Bad Bloods Read Online Free Page A

talks about the flocks’
relations with one another, but it’s…complicated,” I paused to
collect my thoughts. “We’re remaining separated, and Serena is
staying with them. She won’t be joining us.”
    “So she’s gone?” Floyd asked. “For good?”
    I swallowed my nerves. “No.”
    This time, he stood, attempting to tower over
me even from a short distance. “What are you thinking, keeping her
around?”
    “I have my reasons.” I managed to speak
without clenching my teeth.
    “Are you dating her?” he accused.
    I didn’t deny it.
    Floyd threw his hands up in the air. “I knew
it,” his voice rumbled, low like spring thunder. “You need to step
down. You’ve lost your focus. You—”
    “Oh, shut up already.”
    The entire room obeyed like the sharp voice
belonged to the leader, but it wasn’t mine. It was Vi, and she
stood next to Adam in the corner, glaring at Floyd like he was an
officer instead of a fellow bad blood.
    “Stay out of this, Vi.” Floyd attempted to
quiet the thirteen-year-old, but the shadowy girl scoffed.
    “I could run, but I don’t. You know why,
tough guy?” Her head tilted, and her eyes darkened to depths only a
demon would have. When she pointed at me, I half-expected shadows
to consume me, but only her finger shook. “Because Daniel is the
one who took us off the streets. If you haven’t forgotten, this guy
is the one who dragged you out of a suicide mission at the bar. He
saved us, not you, and we owe him for that.”
    Floyd’s mouth cracked open, but before he
could speak, Vi stepped forward—almost lurching—and sneered.
“You’re a coward, trying to take over like this.”
    “Vi,” I said and tried to catch her
attention, but her bottomless eyes remained locked on Floyd.
“That’s enough.”
    She ignored me. “Daniel’s the only one who’s
done anything for you, and if you think I’m going to stand here and
let you berate him—when I’m one of the few who could leave Vendona
behind—then, you have another thing coming.” Her words were as fast
and sharp as her snarl. “I’ll put you in the shadows before I let
you take over.”
    Floyd’s eyes widened as Adam attempted to
grab her, but his hand went right through her. In her anger, she
had lost control of her abilities, and she had become a partial
shadow. Her black hair formed into misty snakes, and the closest
child scooted away from the teen. Everyone knew what being in the
shadows was like. Vi had taken everyone in before, and not a single
person asked to be taken in again. Except for Blake. He loved
everything fearlessly and stayed close to Vi’s feet, even reaching
up for her hand, but she never noticed the blond boy.
    When Blake gave up on getting Vi’s attention,
he waddled to Floyd’s side. “Daniel loves you too,” he said, adding
a big grin like the period at the end of his sentence.
    Vi solidified at that. She even looked down
at him, her hair finally cascading down her back like she was
human, and the rest of the room focused on the five-year-old
too.
    As if he didn’t notice the amount of
attention on him, Blake squeezed his teddy bear into a hug. “He
loves all of us,” he squeaked, never losing his grin. “And he
wouldn’t kick you out, even though others want it.”
    Floyd blinked. Adam pulled Vi back, and
Michele’s shoulders rose. No one had told Floyd about how the
others wanted him thrown out, but Blake’s abilities allowed the boy
to hear it without being able to understand it. Even after he said
it, Blake’s brow scrunched up right above his nose, and he glanced
at his feet as if he were trying to remember what he just said. It
was when he looked back up that his blue eyes were wide. “I can
kick a soccer ball.”
    His attempt to make sense of the unfamiliar
phrase failed, and Kally’s hand landed on Blake’s blond mop—a
gesture everyone used to train him to stop talking—but he began
humming like it was the only way of distracting himself. Even