CHAPTER 39 The Shadow ey" ou eat meat raw?” I question, the deep note of my tone traveling across the table. Everyone quietens. “Well, of course not!” Daniel booms, laughing at what he probably considers a stupid question. “A sacrifice must be made first. Then we drink the blood and take her—” “We don’t get to have fun with her first?” I interrupt, my voice deepening with disappointment. “That’s half the fun, brother.” Eyes shift, glancing at each other, waiting for Daniel’s response to my demands. He stares at me, a slight smile on his face. I cock a brow, waiting for my answer. When I do, Daniel laughs, a pleasant surprise radiating from his face. My own is serious, eyes never straying from Daniel’s. He breaks eye contact first, looking over to where the servant is holding the scared little girl. “Bring her here.” I rest back in my chair, my movements languid and relaxed. On the inside, there’s a war raging—the battlefield in my gut bloody and vicious. I want to tear this entire house down, shredding every sick individual in here with only my hands and teeth. I'll show them what it feels like to be eaten by a monster. The servant hurdles the girl forward, consistently shoving the girl forward due to her digging her little heels in. She knows something bad is coming. But what she doesn’t know is I will do everything in my power to stop that from happening. When the girl reaches us, my hand snaps out, gripping the girl’s tiny wrist in my hand. Her wide eyes jerk to mine, and what I see in them nearly breaks my heart. Her eyes are swirling with sorrow and fear. It’s an expression no child should ever wear on their face. “What’s your name?”