Page 40 of King

Amara tensed. “Yes,” she said cautiously, irritation creeping in. “It runs on my father’s side of the family. My great-grandmother had white hair, too.”

“Did she have RH Null blood?” Slade pressed, his frown deepening.

Amara hesitated, then shook her head. “That, I don’t know.” She turned to Daniel, suspicion creeping into her gaze. “How do you know all this?”

“That’s a long story,” Daniel said, giving her a small, sympathetic smile. “But I do know that you don’t need blood to sustain yourself the way others like you do. Your golden eye color has faded since I last saw you, but now that you’re getting agitated, it’s turning a deeper shade of gold.” His gaze dropped to the bruise on her collarbone. “And yet…” He paused, staring at her.

“Yet what?” Amara heard her own frustration in her voice.

“You’re healing more slowly than you should be,” Daniel said, his white eyes staring into hers. “Nothing about you is normal.”

“Story of my life,” Amara snorted even as she resisted the urge to scream. Her head throbbed from all the unanswered questions, but she refused to lose focus. She raised a hand, silencing Slade before he could speak again.

“Right now, all I care about is Joey.” Her voice was firm, unwavering. She glanced around at the others, her gaze locking onto Slade’s. “If even one word of this leaks from the hospital, can I hold the doctor and the hospital liable for exposing private patient information?”

Slade cleared his throat, glancing once again at King.

“Stop looking at him,” Amara snapped, stepping closer. “Tell me the damn truth because I will fight anyone to the death before anyone even thinks of harming Joey again. When you enter that operating room, I suggest you clarify that to the doctor and anyone else in there. I will not allow this to spread beyond these walls.”

Slade studied her for a long moment before nodding, a flicker of respect in his expression. “It’s not Joey they’re talking about. It’s you. You’re the medical miracle.” He let that sink in before adding, “Your blood.”

“I’m not his patient. Which means he can talk all he wants.” Amara frowned, feeling helpless. “Dammit,”

“I’ll call Sloan,” Duncan said, pulling out his phone. “Have him take care of it. That way, Slade can stay neutral.”

“Fuck being neutral.” Slade hissed but then seemed to control his emotions. “But yeah, Sloan may have more pull than me on this.”

“Now I know why everyone in hell is celebrating,” Daniel said, his white, cloudy eyes swirling so fast it was almost dizzying to watch. The movement within them intensified until they seemed to glow with an eerie light.

“Why is that?” Steve asked, his grip tightening protectively around Mira.

Daniel’s gaze remained fixed on Amara, his expression unreadable. “Because they believe Amara and her kind are the weapons they can use to take me down.” A sorrowful smile curved his lips, carrying a weight Amara couldn’t comprehend. “And that’s just one part of the chaos to worry about. These people with Golden Blood need to be informed, and they all need to be protected. Especially her.”

“Done.” King’s voice was firm and final...just one word, but it made something inside Amara feel settled and safe. That was the feeling she got every time he spoke with that unshakable certainty. It was strange. But true.

Daniel studied her intently. “Were you given a serum when you were taken?” His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge to it. “That’s how humans were turned, but you’re different.”

Amara shook her head, confusion flickering across her face. “I don’t know,” she admitted, wrapping her arms around herself as a shiver ran through her. “I just… woke up like this.”

Slade’s brow furrowed as he observed her. “Then how else could she have been turned?”

Daniel exhaled, his gaze shifting between Slade and Amara. “I don’t know yet,” he murmured.

Amara’s brows furrowed as she stared at Daniel, transfixed by his hypnotic gaze. The swirling light within his eyes made her stomach twist like she was standing on the edge of a revelation she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“Who are you?” she whispered, though what she really wanted to ask was,What are you?

Daniel tilted his head slightly as if he could hear the unspoken words. “To them,” he gestured behind him at the gathered Warriors. “I’m Daniel. To the evil in Hell, I’m the Demon Slayer.”

A thick silence settled over the room, heavy with the weight of that revelation. Amara’s heart pounded against her ribs. She had just been thrown into the center of whatever chaos was coming.

Before anyone could respond, the door swung open.

“Dr. Buchanan,” a nurse stepped inside, scanning the room before her eyes landed on Slade. She smiled, oblivious to the tension in the air. “Dr. Winston is ready to start.”

Slade muttered a curse under his breath, then turned to Amara, his expression serious. “I’ll come straight to you as soon as Joey’s surgery is over.”

Amara nodded, her throat tight. “Thank you,” she said, then turned to King.

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