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The question hits me like a gut punch. I take a second to gather my thoughts before answering.
“The teachers here have been testing your reactions when you’re emotional, right? And that’s been fine.”
She nods.
“And your temper has evened out a lot since you took the antidote that Rollick’s people made. You haven’t noticed any side effects since then, have you?”
A few months ago, the scientifically-inclined shadowkind that the demon brought on to study Balthazar’s and Engel’s notes finally came up with a treatment for the shadowbloods Balthazar pumped up. From what we’ve seen, it’s taken the edge off their aggressive tendencies.
And after that victory, we wiped every shred of the Guardianship’s research on creating shadowbloods out of existence.
Nadia rubs her mouth. “Nothing except that my powers are a little duller than before. Actually I’m not totally sure Icouldhurt anyone with them. My light hasn’t gotten bright enough to burn in a while.”
That was the other consequence of our “antidote”—one the shadowbloods all accepted when they agreed to take it. All of them still have more power than they did before Balthazar’s intervention.
I watch Nadia’s expression carefully. “Does it bother you that your talent has gotten weaker?”
She pauses to really think about it. “No. I wouldn’twantto burn people. And if I needed to protect myself, temporarily blinding them works just fine.”
Her wry grin with that observation tells me she really is okay.
I grasp her shoulder again. “I think you should give it a try. See what could happen with this guy. That’s the whole reason we’re here and learning everything we can, right? To find out what our lives can be.”
The tension fades from Nadia’s stance. She leans into my comforting hand for a moment. “Yeah. You’re right. I bet it could be really good.”
“You know what else could be good?” I glance around the courtyard and lift my voice. “Who wants to go clubbing tonight?”
Heads whip around, and a cheer goes up from the older teens. Way back when we first took them under our wing, I told them we’d try for at least a home dance party, and since they’ve gotten more stable, we’ve headed to Santa Fe for a proper night out on a few past visits.
It isn’t only the shadowbloods who enjoy the dance club. When we arrive in Santa Fe late that evening after dinner and a long drive, several of the shadowkind spill out of the darkness in the cars to join us—as well as Toni, by Pearl’s side. One being with a talent for illusions makes sure the bouncers see us all as being of age, though we monitor the teens carefully to make sure they aren’t ingesting anything risky.
The music sweeps around me, and I give myself over to the beat. These days, I don’t need a drink to gather the courage to dance among company.
My guys form a circle around me, acting as a shield from unwanted interest from other parties. Jacob shoots a glare at one man with a leering glint in his eyes who tries to push his way over to me, but the dude gets the hint fast enough to avoid broken bones.
I whirl between them, swaying with Griffin, dipping with Andreas, letting Zian spin me around. Sweat forms beneath my shirt, and my breath gets short with the exertion, but I couldn’t feel more alive.
When we pause to take a quick break and grab some water, I survey the younger shadowbloods and our ‘monstrous’ allies enjoying themselves throughout the crowd. Smiles flash, and laughter peals through the air. Hair swishes while feet tap with the rhythm.
This is our family. Our blood. And we’re finally truly free. What we’re doing here doesn’t just have the feeling of a party—it’s outright rejoicing.
We’ve built something together in the past year. Something that’s by us and for us, exactly the way it should be.
* * *
At the end of the week, the six of us Firsts clamber back onto the jet. As soon as it’s in the air, I pull out the book on sound engineering that one of the shadowkind found for me.
Maybe it’d be interesting to get in on the behind-the-scenes part of musical experiences. Or maybe not. Either way, I’m going to find out.
As the whir of the engine carries softly through the cabin, Andreas, Griffin, and Zian launch into a series of card games. Jacob brings up a TV episode on his phone. And Dominic is gazing intently at his tablet, with the periodic flick of the screen that tells me he’s reading.
Abruptly, he bursts into laughter.
All our heads jerk around. It’s pretty rare for Dom to have such a strong reaction.
I reach across the aisle to prod his arm. “What’s so funny?”
“Oh, this book.” He chuckles a little more and then grins at me. “I think the heroine is going to end up like you, with more men than she knows what to do with.”
