The logic behind her words escapes me, and my head’s not clear enough to ask more. All I care about is that Donatello’s going to live. All that matters is that I didn’t kill one of them.
My eyes sting with unshed tears. Gods, I was so afraid. Donatello tightens his hold around me, then brings me to the bed, sitting me down on his lap. The mattress shifts, and I look up to see Ren sitting up. He’s already put his pants back on, though the smattering on his shirt won’t disappear this fast. Reaching out, he presses the towel to Donatello’s shoulder, then smiles.
“The wound has closed,” he says, then reaches to pick something up from the bed. “Look. It even expelled the bullet.”
An inexplicable rage fills me. I shake in Donatello’s hold. “Kayn,” I bite out. “Why did he do this?” And he had just been speaking of how he tried to be sensible with my parents, and how he didn’t want to kill anyone.
Donatello meets my gaze, pinching my chin between two fingers. “He thinks I outlived my usefulness. Maybe I’m a liability. Maybe he’s just pissed I don’t want to obey him.” And he shrugs. Like he didn’t almost die. Like he wasn’t bleeding to death minutes ago.
Looking at him, I make my choice. First, comes the Collector. Rescue Mei. Set all those creatures free. But next comes Kayn. He will never stop. He won’t give me peace. And he will try to kill Donatello as soon as we meet again.
I won’t let him.
Donatello kisses the corner of my mouth. His breath smells like blood. Turning to Giulia, he smiles. “Did Trevor and Alicia find the books?”
The books. One of the two reasons I almost got Donatello killed. The other reason is tucked into my back pocket.
“I bet they did,” Giulia says, crossing her arms over her chest. She turns her face to look at me, her blank gaze finding mine. “The books will be in the library. They’ll go through them to categorize each one, but you’re free to use them for your research.”
My research. Yes. I have to learn to use these powers as best as I can to face the Collector. I have to be ready. The man is an angelic being and might be way stronger than all of us together. Since I want to free everyone, there’s no way I could leave unnoticed.
There is going to be a fight, and it’s my responsibility to keep them all safe. It’s my responsibility to avoid what happened to Donatello from happening to anyone else. My heart grows heavy, but I know that’s the only way. The only way to get Mei back.
“I will. Thanks, Giulia,” I tell her, then watch her go.
And I make myself comfortable in Donatello’s hold. Something tells me our peaceful days will not last long.
Soon, we will have war.
CHAPTER24
CASSANDRA
The worst thing about this Shadow Mage story is how much English changed in the past centuries. We take language for granted. English from three hundred years ago? Almost indecipherable. I understand French better than this, and I don’t speak French.
With a sigh, I put the book down. A migraine pulses in my forehead, and I press the heels of my hands to my eyes. Reaching out for the shadows in the library, I absorb them and let them heal the headache. In moments, it disappears. This must be the best part. Living with shifters and a vampire, all creatures that heal fast, being the girl with a normal healing speed would be a bummer.
I open my eyes and face the book again, but it makes no more sense now than it did moments ago. Old English is awful. The dictionary next to me isn’t much better — Giulia probably got it not long after this book was published. I wish there was some kind of encyclopedia on Shadow Mages with images. I’ve always loved to read, but I swear, this is impossible.
And what I have at the moment isn’t reassuring. Shadow Mages were leaders, councilors, judges. They knew every species living in the Cursed Realm — a false name, because all the books refer to it as the Dark Realm, in opposition to the Light Realm — and they knew what was best for each of them. They represented interests, defended what was right, and found a middle ground in disputes.
I can’t imagine myself in such a position. I’m no leader, and I can’t bear the idea of walking into the Cursed — or the Dark — Realm and telling them I’ve arrived to tell them what to do. Gods, the meetings. And having to shake people’s hands and remember their names and what they need and what they like...
My stomach flips. I grow nauseated. The mere idea of the whole thing gets me sick. I’ve always been the quiet, anti-social girl who only ever spoke to other people if it was needed. I can’t pretend I enjoy being the center of attention, can’t pretend I care about a bunch of people I don’t even know.
My heart rate spikes. Just the thought of it makes me nervous. What am I supposed to do? I don’t want to go to the Dark Realm, and I don’t want toleadanyone anywhere, but what am I supposed to do if not that? And why does it feel like going there is the only potential end?
Steps make the floorboards creak, and I almost cry at the opportunity of a distraction. Looking over my shoulder, I find Ren walking in my direction, and the look on his face is a knife to my chest.
My sweet Ren, always with a smile on his face, no matter what happens. He presses his brows together in a look of pain that makes me feel a complete and utter idiot for wasting my time thinking of myself when he’s hurting.
I shoot to my feet and meet him halfway. “Ren,” I breathe out, stretching my arms to hug him the moment he’s close enough. His warmth seeps into me, his powerful arms folding around me to lock my body against his. The skin over his hard muscles is soft, and it smells so good. I bury my face into his neck and breathe him in for a moment. “Talk to me,” I ask, because this whole time they’ve been taking care of me, and no one took care of them.
Ren sighs then pulls back from my embrace to find a chair. He sits down and tugs me closer until I sit on his lap. It’s not sexual, though, not when I know he needs a moment. He presses his cheek to mine, rubbing our jaws together, his warm breath scattering against my ear, my neck. I let him do his thing, roping my fingers through his long hair and massaging the scalp.
He stops, face still hidden in my neck, and takes deep breaths. “I thought she was dead.”
And I immediately know he’s talking about his sister, Mei. “You had reason to. You couldn’t have guessed someone survived that.” If I saw blood and guts spilled where one of my men once was, I would assume their death, and that would drive me mad. “I thought Apollo had died, and all I saw was Prince piercing his stomach with a hand.”