“By the time they got to be me, they’d learned from their mistakes. Gotta drain our kind slowly.” He glanced down at the dagger. “But we aren’t like them. We don’t change like them.”
I backed up, swal owing down the fear. My training vanished. I knew how to deal with a daimon, but a friend driven crazy was a different story.
“I was hungry, so hungry. There’s nothing like it. I had to.”
Horrifying realization set in. I took another step back just as he launched himself at me. He was so fast, faster than he’d ever been. Before I could even ful y register the swing, his fist connected with my face. I flew back, crashing into one of those little tables. It happened so quickly I couldn’t break my fal . I landed in a messy heap, dazed and tasting blood in my mouth.
Kain was on me immediately, yanking me to my feet and flinging me across the room. I hit the edge of the bed hard, and then the floor. Scrambling to my feet, I ignored the pain and faced the one thing that could not be.
Beyond reason or explanation, I had no doubt that Kain was no longer a half-blood. Only one thing moved as quickly as he did. Impossible as it was, he was a daimon.
CHAPTER 17
BESIDES BEING ABNORMALLY PALE, KAIN
LOOKED like … Kain. It explained how none of the other half-bloods had sensed it in him. Nothing about him gave off a warning that something was horribly wrong. Wel …
except the pile of dead bodies behind the curtain.
I reached for what looked like a heart monitor machine, hurling it at his head. Not surprisingly, he knocked it aside.
He laughed that sick laugh again. “Can’t you do better than that? Remember our training sessions? How easily I got the best of you?”
I ignored that painful reminder, figuring it was best to keep him talking until I had a better option. “How is this possible? You’re a half-blood.”
He nodded, switching the blade to his other hand.
“Weren’t you paying attention? I already told you. They drain our kind slowly, and gods, did it hurt like hel . I wanted to die a thousand times, but I didn’t. And now? I’m better than I ever was. Faster. Stronger. You can’t fight me. None of you can.” He lifted the dagger and wiggled it back and forth.
“The feeding part is messy, but it works.”
I glanced over his shoulder. There was a smal chance I could make it to the doorway. I was stil fast and not badly hurt. “That… has to suck.”
He shrugged, seeming like the old Kain—so much so it stole my breath. “You get used to it when you’re hungry.”
That was reassuring. I inched to my left.
“I saw your mother.”
Every instinct in me screamed not to listen to him. “Did you… talk to her?”
“She was frenzied, kil ing and taking great pleasure in it, too. She was the one who turned me.” He licked his lips.
“She’s coming for you, did you know that?”
“Where is she?” I didn’t expect him to answer, but he did.
“You leave the safety of the Covenant and you’l find her… or she’l find you. But that’s not going to happen.”
“Oh?” I whispered, but I already knew. I wasn’t stupid.
Mom wasn’t going to get a chance at my aether, because Kain was going to cut me and drain me.
“You know the one thing that sucks about being a daimon? I’m always so damn hungry. But you? I’m certain you’l feel like nothing else. It’s a good thing you came to me. Trusted me.” His blue eyes dropped to my neck—to where my frantic pulse beat. “She’l keep kil ing ‘til she finds you or ‘til you’re dead. And you are going to die.”
That was my cue to make my move. I pushed with al my strength, but it was no use. Kain blocked my only route of escape. With no other option but to fight him, I squared off, weaponless and out-skil ed.
His too-red lips quirked. “Do you real y want to try that?”
I forced as much boldness in my voice as possible. “Do you?”
This time, when he grabbed for me, I kicked out and caught the hand holding the dagger. It flew from his grasp, clattering against the floor. Before I could celebrate the smal victory, his meaty fist lashed out, and it appeared he remembered how poor my blocking skil s were. The punch got me in the stomach, doubling me over.
A rush of air stirred my hair, giving me only a second to straighten myself. I was a goner—no doubt about it. But as I lifted my head, it wasn’t Kain standing in front of me.
It was Aiden.
He didn’t say anything to Kain. Somehow, he just knew as he forced me backwards, away from the daimon half-blood. Kain turned his attention on Aiden. He let out a howl, eerily similar to the one the daimon had made in Georgia.
They circled one another, and with Kain weaponless, Aiden had the upper hand. They exchanged vicious blows—no longer partners, but enemies to the core. Then Aiden made his move. He thrust the titanium dagger deep into Kain’s stomach.
The impossible happened—Kain didn’t fal .
Aiden stepped back, revealing Kain’s startled face. He looked down at the gaping wound and started to laugh. It should’ve been a kil shot, but as cold understanding set in, I realized we had more to learn about daimon half-bloods.
They were immune to titanium.
Aiden kicked out at Kain, who blocked and whirled to deliver a kick of his own. A medical machine crashed against the wal . I gaped at them, frozen in place. I couldn’t just stand here. I went for the dagger on the floor.
“Get back!” Aiden yel ed as my fingers wrapped around the cool titanium.
I looked up, seeing the reinforcements—and the Apol yon.
“Move back!” Seth’s voice thundered through the chaos.