Darkest, BK 2 of Lightwalkers (completed)

XI

Jonathan

I don't want to be a part of this! It was an hour before dawn. Most of the others had already gone to their rooms. Even Decat had left for his own coffin. Now Kain wandered aimlessly through the halls as I tried to talk him out of what Michaela had planned for us. It's dangerous. I don't want to—

It's not as if you have a choice, Sunshine. Besides, I thought you wanted to die?

His words hit me like a landslide. Did I? When I thought about it, really thought about it, it wasn't that I wanted to die. I didn't want to be left here alone. I wanted to be with Seth. To be with my family.

That's sickeningly sweet of you, Kain commented dryly.

We turned a corner in the hall, and ran into a group of wolves. The very same five wolves that had been messing with the cat yesterday.

"Look who it is!" the ringleader called. "It's the 'prince'."

Another stepped forward. "What's the matter? Lost your kitty cat?"

"You know, we got into quite a bit of trouble because of you," the first one said. "Perhaps we should repay you."

Kain stiffened. I realized they didn't see the difference between me in the day and when Kain took over at night. I had a sinking feeling that Kain was about to make our differences very clear to them.

One charged at us, and Kain sidestepped him. He dodged a fist and kicked another away. Then Kain did something I didn't expect—his mind reached inward, toward a place that I'd been too afraid to touch. He gripped our cold center, the place he'd first come from, and pulled the icy power into our veins.

With a twist and a thought of direction, the wolves that had started to pile onto us flew off, all four of them landing in crumpled heaps on the floor. Kain leapt at the leader, the last wolf standing. Grabbing him by the shirt, Kain shoved him against the wall. He leaned in close, inhaling the scent of the wolf in his hands.

"I wonder," Kain said, his voice dark with the threats. "Does wolf blood taste any good, or do you think it's as rotten as your personality?"

The wolf struggled, his eyes wide with fear. Kain smiled for a second, then bared our teeth, hissing in the wolf's face.

The wolf could only whimper.

"Kain." Lan's voice filled the hallway, echoing with the sound of his steps on the tile. "You hurt him and you answer to me. Not Michaela. Let him go."

Lan stopped about an arms length away from us, standing like a statue as he waited for Kain to obey.

Kain inched a little closer, fangs bared, causing the wolf to struggle harder.

"Kain!" Lan took a step closer.

"Come near us again and I won't be as forgiving," Kain whispered, then dropped the wolf. We stepped back and continued down the hall without looking back.