.

But I know the witch is right.

“Fine.” I shake my body. Trying to free the clawing sensation beneath my skin. “Take her. But only until she is recovered. Then we begin the next phase.”

24

NOVA

They come for me when I’m sleeping. Kole is sitting behind me, his arms curled tightly around my waist. I didn’t need to tell him Zephyra drank from me; he knew as soon as I was tossed back into the cell. And although the metallic tang that filled the room must have driven him crazy, he simply tended to the wound, then held me.

In the corner of the cell, Kim is not sleeping. He’s been awake all night. I know because every time I woke and glanced over at him, he was tossing and turning, staring up at the ceiling or standing, flexing his limbs as if readying for a fight.

His glasses are still broken, but Kole fixed them with a band aid so they at least stay on the bridge of his nose now.

The sound of the door clattering open makes me jump but Kole’s voice soothes me. Remember, we have a plan. Whatever happens, know we are getting out of here.

What if she doesn’t call for you?

She will. She’ll want me to watch.

I swallow hard. Although we talked about it, ran through it silently using the bond that only we share, I am not convinced I’ll be able to handle watching Kole play along with Zephyra’s games in order to distract her.