Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 137871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 689(@200wpm)___ 551(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 689(@200wpm)___ 551(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
“Isaiah took Cybil?”
Juniper’s brow pinched as the scent of regret filled the car. “I told Dane my magick was limited, but he didn’t believe me.”
Adriel laid a hand on her arm. “It’s not your fault. Cybil is no longer meant for this world. She can’t be saved.”
“What about the other thing?”
“Isaiah is far beyond redemption. Both of them should have been put down long ago.”
They were silent for a long moment until Adriel asked, “Was Dane the one who fed—”
“No.”
When she said nothing more on the subject, Adriel instinctively reached into her mind—
Juniper jerked her body toward the door, and the car swerved. “Hey, back off!”
Adriel gasped, pressing her hand to her temple. “What was that?”
“What was what? You’re the one who came at me.”
“You deflected me.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
But she had. There was some sort of barrier protecting her mind from trespassers, which meant that if someone abused her, they did so without the anesthetic of compulsion. That only left force.
Shaking off the ache in her head, Adriel asked, “You won’t tell me who hurt you?”
“I can’t. I never saw his face.”
If an immortal had Juniper’s blood in their system, they would be able to track her. “Do you think they’ll come after you?”
Silence stretched as the scent of regret shifted to pungent anger. Juniper’s grip tightened on the wheel, the color bleaching from her knuckles.
“Let them. My hands aren’t tied anymore. As soon as I get settled, I intend to figure some shit out. No one will ever get me in a cell again. I plan to make sure of it.”
Adriel appreciated her honesty and believed Juniper would seek the protection she needed to feel safe again. “To relieve your guilt about Dane, Cybil is undead. She does not need to breathe consistently to live. Her lungs will pump again as long as her head and heart remain intact.”
“That’s how you do it?”
Adriel frowned. “Pardon?”
“Kill a vampire. You need to cut off their head or rip out their heart?”
While she wanted to once again argue the terminology, she was startled by her preoccupation with death. “Take my advice, Juniper. Knowing how to end an immortal life and possessing the capabilities to do so are two very different things.”
She glanced at Adriel nervously. “Will you try to kill him, the one that’s after you?”
The breath in her lungs turned heavy like a cold mist. “Cerberus is older and stronger than me. I will do whatever I need to do to survive him, but he is not easily destroyed.” And if she couldn’t accomplish that, she would find peace in leaving this world.
Juniper shifted lanes again. There seemed to be fewer vehicles on the road than earlier. “I’m glad Dane’s sister is still alive.”
“For Dane’s sake?”
The witch nodded.
Adriel could not match her sentiment. Cybil was perhaps closer to being vampire than anything else. After her brutal transition, her soul was lost. Dane refused to accept that his little sister, the last of his mortal family, was gone, so he clung to the hope that he might one day save her.
“If Isaiah took her, I don’t know how long she has.”
Juniper frowned. “I don’t know about that. The way that thing acted with Dane… It was like he was trying to protect her. He saw Dane as the threat. I don’t think he wanted to hurt her.”
“Isaiah has committed unspeakable atrocities. I assure you, he is not protecting that child—may God have mercy on her soul.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in God.”
“I never said that. I said my faith had crumbled long ago. I believe in a God, but I don’t necessarily believe He is good and always on our side.”
“I can respect that.” She shook her head, her brow scrunching as she watched the road. “I can’t stop picturing it. He carried her off like a rag doll. Maybe it’s best she doesn’t know what’s going on.” Glancing at Adriel, she asked, “How long can you guys play dead?”
“I wouldn’t categorize it as playing. There is pain and then…emptiness. Peace. It’s disorienting when we come back, but… I think Cybil’s mind’s beyond the point of addling.”
Adriel shut her eyes, recalling the many times she’d gasp back to life only to find herself still in the grip of her vicious mate.
The thought of Cerberus filled her with unease. He was still out there. Adriel wished she knew how far behind he was or if he had a handle on their location. She wasn’t sure shelter would bring any real peace, but she was anxious to reach their next destination.
“How much longer do you expect we’ll be traveling?”
“About an hour. Maybe two before we find a house for you to dazzle. Why?” Juniper glanced at Adriel. “Do you have to pee?”
“No. I, um, will need to feed.”
Juniper’s horrified expression preceded the wild thumping of her racing heart. “Don’t look at me. I’m not on the menu.”