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He led the young reaper from the ring.
Dannika glanced at Ferguson. “Is he all right?”
Julius spun to face her. “Don’t talk to any other member of this clan unless I tell you.”
Dannika lowered her head, though her animal fought the submissive move. “I apologize, Julius.”
Several reapers shuffled closer to Julius. Few stood by Killian. She wasn’t sure if they realized their actions were overt.
Killian’s eyes narrowed on his children. “What is going on? Dannika would never be submissive to you.” He ordered the reapers from the room. Once they went, he motioned to her. “Come here.”
She felt him move within her mind, but his grasp was elusive, like water flowing through his fingers. “No.”
The pain stabbed through her temple, but she stood her ground.
“What have you done?” Killian asked.
She met her father’s eyes, letting him see her hatred. “I took the potion created by the Bokor. It poisoned my blood, and you ingested it when you drank from me. Your strength will falter. I told you the truth. You will weaken and die.”
Killian clamped his teeth together. “Stop it. Give me the antidote.”
“I can’t. There isn’t one, but if it’s any consolation, I will probably die with you.”
Killian’s shoulders slumped as the reality of the situation set in. There was no lie in her voice. His fate was death. His anger seized as he spoke. “Return to your room. I wish to speak with my son.”
Dannika turned to Julius. She left when he nodded.
She returned to the room that held Raine. He was lying on a simple cot stained with blood. His skin rippled with black veins. While he was purging the venom from his system, it would take time before he regained his shadow abilities. She placed her hand on his chest, waking him. “Raine.”
His swollen eyes opened. “Dannika.”
He whispered her name like an oath.
“We have to get you out of here,” she said.
He struggled to swallow the blood in his mouth. “We have a plan, but I need to heal.”
Her shadow connected with his. Love. Lust. Commitment. The emotions blew through her barriers as if made of rice paper. The only lie, the one where he had let her go.
She kissed him because she couldn’t stop herself.
The taste of blood on his lips spurned her desire. She roamed her hands over his chest, seeking comfort from his body. When he groaned in pain, she reigned in the erotic fire.
She took off the necklace with the golden snake head and nimbly removed the vial. “I need you to take this. It will strengthen you. The Bokor made it.”
Raine shook his head. “I went to see him after you left. That potion should cure your blood.”
She held up the vial. “We share it. That’s non-negotiable.”
She drank half the liquid, then poured the rest down his throat before he could change his mind. While she didn’t feel any differences, Raine’s body welled up with black liquid. The venom pooled on his skin, then ran down like beads of black sweat. His veins receded into his skin, leaving it healthy before his wounds healed.
He pushed himself to a seated position. “We need to get out of here.”
Dannika shook her head. “They will know you’re gone.”
Raine’s eyes glowed an iridescent blue before his doppelgänger sat beside him. Unlike his true form, the mirror image retained the battered flesh and black veins. “I’ve got it covered.”
Dannika stepped back. “How did you do that? That wasn’t your power.”
