Chapter 153

I pulled back with a gasp, shuddering at the taste of blood rolling down my throat: a little sweet, a little coppery. I felt my strength returning quicker. I felt steady and empowered. It made me think of that drug that Damian had dropped in the fountain at the mall. I lifted my head with a soft sigh of delight, of pleasure, of something that I couldn’t name. A moan escaped me. I could almost feel it vibrating in the air and shaking the ground. The strength that was surging through me was unreal, yet I felt like a huge weight had been taken off my chest.

It felt like I was taking my first breath after being underwater for too long.

And I was starving.

I leaped from the ground, tackling the creature closest to me, and slamming my fist into its face. Before another could leap at me, I sunk my teeth into its neck and drained it. I twisted and took the next creature out with a sharp kick, slamming it to the ground.

Then, I was on it, draining it the way I had drained the other.

This creature was different. It went limp then started to turn to dust. Before its remains had completely drifted away, I was tearing through another creature, guzzling the hot, thick blood spurting out of its wound.

Something grabbed me, but I was moving too quickly. I tore out of the grip and slashed through another creature. I didn’t stop. I turned into the force of my swing and swung at whatever had tried to grab me.

My claws cut through empty air, but I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t stop.

I was so hungry, my power felt out of control like it was bubbling up from some depth I had never been away from before, fed by how much blood I was drinking.

I heard laughter, mocking and female like the laughter from my dream. It angered me more, yet is seemed to stoke the fire in me too.

I tore through the creatures. Not caring what was torn off me or what else was happening. Something scratched me across the back. I felt it healing as I kicked back and sent it flying away from me.

They tackled me to the ground and I swung. I kicked and punched. I snarled, biting into strangely rubbery flesh, and tearing it off of the bone. Creatures shrieked in agony. I drank every drop and tumbled away from the pile of corpses. I growled at the next group of creatures that seemed to have left the larger creature alone for now.

I twisted again as something dragged its claws through the leg of my pants, trying to grab me. I rammed my elbow into its face as I tried to focus the overflowing power on something other than feeding myself.

It felt so wrong to think of this as feeding myself. I wasn’t eating steak or drinking a frappe: I was drinking blood, yet even that thought didn’t stop me. I couldn’t feel my usual self. I couldn’t even feel the need to call for Candido.

Candido wouldn’t feed me. I couldn’t eat Candido. I couldn’t drink from him, but these creatures who were trying to kill me were all fair game. The hunger didn’t fade. If anything, it seemed more powerful, like I hadn’t eaten in years. Had I been here for years? Had Ian let me starve for years?

Or was this something else? Some other hunger that I had never acknowledged, that I could never feel? Was it because of that potion he gave me or something else?

Another creature lunged at me, swiping its sharp claws at me. I grabbed it by its arm and slammed it to the ground. I ripped its arm off and drank from the gushing fountain of its blood. Another creature shrieked and rushed towards me as I drained the one in my grip. I grabbed it a ripped its throat open.

I couldn’t stop myself. It was like something else was taking over me.

“Hedy,” I heard Candido’s voice again, echoing around me so loud it shook the air, yet I couldn’t tell exactly where it was coming from.

I was losing it and drowning in the rushing power as I drained creature after creature, yet the hunger didn’t seem to end. I needed more. It felt a little like the sense of rage that had taken over me.

The last of the smaller creatures died, scratching at my shoulder as I drained it. Then, I turned to the gigantic fury monster that had chased me. It let out a snarling growl as our gazes met. I growled back at it and charged.

This time, when it swiped at me, I caught it, held it, and pushed it back. I leaped onto it, digging my claws into its hide, and ripping away the fur. I plunged my teeth into it and drank as it thrashed and tried to throw me off.

I drank and drank until it went still, letting out a little wheezing, whining moan of fear. When it as dry, I rolled off, half drunk on the rising power in me and still so hungry.

“Hedy!” Candido called again, his voice coming from inside the tower. I crawled in through the window.

Another creature jumped out. I killed it and drained it, moving quickly as more creatures appeared. Each of them felt easier to deal with than the last. The walls seemed to be vibrating around me and flashing red like blood. I followed Candido’s voice further and further through the hallways, killing whatever got in my way as swiftly as I could.

I couldn’t say how many hallways I went through or how many rooms. I didn’t even know where I was going, but I heard his voice getting closer and closer. I turned down a corridor where there was only one door.

“You all overestimate her,” Ian said from the other side.

The sound of his voice irritated me. I knew he was talking about me. I knew he was making fun of me, mocking me for being stuck in here all this time. I was furious. I’d show him what he’d gotten himself into keeping me apart from Candido. I rammed through the door. It flew open and slammed against the wall with a sharp crack, and I lunged at the person on the other side.

“Whoa!” Claire said, dodging away from me and darting away. “Chill—Hedy?”

The fury didn’t subside. There was no one else on the other side of the doorway. It looked like a courtyard or some sort, leading down a cleared path that led into the misty forest. It smelled like fresh water and the fall weather. It reminded me a little bit of the forest behind the estate, but I couldn’t focus on that. I turned my gaze on Claire and growled.

The hunger wasn’t fading. It was still clawing at me. For a moment, I knew that I was going to rip into her throat and I wouldn’t even be able to stop myself.

A part of me didn’t even care and that was more horrifying than anything.

Her eyes were wide.

“Oh, hell—get a hold of yourself!” She yelled as I lunged at her again. She darted out of the way, but I caught her by the hood of her jacket and yanked her back. She cursed and tried to rip away from me, but I grabbed her arm before the hood tore. She rammed her head back into my face. For a moment I saw stars, then I was tumbling over her shoulder and looking up at her. I yanked her down on top of me and rolled us over, slamming her down.

She hissed. “Knock it off!”

She shoved me hard, throwing me off and across the courtyard. She rolled to her feet and lifted her fists as I ran after her. She swatted my hands away easily and knocked me aside. She sighed deeply.

“Any time you want to show up and deal with this, Ian, that would be great!”

I screeched as I whirled on her, leaping at her, and shoving her down, ready to plunge my teeth into her neck. She held me at arm’s length. I dug my nails into her arms and shoulders trying to pull her neck closer, but she was wearing some sort of armor that wouldn’t let me get a good grip. My body trembled with effort. I rocked and pushed, trying to get closer, but I couldn’t stop myself.

This had to be what she felt like in the car when her hunger had made her want to attack me. She struck me sharply across the face. I saw stars for a moment, but I turned back and leaped at her.

Her eyes turned red and vicious. The next thing I knew, I was dropped into darkness.