Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 99529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
I leaned my head to the side. “What are you talking about?”
“For as long as I’ve lived. . .I’ve heard legends about the Returned. People who die and come back with stars in their skin.”
Camille raised her arm and studied it. “I think I died or came close, but I definitely returned. And my skin. . .I don’t know.”
Ian gazed down at Phinova. “Shut up. I won’t do that.”
I blinked.
Is he talking to her?
Ian looked back up at me and cleared his throat. “Anyway, we should go to mage territory.”
She nodded and put her view on me. “I really think connecting with the mages is a good idea.”
I sighed. “Then we’ll sneak into mage territory at dusk.”
“No.” Ian held up his hand before him. “We’ll do it during daylight. We don’t have time. We’ll rest in Tribe Flame’s land. They’re the closest and Phinova’s old tribe. They held connections with my father and will be the most willing to talk to vampires compared to the others.”
Camille spoke, “If the other tribes won’t talk to you both, then maybe they’ll talk to me.”
“No. You’re out of this.” I got up and headed to the bathroom. If we were leaving soon, I’d need to shower again and release the ache inside my cock from being next to her yet unable to touch her. “When we arrive at Tribe Flame, you’ll remain with them. Ian and I will continue to build the army. You’ll be far away.”
Camille stirred. “I can’t stay with them, when I need to help you both gather the army and fight along with you—”
“You will not be fighting!” I roared, backed up, and made myself calm down. “You won’t be near that battle or me. I’m done with you being hurt or harmed.”
“I’ll decide what I will and will not do.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
I yearned to fuck her right there, to lay her down on the bed, spread open those thighs, and enter her with no mercy.
“Silence. Stop the back and forth. This is ridiculous.” Ian rose with the corpse in his arms. “Let’s just plan on each day and not think too far ahead. You both acted already with this castle debacle. No more moves unless you talk with me.”
“We didn’t act on anything,” Camille argued. “His mother surprised us in the Quiet King’s room and stabbed me. I told you this.”
“You shouldn’t have been in my brother’s room to begin with.”
“I needed to find out information.”
“Well, now you have it.” Ian displayed Phinova’s spider-webbed face to us. “Nai is insane and has been filling up Phinova’s body with domina blood to preserve her.”
Camille stood as if to get a better look at the dead woman. “And why do you have her?”
“I just do.”
“For what?”
“You wouldn’t understand.” Ian hugged Phinova close to him. “Trust me. I’m not crazy. You. . .you just wouldn’t understand. Now focus on the plan!”
Neither Camille nor I took our eyes away from the dead queen.
Ian backed up to the door. “Have we all agreed?”
“Yes,” Camille and I both said.
“Shower, eat, and pick some of the dominas and guards to journey with us. I will gather all of my men in the sewer. They are still skeletons, but with all the domina blood down here we will be able to change them. Once Xander promises to be their king, they will be released from the sewers.” Ian opened the door. “We’ll also need hands to carry things to trade. We’ll need women to peak the interests of mage chiefs. Camille should be clean, calm, and enchanting as always, since she is mage-kin. She may, in fact, be the person who speaks for us most of the time. Ambi help us.”
“What does that mean?” Camille placed her hands on her hips. “I’m possibly the only sane person in this room. I have no problem speaking for us.”
“Sane? I don’t know about that. I think we all have lost it in the past twenty-four hours. You died and returned. Xander fast forwarded several years of vampire puberty.” Ian retracted his fangs. “It will be a wonder if you two don’t kill each other before we reach the mage territory.”
I frowned.
“You two are crazy.” Ian shook his head and then glared at the corpse. “And that is enough from you.”
Camille widened her eyes. “Is she. . .talking to you?”
“What?” Ian backed up as if we were about to grab the corpse from her. “You just be ready, woman. You and your king. We’ll need to leave in two hours.”
Chapter 14
The Beginning of the Journey
Camille
Xander severed our mental connection as soon as Ian left the room.
I couldn’t deny that an emptiness filled my head. Most of me was happy that my thoughts now belonged to me.
The other part yearned for his presence back in my mind.