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Jacob and Zian just look peeved.
Andreas reaches across the bed to rub my back reassuringly. “I don’t think it does us any good to speculate about things that haven’t even started to happen. We’ve had stronger powers than the kids for our whole lives, and even when we were pushed to our limits, we didn’t lash out like they are now.”
Zian speaks up carefully. “Balthazar must have added to whatever Engel was doing, right? I mean, if she could have turned grown-ups into shadowbloods rather than having to raise us the whole way from when we were babies, it’d have been a lot faster.”
I sigh and let myself lean into Andreas’s touch. “I don’t know.Wecan’t really know for sure. But we can’t let the other shadowbloods keep going like this. And talking to them hasn’t gotten us anywhere so far.”
Griffin tips his head to the side, studying me. “You’re not really thinking that we should kill all of them after all.”
I grimace and shake my head. “I don’t like the idea of killinganyof them, especially after what you said about that one guy and what you felt from him. Is it fair for us to decide that all of the adults Balthazar changed must be evil just because they were criminals? That’s exactly the same way so many people would look atusbecause of our powers! We’ve done criminal things too. No matter how it happened, we’re all blood.”
“We can’t keep trying to reason with them,” Jacob puts in. “They’ll just take off, no matter what we do.”
“I know.”
A sound like a cleared throat carries through the room. As I startle, Rollick appears by the door, the shadowkind version of stepping inside.
From his solemn expression and his opening words, I suspect he didn’t just arrive. He sweeps his gaze across all of us, his hands slung in his pockets but his posture tense. “You definitely need to come up with a solid new plan soon.”
My stomach clenches. “Are the shadowkind complaining again?” Or worse, outright abandoning ship? I don’t know how we’re going to stop the shadowbloods who’ve gone rogue, but I’m sure we can’t do it just the six of us on our own.
The demon sighs. “No more than usual. They understand that last night went wrong due to circumstances beyond your control. But with each additional assault from that pack of shadowbloods, you’re risking an even bigger problem on your hands.”
A chill washes over my skin. “What do you mean?”
The corners of Rollick’s mouth tighten. “I was hoping we didn’t have to worry about this. They’ve been quiet and detached from events in the mortal realm for years since a rather uncomfortable incident they’d prefer everyone forgets.”
“Who’s ‘they’?” Jacob demands.
“I’m getting to that.” Rollick brushes his hands together as if he wishes he could wash himself clean of the issue that easily. “Among the shadowkind, there are a few particularly ancient and powerful beings we call the Highest. No one can remember them coming into existence—they were around before any of us. They never leave the shadow realm, but they do try to control what happens on both sides of the rifts, mostly with an eye to making sure they won’t be disturbed.”
Dominic’s forehead has furrowed. “What does that have to do with us and the other shadowbloods?”
“Well, the Highest are even less fond of hybrids than any shadowkind you’ve met before. They spent a few decades trying to track down Sorsha and exterminate her before she managed to convince them that she was a greater help against potential threats than one herself. And they don’t like any disruptions in the mortal realm that could draw attention to our existence.”
My heart sinks. “Crap. That ship has already sailed.”
Rollick gives a curt nod. “It seems word has finally reached them that something has gone amiss over here. I had one of their errand beings approach me earlier this morning wanting to know if I had any information about the current turmoil.”
Zian turns a bit green. “What did you tell them?”
The demon shrugs. “That it appeared to be a bunch of mortals playing at being monsters, and I was working on dealing with it. But I’m not sure if that lie will cut it for very long.”
I swallow thickly. “And what happens if the Highest decide to intervene?”
Rollick meets my eyes with an apology in his gaze. “Extermination is their usual go-to strategy.”
A groan of frustration escapes me. I rub my temples as if I can jostle a useful thought out of the turmoil that’s going on in my own head.
After a moment, I glance up at Rollick again. “How do you handle it? There are destructive shadowkind, and ones who act out for good reason. You don’t like seeing your own kind destroyed, do you?”
He makes an awkward gesture, and I can’t help remembering that I’ve seen him threaten and maim beings who betrayed him before. For all I know, he kills other shadowkind on a regular basis.
But even if he does, from what I’ve seen of the demon, I don’t think he’s happy about it.
“I have to be firm,” he says finally. “I can’t maintain authority if the beings who deal with me don’t believe there’ll be consequences for stepping out of line. But I do try to adjust those consequences depending on the circumstances and motivations of those involved. I understand why you want to simply rein your fellow shadowbloods in rather than outright murdering them.”
Something about those words,rein them in, sparks the inspiration I was searching for. I sit up a little straighter. “That’s it.”
