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Raine’s eyes flickered with blue fire. “A reaper blade. How did you know to grab the dagger? I never told you about the reaper weapons.”
Dannika glanced at the door with a confused look. “I can’t explain it. I could feel it. Even when you put it away, I could feel the pull. I was too… distracted to ask you about it.”
He grabbed a cloth from the shelf, wiping the blade. “I was as well.”
They dashed toward the door as growls echoed in the hallway.
CHAPTER34
Growls and shouts echoed down the tunnel as Raine and Dannika exited the room. They paused at the body of a fallen clan member. His skin was riddled with veins of black and his blood dripped from his torn esophagus.
Dannika touched the man’s skin. “What causes that? It looks like an infection.”
Raine laid his hand over the man’s eyes, closing them. “Reaper bite. It infects our blood. We can purge the tainted venom from our system, but it takes some time. They killed Lorne before he could rid himself of the reaper venom.”
Dannika glanced at Lorne. “Did you know him well? Was he a friend?”
Raine stood, glancing down the tunnel. “We are of the same clan. That makes him family. Lorne was young by our standards, and not a clan warrior. He was an apprentice to our weapons master. A specialist. His death is unfortunate.”
Dannika stood. “Every death is unfortunate.”
Raine met her angry gaze. “Yes, but few shadows can forge reaper blades. Our weapons master is old. He held on to train his replacement.”
Dannika put her hand on Raine’s arm when he took a step down the tunnel. “Wait. Something feels off here.”
Raine’s jaw ticked. “It is. The reapers have never attacked us in the caves. We are at our strongest here. They have no chance of winning a war in our home territory.”
“Exactly. So, what’s changed? Why attack us now?”
His face softened. “It’s you, Dannika. You are what’s changed. The reaper that attacked you wasn’t trying to kill you.”
She nodded. “I know, but he seemed more like a scout. When that call went out, he left immediately. I don’t think I’m the only one they are looking for.”
Raine looked down at Lorne’s fallen form. “They’re going after the vulnerable.”
“I have noticed nothing vulnerable about a shadow shifter,” she said.
“I mean the specialists. The blacksmith, the cartographer, the weapons master, basically the shadow shifters that possess rare gifts. While we train them for defensive purposes, they never leave the caves. They are too valuable.”
Dannika’s eyes widened. “Darren! Where is his room?”
Raine darted down the tunnel in the opposite direction of the fighting. Dannika ran after him as he took the adjacent hallway. Another body lay on the floor, on his stomach.
Dannika put her hand to her mouth.
Raine flipped the man over, but it wasn’t Darren. “This is one of Steele’s clan members.”
Dannika looked at the black veins. “Reaper bite.” She moved the collar of his shirt, revealing three bite marks. “Make that several reaper bites.”
Raine stood. “Mark was a warrior. If he went down, then the entire reaper clan is here. They have declared war on all of us.”
Dannika rubbed her chest. “And Darren?”
Raine went to the door beside Mark’s fallen body. It was open, and no one was inside. “Darren?”
Dannika joined him, looking around the sparse room. There was a single computer table with a laptop and several maps on the wall. “He isn’t here. Do you think they took him?”
Raine’s eyes turn black before the blue returned. “Darren, it’s safe to come out now.”
