Liana was too shocked to cry. She looked from the white-clothed men on the balcony to Xina's crumpled body on the grass, wondering how someone so powerful could be gone, just like that.

And then a wave of emotions hit her- sharp, hot spikes of anger, swirls of anguish and remorse and regret, cold, dripping worry. She saw Iris scream, the lawn explode into chaos, the white men firing at any Blueblood they could find. Thumps of bodies falling around her, the same way Xina's had as she tumbled over the balcony.

She curled her hand in a fist, reaching for her knives, but then she remembered she had a more powerful ability.

Her mind.

Liana clenched her hand, crushing the guns that had killed her people only seconds earlier. The white- clothed men stumbled back in surprise as the Outcasts surged towards them relentlessly, but no one got close. She twisted her wrist sharply, sending her knives into the heart of all but one of the men. Bluebloods scrambled away from her in terror as she levitated the final man off the balcony, stepping towards him with her hand outstretched.

"Tell me everything you know."

She was surprised that his eyes showed no panic, but instead he glared at her with fierce hate. "No."

Liana opened her fingers, and all the knives soared towards his face. "I thought you were smart, Commander." She spat the word at him like it was poison.

Blackthorne narrowed his eyes. "You."

"I'd start talking if I were you," Liana threatened, hovering the knives by his throat. Her gaze was clouded with hate and pain, but she could still see his red-tinted face.

"Like I'm going to tell an evil little girl with magic powers anything," he scoffed.

"Oh, really?" Liana closed her fist, contracting his diaphragm. "You've killed hundreds! And you call me evil?" she clenched her hand tighter, and he squealed, gasping for breath.

"Liana."

A voice divided the dark cloud in her vision, and she swiveled to see Taylor, his face brimming with concern. Everyone around her took a step back, and she saw horror on their faces. Even Iris was looking at her with wary eyes.

She dropped Blackthorne, letting him crumple and breathe a couple strangled coughs. "I'm not sorry."

Taylor shook his head, keeping his eyes focused on her. He was like her tether, drawing her back from a swarm of rage. "Don't stoop to their level, Liana."

She clutched her head as a throbbing headache enveloped her. Dropping to her knees, she could see Kian and Travis grabbing Blackthorne and dragging him towards the main building. A few others rushed to Xina's body, and more cried for medics as they leaned over their comrades' fallen bodies. But most skittered away from Liana, as if she was the monster.

Liana took a few deep breaths before she collapsed on her side, giving way to the exhaustion and pain building in her head. The last thing she saw before drifting off was Taylor's worried look... laced with something else.

Fear.