Tainted: Book Three - Enslaved

37. The Real Her

Mira

"I think we should wake them up." Rome nudged my elbow. "Lilas is draining out."

"Yeah, I agree."

I started to scooch off the couch, ready to scoop the little girl into my arms, but Amanda held her hand up.

"Leave her. She is doing what she was made to do."

"She's a child," Rome growled, "and Kerry would never agree to this."

"A power drain is not fatal." Amanda arched one eyebrow, haughty as a queen.

A droplet of blood beaded up in Lilas' left nostril and slowly slid down her pale cheek.

"That's enough!" Rome surged to his feet.

He was too late. Lilas's whole body tensed, then seemed to go boneless.

And Kerry's eyelids popped open. He blinked a coupla of times, and a magnificent scowl twisted his face when he saw Rome standing over him, which was as far as Rome had made it before Lilas passed out.

"What—" Kerry turned toward Lilas, saw her white face, and rolled over and up in one fluid movement.

"You let her drain herself?" he half-shouted. "Why?"

"Dreamweaving is what she was born to do," Amanda was brave enough to answer him.

He tugged up the end of his shirt and used it to wipe the trickle of blood from Lilas' face with a gentleness that surprised me, given his state of agitation.

"She's a little kid! She ain't old enough to know better yet. You shoulda stopped her. Mira, Rome, why didn't you?"

"We were about to." I held up my hands and looked at Amanda. "Mrs. Greenaway said a power drain is not fatal."

"When war is upon our doorstep," she said, "everyone must pull their weight. Lilas simply did her duty."

Oh, that was the wrong thing to say.

Kerry's eyes flared, and I slid to the other side of the sofa. If he was gonna throw down with her, I didn't wanna get caught in the crossfire.

"Lady, your heart must still be stone. If you were anyone else, I'd cold-cock you." He picked Lilas up and headed toward the bedrooms.

"Well!" Amanda's lips pulled into a pout. "There's gratitude for you."

"Do you know his story?" Rome's face had turned to stone. "His history?"

"I do."

"Then you should have realized how he would feel about a child being used beyond her endurance." Ice chips flew with each word. "I guarantee you will never convince him to do that again. Not even to find Gemma."

He spun on his heel and followed after Kerry, taking the chilly tension with him.

I blew out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

Yeah, Kerry's savage fire was enough to make you wet your pants, but Rome's icy intensity was downright petrifying.

I half-thought the difference is that you knew Kerry was dangerous. Rome's tight control gave you the illusion you were safe until you suddenly weren't.

Frowning, Amanda crossed her arms around her waist and put her nose in the air.

"Uh, how about a snack? Or, um, something to drink?" I pushed to my feet with a fake smile and escaped to the kitchen.

#

Gigi and Jax returned from their supply run before Kerry and Rome came out of the bedroom, and I followed them into the kitchen to explain what had happened.