The woman behind me made a sound that was part sob, part whimper. "Marcus, please—"
"Silence," he snapped, not even bothering to look at her. His attention was focused entirely on me, and it felt like being examined by a particularly intelligent snake. "I wasn't speaking to you, pet."
Pet. The word made my skin crawl, but it also made something hot and vicious unfurl in my chest. This bastard had been keeping her, my birth mother, chained up like an animal, torturing her, breaking her down piece by piece.
My shadows started moving without any conscious direction from me, spreading outward like spilled ink. They whispered against the stone floor, reaching toward Marcus with obvious intent.
He noticed, of course, and a smile spread across his face.
"Oh yes," he purred, taking another step forward. "I can see why Aldric is so interested in you. Such power, and so poorly controlled. You're going to be absolutely delightful to break."
