Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
His smile practically glittered and, strangely, it seemed utterly genuine. Almost comforting.
I said nothing. Showed no emotion. Everything I was feeling sank down into my depths, hidden away lest it give my captors more poison for the tips of their weapons. An easy trick, really. A learned trait, almost, something I’d been doing since before my teens. These people, no matter how extravagant, wouldn’t get any information from me.
The man winked, as though we were sharing a joke. “Give me all you’ve got, love,” he said. “It’s been an absolute bore of a journey. I thought I might get away for a bit, knock out this detail and check in with my home kingdom. You know, just to see if it was still a piece of shit. It is, obviously. But the alpha is very . . .”
He made some sort of gesture and an expression that didn’t do much to help me understand his meaning.
“But now . . .” He smoothed his velvet lapels with a slow hand. “This makes more sense, doesn’t it? I think it does. I was in a demon sex castle—and then a demon sex dungeon!—for too long to live a sedentary life. Put me to the test, my darling. I am ready and waiting.”
He crossed an ankle over his knee and pursed his lips at me, as though still conveying some sort of message.
My mind had stuttered over “demon sex castle” and now I just stared blankly. The only thing I could grasp was that this man’s jacket would throw Raz for an absolute loop. He’d hate the very sight of it at first, but after using the product yet again, he’d be enraptured. With that jacket, he wouldn’t be so worried about the glow of a flower . . .
A wave of pain and worry washed through me, wondering what happened to the town. To Raz. We weren’t friends—he didn’t even like me—but we’d been work associates for years. I cared what happened to him, to his family. I hoped he was okay and that they’d leave him be.
The memory of finding Granny swept through my mind again and I withered from the onslaught. I’d lost my only family. Again. With her, I would also lose the only community that had welcomed me, maybe grudgingly, but mostly peacefully. They hadn’t run me out. That was saying something for someone like me.
An image welled up in my mind, threatening to pull me under. My mother’s face. All the blood. The flames.
Run, Aurelia. Save yourself. Run! Don’t look back. Don’t think of me—of this—until you get to safety, do you hear me? Keep going until you finally make a new life for yourself. Her grip on my arms had been so tight. Her expression, blood trailing down her cheeks like tears, so urgent. Only then can you think of me, do you understand, Aurelia? Only then should you remember me. Not before. Resurrect me in your memories and I will live again, but only if you survive this day. I’m counting on you, my heart. Run now! Please, RUN!
I blinked through sudden tears, the man before me swimming in my vision.
He put his hand to his heart, leaning forward a little, peering at my face. The tip of the spear inched forward, still directed at me.
Keep going until you finally make a new life for yourself.
It was happening again. My world was burning around me.
Get to safety.
I was older now, though, and the experience of last time had hardened me. Alexander’s punishments had sharpened the point and dulled my receptivity to pain. My mother would continue to live on and now I would carry Granny with me as well, keeping them in this world with my nightly prayers and moments of reflection.
I could survive this. I had to, or their memories would be lost.
First, I stoppered the tears. Crying was useless. It took valuable time, energy and brain power. It made me slow. I couldn’t allow myself the luxury right now.
Next, I re-tucked away all irrelevant emotion and information. The pain of the past was nothing but a shadow. Only this moment mattered.
Finally, I allowed my anger to move to the forefront of my mind, where it quickly boiled to rage. In this moment, I was being held captive. Either they’d try to kill me soon or they’d take me for their own gains. Anger would make me sharp. They were the enemy, and enemy deserved no quarter.
“See?” The man removed his hand from his heart and pointed at me. He leaned back, crinkling his nose. “That, right there, is why I hold the spear. They said you don’t have access to your animal?” He didn’t wait for my response, not that I planned to give one. “Well, the last time something like this happened, that woman happened to be a rage-monger dragon and I was lucky she didn’t take it out on me. Although . . .” He paused in thought for a moment. “I guess we had a lot more distractions at that time. Orgies and demons and pegging—it was a nightmare.” He brightened up. “Cheers!”