Silver Blood (Series of Blood Book 1), Emma Hamm [free novels txt] 📗

that her hand would permanently mar that pretty face. She wanted to show him what happened when people murdered an innocent creature.

But every time she threw herself forward, she struck a barrier that prevented her from gaining control. The wall appeared to be not something of her own construct. Or perhaps it was.

The shadows that stood beside her remained where they were standing. They watched her throw herself against his imaginary wall over and over again until she turned towards them. Her entire soul shuddered with rage.

“What are you waiting for?” she screamed at them. “Help me!”

But they stayed where they were. She didn’t know if E was passively letting her remain locked in her own body or if it did not know how to help her.

Malachi looked at her slack jawed expression, and a light sparked in his eyes. “Oh, of course, how thoughtless of me.”

His hand pressed against her forehead, and Wren felt herself yanked forward at his bidding. She passed through the wall, which shattered behind her. Along with her came a surging of all the other creatures. Each seem to clamor for attention in her head before they slowly died down.

She could move her own body then. She could feel her fingers move when she bid them to do so. With that, came the anger and pain that this man had given her.

“How dare you!” Wren raised her hand to strike him.

He stepped out of her way with a laugh. “What an interesting development I didn’t expect!”

She growled in response.

“The creature you house inside of you is so very intelligent. A wall inside of her own mind. Very clever, Legion.”

“I don’t need your approval.” Her voice echoed with thousands of others that vibrated within her throat.

Wren could hear the confusion. They had thought the wall had been broken by Gaia. They had been concerned that it would not be fixable. But the wall had been intact. Now, it was well and truly broken.

He frowned at her. “I didn’t expect you to survive joining with Legion. But still, a surprise is welcome at a time like this. Soon, you’ll be lost just like all the others.”

“I won’t let that happen,” E said from within her.

“You don’t have a choice, Legion. You’re powerless to control what you are.” He clapped his hands. “Now, let’s make this place a little more comfortable shall we?”

He spread his arms wide and colors streamed from the tips of his fingers. Wren pressed herself flush against the wall in fear. The colors began to take form. They snaked along the stone floor which turned to hardwood in their path. The walls were painted a warm red, plush furniture formed, and a fireplace crackled in the corner.

All of this happened in mere moments, a few blinks before they were no longer in a cave at all. Malachi staggered as the spell completed. He quickly righted himself much to Wren’s unhappiness. She hoped that the weakness was only the beginning.

Anger made her face flush. “You stole her magic.”

“Very astute, Wren.”

Her attention kept wavering. In one moment, she would be focusing on the man in front of her, and in the next, she was startled that she could feel the skin of her arm so clearly. Each blink felt as though she was fighting to remain in control over her own body.

She shook her head to focus. “You stole her magic just because you wanted to make this place not look like a cave?”

“Right again.” He seated himself onto one of the chairs and sighed. He relaxed deep into the cushions and propped a foot upon his knee.

“You truly are evil.”

“No, my dear. I’m not evil.” He waved his hand and a glass of blood red wine appeared on the table beside him. “I am a creature that only does what I was created to do.”

“Stealing other people’s magic to make your own life more comfortable. That’s a fantastic way to live.”

“Oh you know so very little about our world,” he murmured into the glass. “I was created to give meaning to the light side. You presented an opportunity. I took the opportunity. It’s all give and take, love.”

“So you live in a world with no rules, where no decision of yours affects anyone but yourself.”

“Correct again. Please take a seat.”

“Absolutely not.” She turned to start looking for a way to escape. “I’m not staying in here with a monster.”

“Monster?”

The word vibrated with so much anger that a shiver went down Wren’s spine. Rightly so, because in the next moment he was pressed against the back she had turned to him. She could feel the heat of his breath against her neck as he crowded her against the wall.

“You don’t really believe that. There’s a part of you that’s just like me.”

Unlike the creature he had devoured, Wren was not the kind of woman to allow any sort of fear to show. Foolishly, she swallowed hard and replied, “I will never be like you.”

He pressed his nose into the smooth silk of her hair and inhaled slowly. Another shiver traveled down the length of her spine.

“You haven’t seen the monster yet, Wren. But you will. I will make you understand just how truly terrifying I can be.”

CHAPTER 10

T  he door to Haven burst open and thumped against the wall. The doorknob left a dent as it swung shut behind the man who was struggling to stay upright.

Jasper had watched Burke drop to the ground after Wren had disappeared in front of them. Though he didn’t really like Burke, the man was far too stiff, so seeing the strong man fall in a dead faint had made him worried. He had touched Burke’s arm and warped back to their home without remembering that he was going to have to carry Burke the rest of the way.

Jasper was a big man. He was larger than Burke, and that was saying something. But even his strong arms had a difficult time maneuvering a six foot, limp man