Her nose wrinkled as she brushed down her immaculate ivory suit. “You’re so young, yet already so cynical. Can’t you see that everything we’ve ever done has been for your own good? You were so young when you inherited Brimstone—”
“I was young because you killed my parents.”
“Semantics.” She waved her hand as if the truth was an annoying gnat. “You hold such a gift in your veins—not just the Ashfall blood that we’re forced to rely on for the reactors—but also the unnatural power you’ve just used to destroy your own building. Instead of fighting against us, why don’t you—”
“Move,” I hissed, cutting her off. “Move and I’ll kill you quickly. I promise I won’t torture you like you did all those R gene carriers.”
“But that’s the thing.” She crossed her arms, sniffing with her nose high in the air. “Theyweren’tRequiem carriers because the only one who’s ever been able to survive to adulthood with the full potency in their blood isyou.” Her lips stretched into a smile as she looked at Rook. “Until now, of course.”
“Careful.” I bared my teeth. “I was going to be generous and just stop your heart but now I want to shatter every bone in your body.”
I raised a hand. Fire sparked in my palm.
One of the men—a middle-aged guy who looked like he’d spent way too much time in the sun—shot forward. “Wait. All of you.”
The fire grew into a bigger orb in my hand.
He swallowed hard as he placed himself in the line of fire. “Stop with the verbal volleyball match.” Glowering at me and Rook as if we were bugs on the bottom of his shoe, he added, “You two have caused quite a mess. First the labs and now the reactors. I was dragged out of bed to deal with you and I’m tired.” He rolled his eyes. “However, all can be forgiven if you agree to come with us for testing. This is your company, Mr. Ashfall. Our profits and losses areyourprofit and losses. If you agree to work with us, then...we won’t restrain or lock you up. How about that? You’ll be free to come and go as you please, as long as you—”
“No.” I smirked.
His smarmy attitude vanished with a snarl. “Do you honestlythink you can refuse?” He arched bushy eyebrows at the well-armed guards. “They’ll shoot you in a second if you try to use your little fire trick.”
The woman scowled and took control again. “If you refuse to come with us offsite, then we can go upstairs to my office. We’ll just take a little of your blood and restart the reactors.”
“You won’t be needing my blood for that anymore.”
“I’m aware you just destroyed the ones here, but there are hundreds of others around the world.”
“And if you think I’d ever give you more, you’re fucking delusional.”
She kept digging her grave. “Fine. Is this about Cinderkeep? You don’t have to return in order to help us, you know. Marcus Ward is no longer in charge and—”
“I know he’s no longer in charge because I tore him into pieces.” I shrugged, cutting her off. “To be honest, his death wasn’t nearly as satisfying as I hoped because it was over so fast but you...” I stepped forward, dragging Rook with me. “You won’t have it so easy.”
“Alright, alright.” The second man with a long shaggy beard inched forward. “What about if we agree to shut down the testing facility? What if we focus entirely on the energy side of the business and forget about what you are.”
“It’s too late for that.”
“Nothing is too late if you’re happy to negotiate.”
“Negotiate.” I couldn’t stop a cold laugh escaping. “You think you’re in a position tonegotiate?”
Rook trembled as she picked up on all the memories I did my best never to think about. All those moments where I’d been strapped onto cold metal tables as a child. How they’d drained me of so much blood, I’d pass out for days. How they’d drilled needles into my bones—not content just to take my blood but scraping out what they wanted from my very marrow. How they’d kept me in agony for twenty fuckingyearswith the vitalsync core. How I’d screamed myself hoarse when they’d kept me isolated, breaking my mind so they could break my body.
Without Whisper, I would be a stark-raving lunatic by now. A psychopathic monster who turned his back on everything because they’d turned their back on him.
Pushing Rook away from me, I dropped my hold over the fire—
Ithowled.
I staggered backward as it hurled out of me with a thunderclap, hurling flames across the marble, smacking against the tiled walls, and swallowing up the grand staircase. The colossal chandelier swung as it was engulfed by monstrous flames.
Even I was shocked at the viciousness.
At the utter carnage as flames barrelled toward the three board members.
It didn’t burn them quickly, it punished them—listening to my dissatisfaction at how quickly Marcus had died and ensuring these three paid the price.
