Shadow Realms

by Kelly Carrero

  My eyes rolled back in ecstasy as the demonic blood spilled into my mouth, casting me into its depths of power.

  Biting down harder, I drank from him, releasing a ravenous fire within my soul until there was no more to take.

  Lifting my head, an unnatural roar erupted from deep within me, echoing through the crowded street.

  Everyone came to a halt, their eyes fixated on me and the power radiating from within me. They could feel it. I could feel it.

  I licked my obsidian-stained lips, devouring every drop as I prepared—

  My stomach lurched as my gaze landed on my turd of a brother cowering behind my overprotective tank of a brother. Fear gripped Mason’s gaze, his eyes sunken from the loss of blood, his body too weak to put up any kind of fight. His dirty clothes hung like rags from his body, stained with evidence of his time in the vampires’ hands. Lana had been wrong. By the look of him, the vampires hadn’t used an IV to extract his blood.

  Something snapped inside of me, and I raced toward them, blinded by the rage coursing within me, consuming every piece of my existence.

  A million different scenes of Mason being drained of his blood drifted through my mind. The terror he must’ve felt, knowing he was alone, this was his fate, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

  If he’d known what Finn was, he could’ve held onto the hope of being rescued. But the boy standing behind Finn had lost it all. He was a shell of the cocky boy who had once tormented my life.

  Finn’s gaze landed on me, his pupils dilating as he tried to work out who he should protect. Then realization washed over him. There wasn’t a choice. I could take care of my own.

  And that was exactly what I planned to do.

  Mason and Finn were mine to protect.

  The hunters.

  The innocent.

  Leaping into the air, I adjusted my daggers so they were pointing down as I landed between two vampires, driving the blades through the crowns of their heads and ripping downward, splitting them open and feasting on the life that spilled from them.

  The vampires collapsed to the ground, black smoke billowing from their wounds, making me do a double take.

  Raising the blades to my mouth, I ran my tongue along the sharp edge, my eyes lighting up when I realized those two weren’t like the others. Their taste was intoxicating.

  My eyes widened as I caught sight of another ghost from my past, lurking in the shadows, her form morphing into the woman I remembered, the one who had stolen a huge chunk of my heart when she died—Mom.

  I blinked hard, hoping she was a figment of my imagination because the reality was, if she was really there, then she wasn’t who I thought she was. When I opened my eyes, she was still there, staring at me, pleading with me to understand her muted cries for help. She was desperate, she was…gone. The wall behind her morphed into the hideous creatures that stalked the night, consuming the apparition of my mother.

  Strong arms wrapped around me, drawing me into their embrace. “Kali,” Finn’s panicked voice filtered through my mind. “Kali,” he said again.

  Snapping back into the moment, I pushed away enough to see not only Finn with his arms wrapped around me but Mason as well. I melted into their embrace, thankful our retrieval mission was a success and I hadn’t lost either of my brothers in the process.

  Images of my mother haunted my thoughts, but I knew they couldn’t be real. My mother had died a long time ago. She couldn’t possibly be with the demons.

  What I needed to focus on was what was right in front of me, not a sick, twisted joke the demons were playing on me.

  A second later, Finn was dragging me away from the pack of hungry vampires toward the van Max had pulled up in.

  I yanked my arm back, breaking free unlike all the other times he’d held onto me. “We can’t leave them.” My hungry eyes fell upon the vampires fleeing from the scene, taking to the rooftops and slithering through the shadows of the street, dispersing from the area as if they knew they were going to die.

  “You can, and you will,” Finn said in that bossy tone of his.

  Max stood by the back of his van. “Get in.”

  Taking one last glance at where the ghost of my mother had stood, I piled into the back of the van, followed by another couple of hunters and Lana. We all collapsed onto the floor as Max closed the door and jumped into the driver’s seat.

  All eyes fell on me as the van took off, its rhythmic motion lulling us into silence.

  Tearing my gaze away from theirs, I focused on Mason. Blood coated his cracked lips, and his face was covered in bruises. Scratches and bite wounds spread across his neck, shoulders, torso, and arms, further igniting the rage coursing within me.

  They’d used him as a feeding bag, and it was worse than I’d ever envisioned.

  For the first time in my life, I was grateful my mother wasn’t alive to see her baby this way. It would’ve torn her apart. And to know it wasn’t just one son but two who had been held captive by a bunch of hungry vampires would’ve been her undoing. Her apparition was probably nothing more than my subconscious condemning me for letting my brother get taken in the first place.

  Reaching toward Mason, I placed my hand over his and squeezed gently, careful not to hurt him. “Are you okay?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead, he tried to smile, but it was as painful to watch as it must’ve been to do.

  “He’ll be fine,” Finn said, trying to give him words of encouragement.

  I guessed he knew what Mason had been through better than anyone. I’d been so hard on Finn, and now that I knew what state he’d been in when he was forced to make his decision, I felt a pang of guilt for giving him such a hard time.

  But it was short-lived when I remembered how hard it must’ve been for Mason to resign to his fate, not knowing hunters existed and his brother was one of them.

  Sure, Finn had thought he had his reasons. But they were bullshit. The hunters needed to stop hiding and come out to the world. People deserved to know the truth.

  “You’re hurting him,” Finn said, grabbing my hand.

  I quickly released my grip on Mason, recoiling my hand to my lap. “I’m sorry.”

  For the remainder of the trip, we sat in silence, everyone staring at me, yet no one wanting to say what was on their minds.

  Max glanced at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes no longer holding the hatred they once had. Now, it was replaced with fear and something else I couldn’t quite place.

  If I’d thought the tension between us was over, I had another thing coming. There was something other than my guilt between us, and I hoped he wasn’t going to spill my secret.

  He’d thought I was the one, but the way he looked at me, it was as if his thoughts were aligning with mine, and I was a demon, hiding in sheep’s clothing, waiting for the moment the demons wanted to evoke me into their plans, taking and destroying the hunters from the inside out.

  My stomach churned with fear as I looked at each and every one of the hunters surrounding me. I couldn’t bear to think I was going to be their undoing when all they did was try to serve and protect. All without any acknowledgement or thanks from those who owed their lives to them.

  When the van came to a stop, Lana opened the door and hopped out.

  Light spilled into the van, allowing me to see Mason better. I winced at the sight of him.

  He was broken.

  But I’d done what I vowed I’d do. Mason was safe. And whatever my fate was, I would take it head-on.

  Swallowing hard, I followed the others out of the van, my thoughts consumed with the worst as I buckled under their stares.

  Lowering my head, I made my way over to Mason and wrapped my arms around him. “You were worth it.” I pulled back so I could look him in the eyes. “Don’t think for a second that I regret my decision.” I brushed his blood-matted hair away from his eyes. “I would do it all again, knowing the outcome.”

  He furrowed his brow. “What are you
talking about?” he said, his voice barely audible.

  I smiled. “Just know I love you.”

  Finn curled his hand over my shoulder. “Give him some space. You can confess all your sins to him later once he’s had time to rest and get cleaned up.”

  I nodded as Finn took Mason away, leaving me with Lana and Max. The others had thankfully disappeared while I was talking to Mason, so I didn’t have an audience while both Lana and Max declared my fate.

  I bit my lip, my eyes lighting up when I caught the taste of the vamps’ blood still on my skin. “Do what you have to do.”

  Max glanced at Lana. “You know who she is, don’t you?”

  Lana drew her eyebrows together. “It’s impossible. She tested negative on the mandatory government testing.”

  “About that,” I said. “You see, I’d been smoking pot and didn’t want to get kicked off the track team, so I asked a girl nicely—and by nicely I mean I threatened her—to take my test so I could stay on the team.”

  Lana’s eyes went wide. “You should’ve told me this before. We could’ve tested you.”

  I shrugged. “Sorry. I didn’t think for a second someone like me would be the one you’ve been searching for.”

  “You know what we have to do,” Max said, walking toward me.

  I braced for his wrath, but it never came.

  “Come with us.”

  Lana strode ahead of me then glanced over her shoulder. “Follow me.”

  I took a deep breath, resigning to my fate, and strode after her with Max in tail.

  They led me through the many halls and stairwells of the compound, dread building inside of me with every step.

  Eventually we came out to the hall I knew all too well, and Lana stopped at the set of doors to the gym. She took a deep breath. “This could change everything.”

  I frowned, trying to figure out what she was about to do as she opened the doors. My eyes landed on the sword encased in glass, and it all became clear.

  It wasn’t just Max who thought I could be the one. It was Lana as well.

  She led me toward the centerpiece glistening under the lights and pressed a button under the top platform of the pillar. The glass lifted into the air, leaving the sword open for the taking as it balanced magically on the tip of its blade.

  Drawing my eyebrows together, I realized that was a lie. It wasn’t resting on the platform. It was hovering just above it. “How…?”

  Lana blinked hard as she took a few deep breaths. “I don’t know if my heart can take the suspense any longer. Take the blade.”

  Nerves racked my body, fearing what would happen if I wasn’t the one they were looking for. “What’s supposed to happen?”

  She nodded, urging me toward it. “You’ll see.”

  With my heart in my throat, I breathed out a long breath and wrapped my shaking hands around the hilt.

  31

  A jolt of electricity shot through me as the blade came to life, casting a brilliant blue glow down the length of it.

  I looked on in wonder, trying to work out if this was a good sign or not. But when I saw the sheer happiness and disbelief in not only Lana’s face, but Max’s as well, I had my answer.

  “You’re the one,” Lana said in disbelief.

  Tears of relief flooded my eyes. I had no idea what being “the one” entailed, but at least I wasn’t an evil monster, which meant I didn’t have to leave my brothers.

  Waving the sword in front of me, I marveled at the way the glowing flames licked to life. Realizing there was more to the illumination, I focused on the markings beneath.

  “They’re runes,” Lana said. “I never thought I would see them… I can’t believe…” She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her excitement. “My parents are not going to believe this.” She raced toward the door. “Max, make sure she puts that back—I think. Actually, I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do with it.” She shook her head. “Best to put it back for now. I’ll call my parents and then… I’ll be back soon. Don’t go anywhere.”

  Lana bolted from the room, leaving me to wonder what the hell just happened.

  Shaking my thoughts away, I rested the blade back on the platform and looked up into Max’s eyes, which no longer held the steely repulsion toward me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

  He shook his head. “Yes, you should have. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have known.”

  I pointed to his shirt where a tear was surrounded by blood. “You… You shouldn’t have come after me.”

  Max glanced down at his shirt. “This?” He slipped his fingers under the hem of his blood-soaked shirt and lifted it over his head, revealing his scarred body. “Don’t worry about it. I’m healed now.”

  Drawing my brows together, I studied the spot where the dagger had gone through him, but there wasn’t even a scratch. Unlike the rest of his body.

  Without thinking I pressed the pads of my fingers against his skin, inspecting the markings.

  He sucked in a sharp breath the moment I made contact.

  I pulled back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

  Stepping back, he said, “Don’t worry about it.”

  His eyes told me differently. The scars weren’t only on his skin. They were burned into his soul. And then someone like me comes along and drudges up so many old memories.

  Tilting my head toward the floor, I chastised myself for thinking that a little thing like me being the one would change our relationship. He still saw me as someone he couldn’t trust. Someone who was capable of inflicting the same damage on himself.

  I may not have been the monster he originally thought I was, but I was still a monster. Tonight had proven that statement true.

  “I’m sorry,” I said again.

  “Don’t apologize,” he said. “It’s…” He sighed. “It’s—”

  “There you are.” Finn burst into the room, followed by Kade. In all the commotion, I had completely forgotten about Kade, and guilt quickly consumed me. I hadn’t even thought about Kade when we were in the van. He’d been missing, and I didn’t even realize. What kind of divine person was I if I completely forgot those I supposedly cared about?

  “I don’t believe it,” Kade said, glancing between Max and me. “You two in the same room and you’re not ripping each other apart.”

  Max’s eyes widened. “About that…”

  Kade laughed. “I’m sure you’re feeling like the ultimate asswipe right now, aren’t you?”

  Max glanced at me, his gaze boring into my soul, stripping it piece by piece. I wasn’t sure if the guy still hated me or if he was plagued with guilt. Either way, we weren’t on much better terms than before.

  “Don’t think you saving her ass makes up for what you did to her on the roof and the way you’ve treated her since we brought her in,” Finn said, coming to a stop beside me.

  “I don’t,” Max said under his breath.

  Kade tousled my hair like a sibling would do. “Knew you were able to handle yourself—just like I kept telling your brother.”

  I sighed. Kade was everything Max wasn’t, yet… I looked up at Max, my heart skipping a beat the moment our eyes locked. He was so wrong for me. He despised me. Yet I couldn’t deny the ache in my chest, longing to touch him again.

  That would never happen.

  “So, did it do anything?” Finn asked, inspecting the mystical sword back on display.

  I nodded. “It lit up like a flare.”

  Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the sword, devouring the electrical current into my soul, merging with the power that lay within as the sword came to life, spilling a brilliant light around it.

  “Holy shit,” Finn and Kade said in unison.

  “That’s insane,” Kade added, his bright eyes staring in awe.

  Releasing my grip, the sword returned to its previous state, its energy once again dormant.

  Finn let out a harsh breath. “I don’t like this. I don’t like this one bit.”

&nb
sp; I barked out a laugh, finally seeing the light. “You, my dear, overprotecting, overbearing, bossy-assed brother, are going to have to get used to me being the boss.” I had no idea if that were true, but since no one denied it, I went with it while I still could. Because I was pretty sure Lana was about to come back and burst my bubble.

  As if on command, Lana bounded back into the room. “Come with me.” She linked her arm with mine then, with wide eyes, recoiled, not wanting to touch me any longer.

  My chest constricted, fearing what I was to become.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have been so brazen.”

  I frowned as she led me away from the others. “Please don’t tell me I damn to death anyone who touches me, because I can’t bear to think…” I trailed off as I shoved my unholy thoughts to the back of my mind.

  A smile spread across her face. She knew what I was thinking. “Relax. I was just…” She spun around and started walking backward as she studied me. “You’re the one. I mean, the freaking one. I…”

  “I’m still the same person I was before, only now I’m hoping everyone’s not going to treat me any differently. Scratch that. Everyone, except for you and Kade, has treated me like shit since I came here. So yeah, I want that to stop, but as for your friendship, I want that to stay as is. Please don’t tell me I’m some divine being that must shun everyone around me, because that’s not going to happen.” I was rambling and didn’t know how to stop. “I need people in my life. I’m not a loner. I need to be touched, and—”

  “Yeah, yeah. I get it,” she said. “You have a crush on a certain someone who up until tonight wanted to drive a knife through your heart.”

  “I do not,” I spat, my stomach twisting in knots over the accusation.

  Lana raised her brow. “I saw the way you were looking at him in the van and then when we got back here.”

  “I was looking at him in no such way.”

  “We’ll agree to disagree on that one.” She linked her arm with mine. “Just be happy that Max no longer wants to kill you.” She frowned again. “What’s with girls and crushes on bad boys? Max isn’t really your type.”