Tasting Darkness

Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 25 - Charles, and two of the scientists, left with her, leavingalone with the bleeding man and Clint. A moment later, one of the scientists returned wheeling a trolley, and he handed it over to Clint. “I'll take care of sof the other test subjects. I'll be back when you've got the sample.” Mr. Bloody grinned as the scientists prepared the electrodes and set up the equipment, plugging it all in. My heartbeat pounded like a drum. | recognized the device, it had been used on Darius when he was a child. The scientist frowned and handed a bloody hospital gown that gaped in the front to Mr. Bloody. “She needs to be turned over, make her wear that.” Before | could object, | was yanked up and the offending outfit was shoved onto me, before the brick of a man slammed my back against the cold metal, and he used his weight to holddown until he tiedup with black leather restraints. “Better?” he challenged Clint. “I'm going for a smoke, I'll be back.” He leaves the two of us | alone, and | can’t stop the excitement threatening to spiral through me. My plan was about to take another step forward.

Clint nodded. He set about attaching headgear tothat had wires connected to the control pad in front of him and adjusted the strap. He pauses at my cold stare, his lip twitching. “Do you think a glare is enough to stop this? There is no pity left infor someone like you. My wife was murdered by that bastard Xandrius. Watching his son’s mate suffer will bringmore joy than anything this world has to offer.” He sneers as he speaks, tightening the cap until the restraints are cutting into me.

He stepped back, admiring his work and all the black wires that crisscrossed my body from the helmet and all the leads that have been attached to me. He moved back to the small trolley and gavea grin as he twisted the dial.

| smile a moment before the electricity zips up the line. For being her loyal scientists, my mother sure did hire morons. My Lycus’s ability was to manipulate electricity. All the volts this little machine could produce combined wouldn't be able to hurt me. No, all he was managing, was to makeeven more powerful.

He froze, glaring at me, then at the wires. He twists the button off then checks each wire, each lead, he searched for sreason | hadn't reacted to his torture. Shaking his head, he returns to his seat and pushes the power button again, twisting the dial as far as he can, his eyes narrowed as if he could makesuffer through sheer strength of will.

He looked up to check how the session was going when | smiled at him.

He gasped, trying to back away. I'm not the only one in this cell anymore. My shadow serpent slithers out of my skin and curls up into my lap, its tongue tasted the air. Slowly it turned to regard the scientist.

Clint jumped out of his chair, scrambling at his control station and twisted, slamming any button he could. | could feel the currents zipping through me, but instead of any harm being done, all he’s done is recharged me. My serpent rose from my lap, and slithered closer to the man.

“This isn’t happening.” Clint rubbed the sweat pouring off him onto his shoulder. “You are powerless, | saw that myself. The serum must be makinghallucinate again.” | wasn’t sure if he was trying to convinceor himself. “Yes, that’s it,” he nodded and reached for another device on the trolley. He cback to my side and hooked up his latest toy.

My serpent hissed, and it grew in size until it was standing just as tall as he does. Through the mist of the creature, | got to enjoy Clint turn around to grab something else off his trolley and cface to face with my little pet.

Clint screamed and jerked backward, hitting the glass panel of the cell next door.

The girl that lived there watched my snakes with a wicked smile on her face. There was no doubt she knew it was me, but she was enjoying watching the scientist freak out as he tried to reason what he was experiencing. My neighbor is yet another Harmony-Fae and | give her a wink. Instead of returning it, she glanced in the direction of the hall. | looked over there too, but | don’t sense anything and there were no auras coming near us.

It was the perfect chance to unleash more power. My veins wriggled under my skin and the entire floor was covered in my precious shadow snakes. Clint’s eyes went impossibly wide, and he shrieked, running for the closed cage door, and nearly knocked himself out with it when he noticed the door wasn’t open. He yanked it open, slamming and locked it onbefore running down the hall like his ass was on fire, and my neighbor burst out laughing.

| grinned at her, giving her a slight nod as we listened to the melody of his screams for help. | let the shadows drop, and she glanced back in the direction he ran before turning toand mouthing a warning. “They are coming.” | nodded and played dead on the gurney and drop my head to the side, giving my best half-dead impression from all the so-called torture I'd just received. | even went so far as to let my drool drip off my face.

My mother threw the cage door open and stomped her way over to She grabbed a fistful of my hair and jerked my head back, studying me. “She looks subdued enough to me!” she snarls to the shivering Clint.

| rolled my eyes to the back of my head and let my body twitch. | was going to enjoy Clint’s howls of torture.