My body hits the ground as Jonah lands on me, wrestling with me, and pinning me. He tries to unravel my fingers from around the hilt and pry it from my grip. I lift my knee, connecting with his balls, and he grunts in pain but doesn’t let go.
“Jonah, stop,” I beg him, trying to shove him off.
Jonah slams my hand down, trying to make me drop the dagger, and I cry out. Eziah is screaming in the background for Jonah to get off me. “You won’t be hurting yourself with that thing,” Jonah snaps. “Give it to me now, Mara,” he orders, reaching for it.
“I’m helping my brother now move,” I retort, and he looks at the dagger in my hand, then his eyes dart to my brother. Jonah’s breathing is heavy as he looks between us before finally looking down at me. The worry on his face is obvious, but I’m not stupid enough to try it again. No one else would die for me.
“Fuck,” Jonah curses and steps aside but hovers nearly on top of me as I scramble to my feet. Jonah towers over me like he thinks I will turn it on myself.
Eziah has collapsed, sliding down the wall, his legs going out straight in front of him as he wheezes. Kaif’s claw marks seem to have poisoned him. I have seen nothing like it before. Black veins sliver beneath his skin like some dark plague is eating away at him from the inside out.
I know what Dominic is saying and feel the rightfulness of his words as I look at my brother, his eyelids droop. “Where’s Mom when you need her?” I mumble, and Eziah laughs.
“Trying not to interfere. But I bet she is screaming at that damn fountain right about now,” Eziah laughs weakly.
“She is in the Moon Goddess realm?” I ask him as I slice his palm, and he hisses from the stinging pain it causes.
“Yeah, she got pulled there when you-” he doesn’t finish.
Jonah stands over my shoulder, and when I go to do the same to my own palm, he grips my wrist and snatches the dagger from my grip. I growl and Jonah grips my wrist, turning my hand and slicing my palm, making me hiss. “I don’t trust you,” Jonah murmurs, and my stomach sinks; he then takes the dagger.
Blood pools in my palm before I turn to my brother and grip his hand. I gasp, feeling the power the dagger holds in it. The effect is instant, and the moment my hand connects with Eziah’s, I siphon the darkness out of him; the darkness rushes out of him, and the coldness of Kyan’s stigma moves into me.
Eziah gasps and his back arches off the wall. I watch as his chest heals and in return, I can feel his hand healing in mine as mine heals in his. I let go and look at my palm.
“That is one crazy dagger,” I murmur, opening and closing my hand while examining it.
Eziah pats his chest as he looks down to find himself healed. “Nifty little thing, will be needing that back, though,” he says, clicking his fingers at Jonah.
“You could try saying please,” I tell Eziah, and he rolls his eyes.
“Only for you, sis,” he says before turning to look up at Jonah, who is still standing behind me. “Dagger, please,” Eziah says, holding out his hand in Jonah’s direction.
“Nope, neither of you can be trusted with knives; I will give it to your mother when I see her next,” Jonah says, and Eziah glares at him.
“Where do you think we are going?” Eziah snaps at him, about to push up from the wall.
Jonah steps closer, a threatening growl escapes him, which makes me jump. “Mara stays. Kaif isn’t of a rational mind for her to go anywhere, and neither is Kyan.” Jonah tells him.
“I am not leaving her here,” Eziah growls at him.
“I am with her, Eziah. Suck it up and go before Kyan comes back,” Jonah tells him, and Eziah glances between us. I’m not willing to risk Kyan or Kaif going postal over me leaving, so he is best doing as Jonah said.
“You fear him,” Eziah laughs, reaching for me, but I pull away. The hurt that shines in Eziah’s eyes at the movement makes tears brim in my eyes.
“And you’re an idiot if you don’t, now go!” Jonah says with a glare.
Eziah looks at me, and his brows furrow. “Marabella?” Eziah murmurs, but I look up at Jonah when his fingers lock around my arm, and he helps me to my feet. Jonah places his hand flat against my stomach, tugging me closer and away from Eziah.
Jonah presses his face into my neck, his breath warm against my skin despite the obvious defiance directed at my brother. “She will be fine, Eziah. I won’t let anything happen to her.” Jonah tries to reassure him.
“No, she is coming with me. They are no longer mates. She has nothing holding her here, and I am not leaving my sister with that fucking psychopath,” Eziah snaps.
“He is her mate,” Jonah argues, pulling me flush against him with an impossibly tight grip. I go to tell my brother to go, but he cuts me off, yelling at Jonah.
“Not anymore; he didn’t want her!” Eziah growls, reaching for me.
His words sting me more than he will ever know. I know he is defending me, and means well, but hearing that makes my chest ache at the memory. Jonah moves quickly and at first I don’t understand the look of fury on my brother’s face when Jonah speaks.
“Kyan made a mistake, but she was right about one thing.” Jonah snarls, his arms snaking up higher and moving across my chest. “It should have been me, and now it will be,” Jonah states.
My brain doesn’t have time to process his words when his teeth sink deeply into my neck. Searing pain spreads across it before the tingling sensation overrides it. I gasp and blink as he holds me against him, pulling me closer and tighter against him. I fear my ribs will break. My eyes roll into the back of my head just as Kyan stops dead in his tracks when he walks back in the door, his eyes on Jonah, and I see them flicker to Kaif. My eyes flutter, and sparks rush over my skin as my surroundings dim and I fight to remain conscious. The bond snaps in place, sending euphoria through me, and I feel vertigo wash over me. The room flickers and my limbs go numb.
“Looks like you have a little competition, Kyan. May the best man win,” I hear Eziah laugh from somewhere in the room just before everything goes black.