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“To use mythic magic—true light magic—the power must be freely given,” Aziel explains. “Dark magic is acquired by taking it, while light magic is the opposite. That’s why he needs us all alive.”
Okay, the light versus dark thing makes sense. But how the hell does Henry expect to get Aziel, Kat, and Sapphire all to agree to help me? Why would they?
“Gorgeous?” The sorcerer tries again. “Will you let me help Nora?”
“Nora,” Nick moans, then coughs. It’s a wet sound, and I fear he’s coughing up blood.
“Nick! Please, Henry, you have to help him.”
“Nora,” Nick moans again.
“I believe that is his answer,” Henry tells the sorcerer. “He wants to help her. Take his blood.”
The sorcerer plunges a needle into Nick’s arm.
“No!” I scream. “He’s too weak! You could kill him!”
“I honestly don’t care if I do,” Henry says. “One less man of yours to worry about. I just need his cooperation first, and then I’ll put him out of his misery.”
I lose it. I let out a scream and call on my siren again. It’s all I can do. She’s ready and waiting to take control. As soon as I let her, she invades my every thought. I begin pacing in my cage and hissing at all the vampires. They all watch me with curiosity. I’ve never felt more blinded by rage. If I could just get my hands on Henry, I could kill him. I grab the bars again and shake them with a strength I didn’t know I had. The iron burns my flesh, but I don’t let go. I’m too lost in myself to feel the pain.
“Nora!” Henry dashes over to me and grips my face through the bars. “Let go,” he orders.
I let go of the bars, obeying the compulsion. Henry opens the cage door and quickly takes my hands in his. He hisses at the scalded, blistering and bloody mess of my hands. The idiot forgot one thing. Compulsion is only as strong as the command given. He told me to let go of the cage, but he didn’t tell me not to attack him. I snatch my hands out of his and take a swipe at his face with my claws.
I don’t even realize that I have claws until I leave four angry, bloody gashes across the side of Henry’s face. We both freeze, shocked. I look down at my hands. My skin is the shimmery pearlescent of my siren, and tiny teal scales run up my arms to just below my elbows like armored gloves. My fingers are tipped with inch-long nails that are razor sharp. It seems I’ve shifted into some kind of in-between state the way Nick does.
Henry stares at me with awe. “Only the most powerful shifters are able to manage a partial shift.” A familiar greedy hunger fills Henry’s eyes. “Truly you are a marvelous creature, love. I can’t wait to see all that you’re capable of.”
“You can’t use me for my power, you sick bastard! I’m not a toy!”
I lunge again with my claws, but Henry, using his vampire speed and strength, grabs my wrists and holds me in place. His eyes glow red, and his fangs descend. “You will never try to harm me again,” he says. The compulsion weighs down on me. “You will always do as I ask. You are my mate.” He steps closer, until our chests touch and our breaths mingle. “You love me, Nora,” he whispers.
