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CHAPTER15
The rustling of the leaves and branches above them did nothing to drown out the hammering of her heart. Moonlight filtered through the trees, flickering the light like fireflies in the night. It should’ve been beautiful, calming, but Maverick’s accusing stare removed any sense of welcome.
Dannika shook her head. “I would never abduct a child, and I certainly wouldn’t hand them over to the reapers.”
Maverick’s eyes flickered. “And yet you did. I have seen it.”
She held up both hands. “There has to be some mistake. I know you’re not lying, but surely you can hear the truth of my voice.”
How would this happen? There was a reaper that could impersonate people? But, how did he enter the sanctuary? There were so many questions, and she had no answers.
She shivered when Raine put his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll get this figured out. I know you didn’t do this, at least not intentionally.”
Dannika backed away, forcing his arm to fall away. “Are you suggesting I would do this unintentionally?”
Raine’s lips pursed. “We don’t know the ramifications of your connection to Killian.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your blood tie with your father may give him a stronger hold on you than I first anticipated.”
Doubt was a bitter enemy. Had Killian been able to use her blood to enter the sanctuary? Was she responsible for Sammy’s abduction?
“Do you know where Sammy is? Did someone hurt him?”
Maverick huffed. “As if you care. If you were concerned about his safety, you wouldn’t have handed him over to the reapers.”
Her eyes narrowed on Maverick. “Have you seen Sammy?”
“Yes. He is in a cage at the salvage yard. If you don’t believe me, return to your reaper clan and check.”
Maverick wasn’t lying, and that scared her more than anything. “Could Killian use my blood to enter the sanctuary?”
Raine cleared his throat. “No, Dannika. No reaper can enter the safe haven.”
“I don’t understand. I didn’t abduct Sammy.”
Raine looked at her for an eternity. Leaves rustled as an owl hooted in the background, and she felt Raine’s shadow disconnect from hers. The darkness surrounded her soul like a blanket of ice.
“Killian is powerful,” Raine said. “He may have used his connection to control you.”
“I would know if he did something to me. He’s my father, I can’t change that, or that we share the same blood.” All the time she’d wished she had known her parents seemed like a mockery. She would give anything to revoke those wishes.
She struggled with the guilt of all the people Killian had murdered to ensure she felt alone. Now, when she believed she’d found a family, one that accepted her for her differences, Killian was taking that too.
Raine ran his hand through his hair, his frustration evident from the wisps of black smoke that escaped from his skin. “Not necessarily. You took his blood, Dannika. You strengthened the blood tie and ingested reaper venom.”
Fallon sucked in a breath. “She took his blood?”
Raine nodded. “She did it to save me, but it doesn’t alter the repercussions.”
Fallon nodded. “She is his daughter. Killian probably wanted her so he could control her. With the venom in her system, she doesn’t need to be willing. She isn’t required to be awake. He can control her mind.”
Raine’s face scrunched. “This is worse than death.”
Dannika stepped away from the men. “What are you talking about? How could Killian control me without my knowledge? Has this happened before?”
Fallon glanced back toward the caves. “Years ago, we had an altercation with the previous reaper leader. Lazelle attacked and killed a group of men drinking at the lake before we intercepted him. Lazelle bit one of the younger wolves, but he recovered from the bite. He seemed fine for the next week, but someone murdered three wolves in the following month. All within the caves.”
