2. Darkness in the Blood Master copy MS 5 Read Online Free
Author: Vicki Keire
time, so there was no way to wipe my eyes. “And I was right there,” I managed in a whisper. “Right beside him. I left the knife in the water. My god, Logan, if I hadn’t been right there…”
“But you were,” he whispered, and his arms were around me, pulling me from my chair into his lap, rocking me. “You were right there, and so was I, and it was fine.”
He knelt on the floor by my chair and I let him take all my weight. I’d missed this, leaning on someone stronger. “Who are you, and what have you done with Logan Chastain?” I asked, only half-teasing.
“I don’t know,” Logan said, his face a hollow echo of mine. He snaked an arm around my waist and deposited me in my chair as if I weighed almost nothing. His casual strength surprised me again. “You just can’t go out like that again, sneaking out in the night. Don’t forget we never caught this demon of yours, or found out who took your drawings. And when were you planning on telling me about that little trick with your hands?”
“What trick?” I asked as sweetly as possible, giving him my best fake smile.
He wasn’t buying it, I could tell. Logan had years of experience detecting my lies and evasions. I pretty much sucked at them anyway. I slumped back against my chair as he waggled his fingers at me. “The creepy black shadows you were wearing like gloves. The ones that knocked me on my ass? That trick.” He dropped into the closest chair and leaned into my space, eyeballing me like an interrogator. “I want to know about that one, Caspia. Why don’t you start there.”
I glanced at all the exits. Logan was too close. He’d catch me if I tried to run. “It’s the Shadows,” I said softly, addressing my muffin instead of my brother’s merciless eyes. “You know how I’m supposed to be able to use them as weapons if I have to?” He didn’t say anything. I took a deep breath. “Well, lately, they’ve been sort of coming out on their own.”
He just stared at me, his dark brown eyes developing an intensity that was as new and alien as his startling strength. Red, I realized. His brown eyes were darkening almost into blackness, and it looked as if they had lines of red radiating out from the iris.
“…how bad?” he demanded, and I realized he’d been talking to me. “Just how bad is it, Caspia? What’s happening to you?”
What’s happening to you, I wanted to ask, but didn’t. “I don’t know,” I admitted in a hoarse whisper. My eyes had changed once, too. From steel gray to bright silver. I made an effort to focus on Logan, who appeared to be panicking right in front of me. “It’s only been getting out of control over the last few weeks, and even then only when I feel upset or threatened. It goes away if I can calm myself down, or…” I risked another glance. Logan was breathing hard, an unmistakable ring of dark crimson encircling his irises. Oh, hell. Oh holy hells. What was happening to my brother?
“Or what?” he demanded.
“Or if I fight them out,” I finished in a whisper.
“Fight them out,” he echoed. “Fight what, Caspia?” He buried his face in his hands. When he raised his head his eyes were wild again, dark as burnt charcoal fissured with lines of fire.
I just looked at him, sick to my stomach for too many reasons to count. Logan had never shown a hint of any kind of gift our entire lives. Surely it couldn’t be happening now.
An orange blur bolted into Logan’s lap and yowled madly for his attention. Ethan’s strong hands settled on my shoulders a few seconds later, using me for balance and easing the knots of tension he found there at the same time. “You’re upset,” he observed. “I usually prefer to say good morning before you get upset.”
I leaned back, grateful he was there to catch me. “Good morning,” I murmured into his soft t-shirt. I rubbed my cheek against his stomach. Even though I’d given him the same juniper and cedar aftershave as Logan, on him it
“But you were,” he whispered, and his arms were around me, pulling me from my chair into his lap, rocking me. “You were right there, and so was I, and it was fine.”
He knelt on the floor by my chair and I let him take all my weight. I’d missed this, leaning on someone stronger. “Who are you, and what have you done with Logan Chastain?” I asked, only half-teasing.
“I don’t know,” Logan said, his face a hollow echo of mine. He snaked an arm around my waist and deposited me in my chair as if I weighed almost nothing. His casual strength surprised me again. “You just can’t go out like that again, sneaking out in the night. Don’t forget we never caught this demon of yours, or found out who took your drawings. And when were you planning on telling me about that little trick with your hands?”
“What trick?” I asked as sweetly as possible, giving him my best fake smile.
He wasn’t buying it, I could tell. Logan had years of experience detecting my lies and evasions. I pretty much sucked at them anyway. I slumped back against my chair as he waggled his fingers at me. “The creepy black shadows you were wearing like gloves. The ones that knocked me on my ass? That trick.” He dropped into the closest chair and leaned into my space, eyeballing me like an interrogator. “I want to know about that one, Caspia. Why don’t you start there.”
I glanced at all the exits. Logan was too close. He’d catch me if I tried to run. “It’s the Shadows,” I said softly, addressing my muffin instead of my brother’s merciless eyes. “You know how I’m supposed to be able to use them as weapons if I have to?” He didn’t say anything. I took a deep breath. “Well, lately, they’ve been sort of coming out on their own.”
He just stared at me, his dark brown eyes developing an intensity that was as new and alien as his startling strength. Red, I realized. His brown eyes were darkening almost into blackness, and it looked as if they had lines of red radiating out from the iris.
“…how bad?” he demanded, and I realized he’d been talking to me. “Just how bad is it, Caspia? What’s happening to you?”
What’s happening to you, I wanted to ask, but didn’t. “I don’t know,” I admitted in a hoarse whisper. My eyes had changed once, too. From steel gray to bright silver. I made an effort to focus on Logan, who appeared to be panicking right in front of me. “It’s only been getting out of control over the last few weeks, and even then only when I feel upset or threatened. It goes away if I can calm myself down, or…” I risked another glance. Logan was breathing hard, an unmistakable ring of dark crimson encircling his irises. Oh, hell. Oh holy hells. What was happening to my brother?
“Or what?” he demanded.
“Or if I fight them out,” I finished in a whisper.
“Fight them out,” he echoed. “Fight what, Caspia?” He buried his face in his hands. When he raised his head his eyes were wild again, dark as burnt charcoal fissured with lines of fire.
I just looked at him, sick to my stomach for too many reasons to count. Logan had never shown a hint of any kind of gift our entire lives. Surely it couldn’t be happening now.
An orange blur bolted into Logan’s lap and yowled madly for his attention. Ethan’s strong hands settled on my shoulders a few seconds later, using me for balance and easing the knots of tension he found there at the same time. “You’re upset,” he observed. “I usually prefer to say good morning before you get upset.”
I leaned back, grateful he was there to catch me. “Good morning,” I murmured into his soft t-shirt. I rubbed my cheek against his stomach. Even though I’d given him the same juniper and cedar aftershave as Logan, on him it
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