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I turned to meet his green eyes. Fuck, Zan looked so much like him. I wasn’t sure how I could detest him so much while I felt so differently about his son. I’d barely spoken a word to Amaros since we arrived, and I planned to keep it that way. But my curiosity was too much to ignore. “No.”
“This is how we’ll win the next war.”
A chill ripped down my spine, and I took a step back. He allowed me to move but kept a tight grip on my arm. The fact that he was telling me this only further cemented my place here. Amaros was convinced I was never leaving, and I had a feeling he always got what he wanted.
“You had vampires for the last war,” I bit out. “And you didn’t exactly win that one.”
He chuckled, his eyes gleaming dangerously. “They’re not vampires.”
Zan sighed and turned to look at me before he glanced at his father’s hand that was still on my arm. “They’re Shadows, Kali.”
I couldn’t have hidden my shock if I wanted. My gaze swept across the room again, looking at all the faces. They had black blood. Like Zan. And his brothers. Like all the people who disappeared when they turned twenty-five. I squirmed slightly, remembering my birthday was coming soon. What if I was one of them?
I cleared my throat. “Why are they in here?”
“Shadows are different.” Amaros finally released me so he could reach for the woman he’d brought. “Come here, sweetheart.”
His term of endearment sent a shudder through me, and I scrambled out of Amaros’s reach, only to slam into Zan. His hands landed on my hips, and he leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“Stay beside me,” he said, his voice harsh. “Do not go near any of them.”
I knew almost everyone in here had heard his words. I caught the eye of a Shadow, and he smirked, his gaze dropping to my feet before slowly trailing back up. Danger. Rage. This room was saturated with it. Just like with vampires, I would never want to turn my back on any Shadow in this room.
“Zan,” Amaros said impatiently. “Let’s go.”
Keeping his hand on my waist, we moved toward Amaros and the woman. Then the four of us walked farther into the room until we were in an open area near the center. The Shadows surrounded us, making panic jolt through my veins. There were so many of them. And if they were as strong as Zan, then we were severely outnumbered. Zan and his father didn’t look concerned, and I attempted to keep my face cold as I warily watched the Shadows who were creeping closer.
A cry brought my attention back in front of me, and my eyes widened when I saw Amaros sinking his fangs into the woman he’d brought. The small noise she made was her only outward sign that she was in pain. She wasn’t trying to escape or run away. Her eyes were open, and she stared at the ceiling as Amaros drank from her.
Until a Shadow lunged forward.
His curly black hair hung past his ears, and he was maybe only an inch or two taller than me. He looked young—I knew all Shadows turned at twenty-five, but this one still had boyish features. But the lethal look in his eyes contradicted his sweet appearance. His fangs were already in view, and without a look at Amaros, he lowered his head and bit into the other side of the woman’s throat.
Amaros lifted his mouth, blood dripping down his chin. “Stand down. This one is mine.”
The black-haired vampire didn’t listen and continued to feed as if he were starved. The woman was nearly sagging in Amaros’s arms, and my heart swelled with pity. Another human who would die at the hands of vampires.
But I also couldn’t smother my shock. This Shadow was standing up to Amaros Kane. Openly disobeying a direct order. Zan was watching intently while staying at my side.
“Stop,” Amaros demanded, his voice low and full of danger. “Now.”
The Shadow ignored him again, and this time, Amaros grabbed him by the hair and ripped him away. The Shadow’s fangs tore through the woman’s throat, and her blood gushed out. The crowd surrounding us grew thicker, most of the Shadows staring at the pooling crimson puddle on the floor.
The Shadow let out a snarl and then lunged at Amaros. I stood there frozen, unable to tear my eyes away as they fought. I knew that some vampires might challenge the Kanes, but in the time I’d spent in this world, I’d never seen anything like this. Vampires feared the Kanes. Shadows clearly did not.
But as they fought, I could tell that Amaros was only playing with the Shadow. Zan hadn’t been lying about his father’s strength. Shadows were more powerful than the regular vampires. But against Amaros? This one didn’t stand a chance. Amaros expertly dodged all the attacks, and then he went on the offensive. He was so quick that it was hard to follow his moves. One second, they were a couple of feet from each other, and the next, Amaros had his arm around the Shadow’s neck.
A sickening crack filled the air when Amaros snapped his neck. The Shadow slumped to the concrete, falling in the woman’s blood. A broken neck wouldn’t kill him, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take for him to wake up. Amaros fixed his shirt, keeping his eye on the Shadows who were slowly closing in on him.
Zan strode forward until he was standing next to his father. “Do you need a reminder of what happens when you disobey? Stand down.”
The tension crackled in the room as most of the Shadows turned their attention to Zan. But unlike when Amaros spoke, they listened to Zan. Nearly all of them backed up with scowls on their faces. The few stragglers hastily retreated when Zan stepped toward them.
Before I could even process that, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I was so stuck on what was happening that I wasn’t watching my own back. There were at least ten Shadows who were nearly within arm’s reach of me. My breath caught in my chest, and I whirled around, putting Zan at my back instead of the Shadows.
“Human?” one of the female Shadows purred, inching closer to me. She reached for me, and I smacked her arm away.
“Don’t touch me,” I hissed, keeping my voice strong.
