Shadow Realms

by Kelly Carrero

  Pulling the neck of my shirt down, I rechecked the spot where the arrow had entered, amazed at how all physical proof of what had happened twenty-four hours ago was gone.

  If it weren’t for me transitioning into a fledgling, I would’ve been in the hospital or dead.

  The thought of my death chilled me to my core. Not because I was coming to grips with my mortality. It was because if I died, so would Mason.

  “Are you okay in there?” Kade asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

  Stealing my gaze away from the mirror, I turned off the faucet and headed back into the bedroom, where I found Kade standing by the window, staring outside.

  “Sorry. I needed a minute to myself,” I said, joining him.

  “Understandably,” he replied. “You’ve gone through a lot, and it’s only natural to need time to adjust.”

  I leaned against the wall and looked outside at the pristine gated grounds. From what I could see, this place was a fortress. How I never knew about this place peaked my curiosity, but there were more pressing matters to discuss. “That’s the problem. We don’t have time. And everyone here seems to be obsessed with me instead of focusing on rescuing Mason.”

  “I’m sure Finn told you Mason would be fine for a while. They won’t do anything to him until it’s time.”

  I nodded. “He has, but I’m kinda impatient at best.”

  Kade chuckled. “I’ve already worked that one out.”

  Hating that he seemed to know so much about me while I knew very little about him, I said, “So, tell me about yourself. What made you become a hunter?”

  When he didn’t answer immediately, I looked up into his ice-blue eyes and caught a glimpse of raw emotion before it was gone, once again replaced by his carefree facade. “There’s not much to tell. I kinda fell in with these guys, who’ve become my family.”

  “That’s a lie.”

  He arched a brow. “Forthright and pessimistic.”

  “Just two more things you know about me, yet you won’t tell me one truth about you.”

  “Some truths are better forgotten.”

  “Great. You’re allowed a clean slate, yet I’m being damned by some guy who doesn’t even know me.”

  A smile broke across his face, burying the turmoil that had briefly surfaced. “That’s because none of us has crossed to the other side and come back.”

  I groaned. “How many times do I have to say I never became a vampire. I never drank from the sacrifice. Licked maybe, but not drank, feasted, drained, or whatever you want to pretend I did. If I had, I would’ve killed you instead of you fighting your way on top of me.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “Firstly, I did not fight my way to get on top of you. And secondly, I could’ve killed you even if you had turned. Why do you think the vampires ran?”

  Tilting my head to the side, I studied his face, looking for any signs of fabrication in his words. “You’re telling the truth.”

  “Of course, I’m telling the truth. People believe vampires are untouchable, but they can be killed by someone who knows what they’re doing.”

  “Please,” I said with humor in my tone. “If that were true, you would’ve killed me within seconds.”

  “I hesitated, which I never do.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s the difference between life and death.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I mean why did you hesitate with me?”

  “I knew what you meant. I just wanted to see that eye roll of yours.”

  I glared at him, trying to work out if he was flirting with me or taking on the brotherly role I really didn’t want him to. “Not funny.”

  He turned his back to the window and sat on the small ledge. “I had a feeling I knew who you were, but I couldn’t be sure until I got that hair of yours away from your face.”

  “And throwing me against a wall by the arrow stuck through my shoulder was the best way to go about the whole hair issues, was it?”

  “Yeah, sorry about that.” Kade rubbed the back of his neck. “But at least it was me who got to you first, because I can guarantee that if it were Max, you’d be dead even if he saw your face.”

  A shudder erupted over my skin. “What’s his deal? I mean, why does he have a problem with me if I’ve completed the period of isolation?”

  “We’ve all got demons. Some worse than others.”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  He stood. “Time for your meet and greet.”

  I frowned, and a tap sounded at the door before it swung open.

  9

  For a second, I thought Max was about to bust down the door and Kade was expecting me to scurry through the window and hide like the chicken shit I so wasn’t. But the moment I saw Finn standing in the doorway, I was strangely relieved.

  Confrontation was my thing, yet I was relieved.

  Not having time to assess my strange behavior, Finn strode into the room, an air of arrogance following him. “Max has agreed to give you the benefit of the doubt—for now.”

  I thought that was a good thing, but the look on his face told me otherwise. “Then why are you still worried? I’m clearly not a vampire. Do you see any bites on Kade’s neck?”

  “Kali,” Finn said in that condescending way of his. “No one is refuting you being a vampire or not.”

  I placed my hands on my hips, trying to hide the frustration boiling inside of me with the fact that Finn was still treating me like a child. “Then what’s the problem?”

  He breathed out harshly and glanced at Kade before returning his uneasy gaze to me. “The problem is now we’ve brought an unstable person amongst us. They don’t trust you. You drank someone’s blood. And you were all too happy to do it again to complete the transformation. If we had waited a couple more seconds, you would have turned. And I would’ve had the responsibility of killing my own sister.” Finn scowled at me. “Do you know the position you’ve put me in? Do you even care?”

  Anger rolled off me in waves. “Do I care? Truthfully? No.”

  “See. That’s what I mean.” He waved his arm at me in frustration.

  I took a step closer to him. “I would do it again if it meant I could save Mason. Because unlike you, I will do whatever it takes to save those I care about.”

  He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes at me. “You have no idea what I’ve done and will do.”

  “And that would be your fault because you left. You left!” I repeated for emphasis. “And now you have no right coming back into my life and trying to go back to the way things were—not that they were any good back then. You’re a self-righteous know-it-all, expecting everyone to bow to your ways, just like you were when you were still around.”

  I took another step closer. “Well, I’ve got news for you, buddy.” I poked my finger against his chest. “I am not the same girl you left, and you can’t boss me around like you tried to then.”

  “Oh no?” He took a step closer to me, trying to force me back, but I refused to move. I had no plans on backing down.

  Kade forced his hand between us and pushed Finn back. “Neither of you wants to do this.”

  Shoving Kade’s hand to the side, I said, “I kinda think we do.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about,” Finn said. “Impulsive. Self-centered. You’re a live wire.”

  “And I’m guessing you are blameless in the way I turned out. Because if you remember, before you left, I was the star on the track team, my grades were good, and I was popular. Then you left, and everyone judged me for the rumours of what you became.”

  “We all have shit we have to deal with, but you can’t blame that on me. You could’ve ignored it all and continued to be the person you were. This one is on you.”

  “Continue to be the person I was?” I barked out a laugh. “Are you insane?” I shook my head in frustration. “You have no idea the repercussions I had to deal with because of what you did.”

  “Mason didn’t seem to h
ave a problem.”

  “That’s because he’s a guy! They worshipped the ground he walked on. Me? I’ve been dealing with your decision for years.”

  A vein bulged on his forehead as he held my gaze, anger swirling in his eyes. I clearly pissed the shit out of him, and I wasn’t one little bit sorry. Every action had a reaction, and this was his. It was all on him.

  Okay, so maybe I didn’t have to turn to drugs. And maybe it wasn’t his fault that my grades had slipped. But I sure as hell wasn’t telling him that because the torment I received in the halls on a daily basis was his fault.

  Sure, I still had friends, but I’d never felt as lonely as I did since the day he left. He changed my whole view of the world.

  Kade grabbed Finn’s shoulder and gently pulled him back. “Come on. She’s angry and confused. Give her time.”

  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to punch him or kiss him for trying to defuse the situation.

  Finn took a step back, letting Kade have this one. “You need to get a grip on yourself if you want to stay here with us.” He turned his back to me and stormed out of the room.

  I took a deep breath and released it, slightly embarrassed Kade had been witness to our argument. “Well, that was fun.”

  “You should give him a break,” he replied. “Finn has been tormented by his decision since he came to us. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t wish he could at least call you.”

  “If that were true, why is he acting like such a jerk?”

  “This coming from the girl who attacked a human to find her brother.”

  “See. Polar opposites. I would do anything to protect someone I love.”

  “So would Finn. Just in a different way. He left to protect you and Mason.”

  “Yeah, well we all know how that worked out,” I said sarcastically. “Mason’s gone, and as you said, I tried to become a bloodsucker.”

  “Neither of those are on him.”

  I glared at him and stormed out of the room, having absolutely no idea where I was going. Anywhere was better than being on the receiving end of a lecture from someone I’d known for five minutes.

  Heading down the hallway, I heard footsteps quickly approaching from behind me. I didn’t want to receive another lecture, so I picked up my pace, but unless I ran, which I wasn’t doing, Kade catching up to me was inevitable.

  Standing my ground, I spun around to face him, prepared to give him an earful, but it wasn’t Kade. “Holy shit.”

  Before me stood a man a good foot or so taller, arms crossed over his muscular frame, dark hair, green eyes, chiselled jaw, and… thick, ugly scars covering the left side of his neck all the way from his jaw, disappearing below his shirt. Max.

  He uncrossed his arms and placed his giant hands on the walls on either side of him as he slowly twisted a hunting knife in one hand, large enough to gut me with one swipe. “So, this is the girl we broke the rules for.”

  10

  The guy’s creepy gaze swept over me, sending a chill up my spine and hurtling my senses into hyperdrive.

  I glanced over my shoulder to assess a way out if the situation went from bad to worse, but I was blocked in by another guy, double my size, behind me.

  I couldn’t let him see my fear. I had to force myself to remain strong and know that whoever these people were, they were probably just trying to scare me.

  With a smirk on my face, I looked up at the knife-wielding guy in front of me. “You’re Max, the one I’m supposed to be afraid of.” I made a point of looking him up and down in the same way he’d done to me. “Not sure why, though.”

  His hand wrapped around my throat so quickly I’d barely seen him move. He shoved me against the wall, pressing the blade against the soft skin of my neck.

  “Touch her and I’ll kill you.” Kade’s commanding voice filled the hall.

  Max laughed. “I’m pretty sure I’m already touching her.”

  Kade strode forward. “I’m not going to give you a second warning.”

  “You just did.” Max leaned his face closer to mine. “There’s no coming back from what you’ve done.”

  “Kali made a mistake, and luckily it was only one,” Kade said, moving closer to us. “She wouldn’t be standing here if she’d drunk from the second and became one of them.”

  “Some mistakes are unforgivable. And that is one.” Max pressed the knife harder against my neck before releasing me. “I’ll be watching you.” He pointed the knife at me then walked away, not bothering to look back.

  I stood frozen against the wall, too afraid to move and sickened by what I’d done to get here. I had done the exact same thing to another woman, and now…

  I couldn’t let myself think that. I had to remind myself everything I’d done was for love—and guilt.

  Kade’s hand closed over my jaw, maneuvering me left and right as he assessed my neck.

  Pushing his hand away, I said, “I’m fine.”

  He dropped his arm to his side and sighed. “You don’t need to pretend with me. I’m not the one accusing you of anything.”

  I quickly averted my gaze as tears welled in my eyes. There was no way I was going to let him see me so vulnerable. I couldn’t afford to show any sign of weakness in a world so cruel.

  It would be my downfall.

  Blinking away my tears, I retreated toward Kade’s bedroom where I would be safe, away from the one who thought I was damned.

  Kade wrapped his arm around my shoulders, forcing me to turn around, and led me down the hall—the same way my wannabe killer had gone. “You are not hiding. You’ve proven you are safe, and you have as much right to be here as anyone else who is already here.”

  I scoffed. “Oh yeah? Tell me how many others here have actively tried to become a vampire?”

  When he didn’t answer, I said, “My point exactly.”

  With his hand remaining around my shoulders, he gave me a comforting squeeze. “We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. Yeah, maybe yours is a little different than the rest of ours, but it doesn’t matter. You can’t let them scare you. Max will feed off it.”

  “I wasn’t scared.”

  “Oh no? Because I can still feel you shaking.”

  I pulled away, partially pissed at him for calling me out but mostly pissed at myself for not being stronger. If I wanted to help rescue Mason, I couldn’t let a little thing like a knife scare me when I would inevitably come up against a herd of vampires ready to tear me limb from limb.

  I’d had no problem the other night. But that was different. I’d committed the ultimate sin, which had given me the power and determination to take on anything or anyone.

  How I was going to do that without blood was a mystery.

  I had to find a way—for Mason.

  I spun around to face Kade. “Could you have killed Max?”

  He furrowed his brow. “It never would’ve come to that.”

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  “He was only trying to scare you.”

  “But could you have?” When he didn’t answer, I said, “I’m not asking if you would’ve chosen me over him. I’m asking if you could beat him in a fight to the death?”

  Kade raised his brow. “Why would you ask that?”

  I breathed out harshly. “Just answer the question.”

  “Answer what question?” Finn said, butting into our conversation as he strode up the hall, anger swirling in his eyes as he looked between Kade and me.

  “None of your business.”

  “Oh, it’s all my business when it comes to you.” He grabbed me by the shoulders and twisted me from side to side as he looked me over for any sign of harm. He’d obviously heard about the little run-in I’d had with Max.

  Breaking free from his grasp, I said, “I’m fine. Kade came to my rescue and stopped anything bad from happening.”

  Finn’s steely gaze landed on Kade. “I thought I told you not to let her out of your sight.”

  Ouch. I guess that an
swered the question of whether Kade had been flirting with me or saw me as a little sister. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Clearly, you do,” Finn said, unimpressed by my antics. “And Kade should’ve been there.”

  I was about to defend Kade when he stepped forward, placing himself between Finn and me. “You’re right. I let you down. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  “It better not.” Finn grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward. “You’re staying with me.”

  I yanked my hand free and stood my ground. “Stop bossing me around. I’m not twelve years old anymore.”

  He gritted his teeth and breathed out harshly through his nose. “Kali, will you please come with me?”

  The corners of my lips pulled up into a satisfied smile. “Better?” I pushed past him and made my way down the hall. “Where are we going?”

  “To get you something to eat.” He caught up to me and led me through the corridors then down a flight of stairs next to an elevator.

  “So, what is this place?’’ I asked.

  “This is the Eastern headquarters of the Society of the Shadow Realms. We’re a team of hunters trying to eradicate the threat posed to mankind and protect the innocent from their advances,” Finn said, repeating the exact spiel Kade had given me.

  We arrived at the landing and continued down another flight of stairs. “I know. Kade already briefly filled me in. I was meaning this actual place.”

  “Oh, right,” he said as he stepped onto the next landing and headed straight down a ten-foot wide hall. “The building is a former psychiatric hospital.”

  “You mean a nuthouse.”

  He rolled his eyes in my direction. “Psychiatric hospital is a more acceptable term.”

  I shrugged. “Potato, potahto.”

  “No. It’s not the same thing.”

  I whacked his stomach. “Stop correcting me.”

  “Fine,” he conceded as he stopped beside a double door to the right. “Now try to ignore any more innuendoes that come your way.”

  I drew my brows together and was about to come back with another snide remark when Finn opened the door, revealing an enormous room filled with wooden tables and chairs. People milled around, eating, chatting, talking, and enjoying their time together. Not at all what I expected for a group of uptight hunters.