Page 130 of Their Blood Rite

‘You will?’

‘You’re not returning to that mud coven,’ he states firmly. ‘We’re never letting you go.’

‘Not sure if that sounded more like a threat or a promise.’

‘Me neither, Pix. Me neither.’

Chapter 19

On the bed, I stare at the ceiling. I play with the charms Dorian gave me, twisting and rolling them between my fingers. I wonder, if I take them off, will I see that man smashing his head into the wall? They only see me when I see them. They only come for me when they know I can see.

That little slice of a soul. That stain of pain left behind.

Archie snores as he sleeps beside me, arms and legs forward like a dog.

Shaw shifts. I roll over to see him sitting on the floor with his back against the door. He’s holding a dagger tightly in his hand. I blink, seeing his eyes are pure white. I sit and go towards him. He stares into nothing, eyes wide and ghostly pale.

‘He’s dream walking,’ Dorian says. I hadn’t seen him in the armchair. The fire embers cast him in a dull orange glow, making him look even more sinister than usual. ‘Best not to disturb him. He gets annoyed.’

‘He’s dream walking right now?’ I ask. He nods once. ‘Whose dreams?’

‘Not sure. I thought yours.’

‘I couldn’t sleep,’ I reply.

‘You seeing anything?’ he asks quietly, glancing around the room.

‘No. You?’

‘Nothing worth worrying about.’ His eyes drift to the far corner of the room for a second.

I turn to look at that empty space.

‘Your shadows. They belong to those you killed.’

He doesn’t reply.

‘Is that what you see now? The shadows?’

He gives a little nod.

I stand and walk towards him. He doesn’t move.

‘They said you linked us. That your soul and mine are connected now.’ He looks up at me, not showing what he’s thinking or feeling. ‘I don’t really understand what that means. It made Shaw mad, whatever it is.’

‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘Can you explain it to me?’

He looks away. I slide myself into his line of sight.

‘I thought you didn’t like me. Why would you help me?’

‘Drop it, poppet.’

I look at him as he glares at me. A full stare full of menace and warning. It would have had me running away a couple of days ago. But something feels different now, not just with him but all of them. There’s been a shift. They’re no longer monsters who live to terrorise others. I’ve seen something else. I know I have.

I slowly walk towards him, my bare feet silent on the floor. He watches me get closer. I sit in his lap and curl up small.

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