Free In The Shadows of the Cavern of Death (Shadows of Death Book 1) by Angelique Jones Page B

down the street.
    Who could have told them? We had been so careful of everything, only the three of us had known, and Crowley would have died rather than betray us. As I looked around at the others, it was Tina my gaze caught and held. The look on her face before she could hide it told me everything––it was the look of guilt. There were only three of us who had known up until two hours before our departure. Focusing more sharply on Tina, I wondered why had she kept stopping, looking behind her as if she was waiting for someone? “Why” I whispered, knowing that it was her, but needing to hear her say it.
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she answered, with defiance in her voice.
    I think it was her defiant tone that made me snap. She used it whenever she had been caught in a lie. I couldn’t help what I did next; maybe if she had been apologetic or fearful I could had controlled myself, but to see her defiantly siting there as if she hadn’t just murdered someone. It was too much. I had never laid a hand on her before, no matter what she had done, so she was unprepared when I launched myself across the room and backhanded her before pinning her to the ground and wrapping me hands around her throat.
    I truly think I would have killed her if Tristian hadn’t been there. Josie had grabbed my arm, trying to pull it from Tina’s neck, but she didn’t have the strength to battle the strength my anger gave me. It wasn’t an insane anger, but a controlled one. As I stared into Tina’s eyes, I saw absolute terror as she realized she had pushed me too far, family or no family. She clawed at my hands in desperation, scoring deep marks that I ignored, using the focus on my task so completely that I was able to block all feelings, pain, love––I felt none of it.
    Another moment and I think she would have been dead if not for Tristian. Grabbing me, he pulled me from her body, taking me to the other side of the room. I didn’t fight him or struggle, but just watched her with disinterest as she gasped for breath. Josie rushed to her side, gathering her now weeping form into her arms as she gazed at me with fear and guilt. Had she known what Tina had done? Of course she had, they share the same room. She had rushed to the room after Tina to calm her. Was Tina still there when she got there or already gone? Did it matter either way? She hadn’t warned us and was just as guilty as Tina. Just as much a traitor, but I needed her to say it. “Do you foolish children realize what you have done?” I calmly asked. From the expressions on their faces, the quietness of my voice terrified them more than screams would have. Not waiting for them to answer, I told them, “Do you realize that you have murdered Crowley. That you have murdered Tristian’s father.” Seeing that they were about to deny it, I continued before they could speak. “Yes, you have, as sure as if you had stabbed him through the heart, you have killed him. The two of you have most likely killed the whole cavern if he cannot convince the soldiers and government that no one else knows about the truth about the Cavern of Death,” I asserted, as they shook their heads in horror, wanting to deny my words.
    “Enough, Misty,” Tristian interrupted.
    Turning in his arms to look at him, I saw the pain in his face that no words could comfort before a hardness came over his face. Acknowledging his request with my eyes, I rose from his arms and went to the side of the window, needing to check if we had been heard. When I was sure that there was no one about, I stepped back from the sight of the widow and looked down at my sisters. My hand prints stood out sharply against Tina’s pale skin, almost looking like a necklace with the complete circle they formed. Tears fell down both their faces as they huddled together and silently cried. Walking over to them, I knelt down until I was even with them .“Stop your tears now and pull yourselves together. Both