“Don’t you say it,” Kalinda warned.
“Magical c—”
“I said no.”
“What? I was just going to say magical conflux.”
She stared at him, really hard.
“But you’re thinking about the other word, aren’t you?”
She wanted to scream as much as she wanted to kiss him.
“All right, all right, jokes are over. It’s time to get back to work,” Silva ordered.
“I can’t think like this. You can’t expect me to focus. We’re coming back tomorrow.”
Things had calmed down since Romano and Dominic had returned from meeting with Arturo. Romano didn’t tell Kalinda much, but she knew they’d at least removed the Viscount Pride as a threat and knew why the bastards had targeted her. She felt much better for that … barely.
It didn’t change the fact they were no closer to finding out how to get her from under the Council’s thumb with the death sentence, what her powers really could be, or figure if she’d turn fangy in a few weeks. Not that she wasn’t afraid of the Trinity—potential death could really cramp a girl’s style! She knew she could decide to save her life by simply joining. Turning into a wolf was still dicey business, one she was still pissed at Romano for, no matter how good his sex was. He may have helped with a temporary stay of execution, but he could have just compounded her issues.
Besides, would she be mage, shifter, or magifter. That’s soooo not cute to make up words, Kalinda.
She snorted, tickled despite the seriousness of it. She didn’t get a chance to laugh much in life, but since being around the Lombardi Pack, she had to admit things were changing. She wouldn’t tell Romano that, of course. His head was big enough as it was—both of them.
“Hey, chick. This isn’t the time to zone off. We’ve still go—”
“Silva!”
Kalinda couldn’t make out what she was seeing. The world slowed, an eerie silence permeating the land, but with that silence came heightened senses. Silva blanched, her face slackening, her mouth wide open, and a ruby pearl of blood slipped between her lips. She took one step, then another before she crumpled to her knees.
Was that a firecracker?
She couldn’t get her mind to work. A loud bang. Romano’s roar, Silva jerking to the side, Zoey’s scream.
Would you shut up for a moment, I’m thinking!
But it didn’t work. Not her normal sense of calm. Not the rapid-fire way Kalinda had become accustomed to dealing with any situation. Nothing.
“Kalinda!”
She blinked, stuck, unable to comprehend. Romano reached for her, even as he pushed Zoey to the ground, attempting to cover his Alpha’s mate even as he gripped Kalinda’s wrist.
No. Silva.
Kalinda ripped from Romano’s grip, power seething, bubbling, burning her insides. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears, each thump echoing within her blood. Silva. Kalinda ignored everything else but her prone friend, lying in a pool of rapidly spreading blood.
The metallic tang of it was sharp in the air, making Kalinda dizzy. Warm, slick fluid covered her hands, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was Silva. She pulled her friend to her chest, struggling against Silva’s heavy weight as she flopped, fighting to keep her head clear.
No. No. Nonononononono! Help me, please.
Kalinda reached inside for the darkness, the fires burning deep inside she knew she wasn’t strong enough to contain. She pulled at them greedily.
“Kalinda, let me see her. I can’t help if you don’t let her go.”
Kalinda whipped her head around, coming face to face with an uncommonly serious Giuliana. “Heal her.”
She didn’t know how her voice sounded so deep, so multiplied, but it raked over the wolf, pushing Giuliana to her knees. Pale and wide-eyed, Giuliana reached for Silva.
