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“I guess I am,” she said before she dissolved.
The pathway she entered led to a pathway behind Julius. It was lightning quick, like a bullet shot from a gun. She materialized behind him and thrust her blade towards his heart.
Before the dagger could puncture his flesh, he dissolved and reformed on the opposite side of the fire. “Dannika, you will have to do better if you expect to kill me.”
“A girl’s gotta have a goal.” This time, when she dissolved, she chose a pathway that exited a crushed car, stacked six feet in the air. Directly above Julius’ head. She materialized in midair, dropping on him with her blade in her hand.
He moved as she slammed into his body, but her dagger embedded in his neck. He screamed before launching her across the clearing and into the office wall.
She kept hold of her blade despite the pain radiating in her back as she connected with the aluminum siding. Black blood dripped from her blade as she got to her feet.
Julius advanced on her, but his face was a mask of madness. His intention was clear; she was going to die.
Killian materialized in front of her, holding out his hand. “Enough. Playtime is over.”
Venom dripped from Julius’ fangs. “We don’t need her. We only need her blood.”
“You know nothing,” Killian hissed.
Julius stood up to his father. “The shadow warriors were right about her. She’s an abomination.”
Killian’s alpha warrior emerged, snarling at his son. Julius responded with his own alpha warrior.
Dannika inched away from the men. All the reapers were watching Killian and his son face-off. She crawled quietly to Raine’s cage, then squatted with her eyes on the impending fight.
Julius bumped Killian’s chest with his own. “Your fascination with Dannika has made you weak.”
Killian punched Julius before evading his son’s attack. Julius whipped a blade toward his father’s head with blurring speed. Killian countered every move Julius made before he could make it. It was like watching a ballet where Killian was the producer, where he had written every move.
Dannika kept her eyes on the fight as she worked the lock on Raine’s cage. There was a time in her life when she’d stolen to eat. While she’d put those days behind her, the ability to unlock anything remained.
Black veins marred Raine’s neck, negating his ability to shift to the shadows. The reapers were keeping him dosed with poison. She hoped his wolf was fast enough to get him away from the salvage yard. It was a risk, but she didn’t believe that Killian would let Raine go.
The lock came apart in her hand. As soon as the door opened, Raine reached for her. His eyes glowed intensely before the black veins on his skin disappeared, and his shadow surrounded her, shrouding her before taking over and forcing her into the pathway. They raced along the dark stream at a lightning pace, before she realized his subterfuge.
They were in the pathway longer than she expected. The destination wasn’t the wolf clan caves. When she began to fight Raine’s hold on her, they coalesced in a cavern she didn’t recognize. The cream-colored rock and steam reminded her of a volcanic cave she’d once visited with Jacob and Lori.
She touched the wall, stepping away from Raine. “Where are we?”
Raine beckoned her to follow him. “I intended to bring you closer to the hot spring, but you panicked in the pathway.”
She glanced up at the stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The copper rings, sparkling in the sandy colored rock made them appear to float in midair. “This is an underground hot spring?”
“Yes. The water has healing properties. The Priestess blessed it hundreds of years ago. The water will help leach the remaining venom from my bloodstream. And the protections around the spring will hide you from Killian.”
Dannika followed him through the cavern. The absence of light made it seem like a fantasy world through shadow imbued eyes. The tendrils of steam emanating from the water ahead had a light blue accent.
Raine stopped at the edge of the pool and began taking off his clothes. He waded into the water before turning to her. “Are you planning to join me?”
She glanced around the cave. “This is not on Darren’s map.”
“The alphas and the cartographer have this location, but Darren is forbidden to add it to the clan maps.”
“Maddock may have told Killian about it.”
Raine moved the water with his hand, causing a burst of steam around him. “It wouldn’t matter. No reaper can enter.”
She pursed her lips. “I did.”
