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She struggled, knowing that her reaper mate was not the monster she imagined him to be. “I appreciate your honesty. Do you know anything about my sister? I don’t think Killian was lying, but I trust him like a snake oil salesman.”
Zade frowned. “Sister? You don’t have a sister. You have a brother.”
CHAPTER11
Dannika closed her eyes. Despite being in the tiny trailer, the smell of grease and metal permeated the air. “Julius.”
Zade nodded. “I thought you knew.”
“I just found out. I’m not used to the idea, and I’m not proud of it. We knew Steele has several descendants, and that Killian is going after them. Even before Killian told me, I noticed the similarities in Julius’ bone structure, but originally thought he was one of Steele’s great-grandchildren. That Killian turned him. Stupid, because Steele told us Killian had a son, and that he turned reaper before he was fourteen. Finding out Killian was my father and everything that happened after... It’s been a lot. I know he’s my brother, but that’s another familiar tie I wish I could break.”
Zade glanced away nervously. “Did Killian tell you Julius’ story?”
Dannika turned the glass of water in her hand. Despite it being an action she had done hundred times in her human life, it no longer gave her that sense of normalcy. She was clinging to a life that no longer existed. It was only here, holding a glass of water she couldn’t drink, did she understand. Raine had been giving her time to acclimatize the shadow clan life. It was a commodity she no longer possessed.
“No. He just said Julius was a lieutenant in his army. That Julius had trouble acclimatizing to reaper life.”
“That’s an understatement. Granted, I was new to the clan. Killian had taken over two months before he attacked me. Julius was still refusing to drink human blood.”
She blinked rapidly. “Two months? Did Killian give him animal blood?”
Zade took a deep breath. “I wish. Julius was wasting away. Rotting in a cell. His bone structure was slight to begin with, and his skin hung off him like swags of cloth. It was horrible, but the reapers realized if Killian was willing to do that to his own son, what he’d do to them was worse. Julius went mad with hunger. He fed, but I don’t think his mind ever truly recovered. There were many reapers strong enough to take Killian in battle, but none tried. He is ruthless and his gift makes him almost untouchable.”
“Makes sense. The most powerful reaper would be the leader.”
Zade glanced out the window. “I don’t think Killian is the most powerful reaper. Most of us believe Ferguson could overthrow Killian. He has multiple abilities—I doubt we know all of them—but he has no desire for power.”
“I thought all reapers desired power?”
“Hardly. Ferguson hunts human predators. He’s the one who leads those of us forced to turn. Many would follow him if he challenged Killian.”
She replayed her meeting with Ferguson. “He won’t. Killian wasn’t threatened by him. If Ferguson planned to challenge him, then Killian would know.”
“You’re very intelligent, and you’re right. It’s a conclusion most of us have come to.”
Dannika stood up, grabbing the glass of water. She poured it into the sink, then took the tea towel that hung from the stove handle. She dried the glass and put it back in the cupboard. “Killian told nobody about my sister?”
Zade shook his head. “He was here before me, but reapers talk. I heard nothing about a sister.”
She sat back down at the table. “Did Killian mention anything about my mother? He told me the story, but something seems off. He didn’t lie, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Killian will not show weakness to the clan. He told us he stayed with your mother so he could have multiple children. He believed he could hide his family from the reapers. I can’t confirm whether it was because your mother was a priestess or Killian was confident in his power. I believe Killian needs to have others envy him. I’m guessing this was the same when he went by the name Reid.”
She huffed. “The quest for self-importance isn’t confined to the reaper clan.”
“Our shadow abilities enhance traits we possessed as humans.”
“Like my father’s psychic ability. It turned into foreshadowing,” she said.
“Yes. When I was human, I ran the trucking company with my brother, but I was also a painter. Landscapes, mostly. My shadow ability is mirage. Though I’m young in reaper terms, I can alter the perception of the world around us. I can’t force this ability on a shadow warrior, but it’s effective in the human world. My secondary ability is fire, though it’s in its infancy.”
“I saw the fire. The power of mirage sounds promising. Do you make maps?”
Zade laughed. “Killian is hoping my abilities evolve. He is hopeful I will gain that ability, but currently it doesn’t exist.”
Raine’s growl echoed through the trailer.
Dannika and Zade dashed out the door and back to the clearing in front of the office.
