Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75539 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75539 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
A cold, cruel shiver crawled down my spine.
Cassius had gone quiet. He looked out to the street, as if he were wishing he were anywhere else but here.
“Do you know anyone else connected to this group?” Xavier asked. His tone had shifted to one of urgency. He must have realized that Kalen wasn’t going to keep entertaining us for much longer. My pulse quickened. We had to leave here with more answers if we wanted a shot at stopping this.
“They keep the identities of everyone a secret. Even when we were in the testing facility, they had a Marvel weave illusion spells on all of us. Only the Carpenter was cocky enough to show his true face.”
“But the testing facility is here? In Los Angeles?” I asked. The clock on the wall said it was three o’clock. We’d been here for an hour already.
Kalen shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t fucking know!” He screeched so loud that I was sure the windows would shatter. “They lied to me. They used me. I don’t want to remember that time, don’t want to speak about it. Now, go! I’ve had enough. Please, go.” Kalen rose from the couch. He was inches shorter than Xavier and built to be about half his size, but he didn’t cower from the golden dragon. He instead pushed him backward, two thin and scarred hands falling on Xavier’s chest.
Xavier only moved a foot or two but didn’t turn to leave. “I’m sorry for what happened to you, Kalen. I truly am. And I want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. Is there anything you can remember, anything you can say that would help us find the location of this lab?”
Kalen opened his mouth, about to screech again. But no ear-piercing sound came out. Instead, he began to cry. It started as sniffles before shifting into full-blown tears. “I just wanted my Rachel back. My only daughter. My link to her dead mother. They promised, they promised.” He grabbed one of the Rachel figurines and launched it across the room. It hit a framed photo and sent glass flying through the air. A tiny shard nicked my cheek. I pressed a hand against the sudden sting. A frantic look entered Kalen’s eyes.
“You want information? Then go find that psychotic wolf shifter. Find him and make him pay for the lies he fed me, the pain he put me through.”
Cassius shifted next to me. “Guys…”
Xavier’s attention was pinned on Kalen. “Then help us find him. What else can you remember? What else can you tell us?”
“Nothing!”
“Hey, you guys—”
“There has to be something,” Xavier pressed.
Kalen began to shift. More feathers sprouted around his head. His mouth started to take on a beak form. Talons appeared instead of fingers. He lashed out with his hand, slicing through air. “Out!”
“Guys!” Cassius shouted. He pointed at the window. “They’re running toward us!”
Kalen screeched again. Xavier and I both turned to see where Cassius had been pointing, but it was too late. Then came a crash. The door was blown off the hinges, and wood splintered through the air. A vampire and a knife-wielding man came rushing in. Xavier threw a hand across my chest and pushed me back. I saw gold mist begin to float around his hands. He was moments away from turning back time. It would give us an advantage. He’d be able to protect us.
But the vampire was quicker. He launched a small bag directly at Xavier’s face. Dark red dust blew through the air. It stung my eyes and tasted like bitter coins on my tongue. Xavier coughed, stepped back, wobbled.
There were no more gold sparks. His color paled, eyes wide.
“Dragonsbane,” he choked out before he fell to his knees.
Chapter 18
Slow Down
Xavier
The Dragonsbane had an instant effect. It was as if a thick, dark curtain dropped over my being. I couldn’t access any of my powers. I couldn’t create weapons, couldn’t summon sand, couldn’t turn back time. Even my inner dragon had gone silent. My legs gave out. My knees slammed into the ground. I threw my hands out to catch myself as I fell forward. Kalen gave a series of frightened screeches, yelling about protecting his Rachels.
Helpless. Defenseless. I was useless.
Not good when a crazed vampire and his dagger-wielding friend were running directly toward me.
I couldn’t move. I couldn’t protect Blake, couldn’t protect Cassius. This was the worst-case scenario personified.
The vampire extended her arms, her hands about to latch around my neck. I pushed up off the floor, but my arms were useless. My face hit the ground.
A tuft of fur brushed against my cheek. Blake, in his wolf form, had launched himself through the air. He jumped over me and landed hard on the vampire’s chest. His jaws clamped down onto her shoulder as they both fell to the floor, the vampire shouting out in anger. He pinned her down, blood coloring his white snout.