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Raine’s jaw ticked. “I said a novice had tried. Not that they were successful.”
“Way to burst that bubble,” she snapped.
He put his arm around her. “I don’t want to get your hopes up. Let’s go see if he’s still alive.”
CHAPTER28
Dannika entered Colton’s home, thankful when she learned Colton had given Stern her room. Steele sat on the couch, leaning on his knees, his face grave and his eyes hard. She would pay for her actions, but not until she confirmed Stern was safe.
Stern lay on the bed, taking deep breaths as the smell of iron permeated the room.
She turned to Raine and Colton. “Can you give me some time with him, please? I’ll call you if I need anything.”
They nodded and left as she grabbed a simple wooden chair from the corner and sat beside the bed.
“My name is Dannika. Like you, I was once human, but I was attacked by a reaper and transitioned to a shadow shifter.”
Stern struggled to swallow. “A shadow shifter?”
“They can move through the shadows using the shadow pathways, slipstreams that move from one dark stream to another. They also possess a totem animal. Raine is a wolf, and Colton is a cougar.”
Stern’s eyebrow arched. “Skin walkers?”
She studied Stern’s face. His dark skin and black hair accented his athletic frame. “I’ve never heard that term before.”
He took a deep breath, wheezing as he released it. “That’s what my mother’s tribe called shifters. Men that could turn into an animal. I thought them extinct.”
Dannika leaned forward. “The shifters sacrificed themselves to save humanity. They merged with demon souls to fight a demon incursion. Though they won the war, the repercussions were massive. They lost their women, and some men turned reaper. That’s what attacked you.”
Stern’s eyes narrowed on Dannika. “The man that bit me was a reaper. You and the other two are soldiers.”
“Yes.”
He took a ragged breath. “I’m dying.”
His words gutted her. There was no remorse. No regret. Just a simple acceptance of the end of his life.
Stern’s lip twitched into a painful smile. “I thought it would be a bullet. Two tours and too many injuries to mention, and I’m killed by one man in a park.”
“He wasn’t a man. He was a reaper and they possess the strength of three men. You never had a chance.”
His bloodshot eyes met hers. “I’m sorry I attacked the other soldier. Tell him to continue to fight.”
His acceptance was a dagger in her heart. Her guilt smothered her soul, bringing tears to her eyes. It was easy to accept casualties of war when you didn’t meet them. Didn’t know they were good men. She had caused his death. Was she any better than a reaper?
He grunted, clutching his chest. “It burns like lava in the blood. I’ve been shot four times and never experienced pain like this.”
“I know. I was sure I would die. You’ll feel nauseous soon, but you won’t throw up. The surrounding sounds will become more distinct. Louder.”
He glanced around the room as if looking for something she couldn’t see. “You’re right. I can hear animals moving in the forest. The wind whispering to the trees.”
If these were Stern’s last moments on earth, she was determined to make the most of them. She touched his arm. “We saw your dog tags. How long were you in the military?”
He closed his eyes. “I enlisted when I was eighteen.”
“Are you married?”
“No. Just the Corp. My mom passed three weeks ago. They released me a week early to see her before her spirit moved on.” He clamped his teeth together before he hissed.
