Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
~ Shade ~
It’s a short while later when I’m sitting in the guys’ living room with Thane, Raith, Knox, and Galen. Lifting my hand, I go to bite off another chunk of my chocolate bar, but before it can reach my lips, Thane’s shadows curl toward me, and there’s an oddly determined look in his eyes.
My lips close over the end of the bar, and I make a face when it’s not the delicious sweetness of cocoa on my tongue that I was expecting.
Instead, I’m left with an unpleasant grainy texture.
I pull the half-eaten bar away from my mouth, eyeing it suspiciously.
“Why does my chocolate bar taste like ass?”
“I highly doubt it tastes like that,” Galen drawls from where he’s stretched out on a chaise lounge close by.
“It’s a protein bar,” Thane growls. “You need to be taking better care of your body. Especially with the games starting soon.”
My gaze slides to Galen’s, and my mate’s eyes sparkle. I’m guessing Thane doesn’t know about the delicious box of chocolates Galen left for me, and I’m not about to spill the beans, because I’m seriously hoping there’s more where that came from.
“Yeah, sorry but at this point I don’t think a few protein bars are going to help much with my muscle mass.
Can’t a girl just enjoy her chocolate before she dies?
” I grumble, swallowing down the tasteless lump.
I’ll admit, I may be a little cranky after my interaction with Knox, and this protein bar really isn’t helping.
Raith reaches across from his position beside me on the couch, and he grips my chin gently, turning my head so I’m facing him. “No one is dyin’, sunshine.”
I give him a look. I have no animali, and while they’ve taught me everything they can, I still need to survive the zenali creatures and the other students and their animali.
“You’ll survive,” Raith says firmly. “Just remember what we’ve taught you, and you’ll make it.”
“The queen and a few of the originals will be here tomorrow to help raise the stadium,” Thane says, picking up the conversation from earlier.
“Tomorrow?” I say, surprised.
“Yes,” Thane rumbles.
“And when you say raise…” I start.
“You’ll see, little shadow,” Galen purrs. “When the ground starts to tremble, remember to do yourself a favor and look out a window.”
I frown at him but going by his smug expression, I can tell he’s not going to explain further. “Okay, then,” I say. “But isn’t the queen worried about the Xalgrith? First the hunt and now the sky attack?” Truthfully, I’d thought they were going to say that the games would be postponed.
“There are always attacks,” Galen replies. “According to Ambrose, with the latest attack, it was simply unfortunate that the Xalgrith they had been chasing happened to run into our group.”
I think of the original, Ambrose. They’ve told me about all of the originals, and the main thing I remember is that they’re all dangerous, and my guys have told me to stay away from all of them.
“So as I was saying, tomorrow night there will be a dance,” Galen goes on. “A final celebration before the games commence, if you will. The games will start at sunrise on the following day, and they will end when the queen is satisfied she’s seen enough. It could be days or longer.”
Trying to distract myself, I take another bite of my bar.
I’m not sure if it’s the dryness of the protein, but I almost have to choke the lump down.
The guys think I’m going to be able to survive the games for days.
Relax, Shade. At least, you know what to expect and how to survive.
The rest of the students aren’t so lucky.
I think about what Knox had said about the missing students.
About how he’d tracked some of them down and found their remains beyond the academy walls.
I’d been hoping that I’d be able to give Kenzie some good news before the games.
That somehow, I’d find out what happened to Leira and the others, and at least Kenzie would have some closure.
Honestly, a na?ve part of me has been hoping Leira and the others are alive somewhere hidden within the walls of Shadowbone.
But we’re still nowhere. From what Kenzie has told me, there’s no way Leira would just leave the academy and be preyed upon by shadow creatures.
She sounds too smart for that, and the possibility that she’s dead somewhere is getting harder to ignore.
What if something is killing the students inside Shadowbone and depositing their remains outside the academy walls? I shudder.
“When the games start, the queen will use her magic to ensure no one tampers with the set challenges. The idea is to keep the games fair and without outside influence, but it means we won’t be able to assist you.
At most, we’ll be able to send shadow whispers to you, as we can manage that without alerting the queen,” Thane growls, looking entirely pissed off that he can’t help me more.
You and me both, buddy. You and me both.
“However, provided you remember what we’ve taught you, you should be just fine. ”
“Even without an animali?” I say dubiously.
Thane frowns. “Even without one.”
“Okay, and what about the unbonded animali?” I ask, thinking about the voice in my head that had warned me to flee during the sky fight. “Can they enter the games?”
“An unbonded animali could still decide to bond with you durin’ the games, yes,” Raith replies.
“And what about a zenali?” I go on. “Have any of them ever bonded with a student?”
“A zenali?” Raith’s brows lift and he regards me. “No zenali has ever been willing to bond with a student, but I suppose it’s possible. Why?”
“No reason,” I mumble. “I guess I’m just getting desperate.”
“You’ve already been through so much, treasure, and yet, you still underestimate yourself,” Galen says with a dry laugh.
Thane watches me expectantly, and I sigh, taking another bite of my bar and chewing it exaggeratedly.
“That’s because I still can’t do much. I have what?
Some shadows that might be able to loosen binds, but I’m not able to kill anyone with them.
I can perform basic shadow tasks like cloaking and making shadow pathways randomly when my magic feels like complying, and I can talk to some of the shadow creatures.
Did I miss anything? Oh that’s right, and I have a magic stretchy vagina. ”
Raith grins broadly. “Yes, yes, you do, sunshine.” He stretches his arm along the back of the couch behind me, and my cheeks warm as his gaze heats.
“Knowledge is power,” Galen tells me. “In this instance, it will be your asset.”
“And I’m so grateful for what you’ve all taught me,” I say. “But without decent powers, you have to admit my chances of survival are still reasonably slim.”
There’s silence for a moment, and the guys all shift like they hate hearing that.
“Your magic is still blocked for some reason,” Thane says. “It’s only a matter of time now until you get them. You’re our mate. You must have incredible power locked inside you. You simply have to access it.”
“Well I don’t know where you’ve been, but I’ve been trying to do that for weeks now,” I counter.
The guys all share a look.
“What?”
“Perhaps, I should say what we’re all thinking,” Galen drawls. “You’ve gained more power when you’ve slept with each of us. It seems there’s only one left, and that may be just what you need before the games commence.”
It takes me a moment to realize what he’s suggesting, then as one, all our gazes go to where Knox is sitting on an armchair shrouded in darkness with a drink in his hand. His eyes harden as we stare at him.
I fidget with the remainder of my protein bar. “On second thought, I’ll be totally fine,” I chirp quickly. “I’m sure I won’t be killed the second I step foot in that arena.”
The guys don’t take their attention from their friend, and Galen gives Knox an insistent look.
Thane’s chest rumbles when he breathes out a resigned sigh. “Galen’s right, Knox. It makes sense that she might grow even stronger with your…help. You’re the final piece.”
I don’t want to stare at Knox, but I also can’t look away.
I might have a magic vagina, but what if his cock might be the answer to all my problems?
It’s a weird thought to have, but it does kind of make sense that sleeping with my last mate might help shatter the remnants of whatever curse is still lingering on me.
And hell, I could use all the help I can get before entering the games.
Knox’s expression is unreadable, and he places down his drink.
My breath hitches, because for a moment, I think he’s going to agree.
I mean, after all he had admitted to keeping Satine in that cell because she’d touched me.
That means he cares, doesn’t it? My heart thuds a wild beat, and I don’t want to look too hopeful, but I can’t stop myself from staring at him.
From wondering what would happen if we spent the night together.
Would it really help to bring my memories back? Would I finally rediscover who I am?
He opens his mouth and a single word comes out, shattering any hope I had. “No,” Knox says, and the rejection stings as my excitement deflates. Then my mate disappears into a cloud of shadows.