Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54625 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54625 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
“Perhaps,” she agreed. “But you didn’t need to use your powers then.”
“I didn’t even know I had powers then,” I admitted, watching something flash across my mother’s face—confusion, anger? Maybe it was a combination of the two.
“When did your father tell you?”
“After he died,” I told her. This time, the look that flashed seemed to resemble pain. Maybe she really had cared for my father. That was sweet. And incredibly sad.
She opened her mouth to speak, but paused, head tilting, listening. “Your witch is returning. I must go.”
“Wait!” I said, heart surging.
“Yes?”
How could I tell her that I had a million questions, that I wanted to be in contact with her, that I would love to get to know her?
“How do I get ambrosia?” I asked. “When I run out,” I clarified.
To that, she gave me a soft smile. Almost like she could hear the words I was not saying.
“I will bring it to you. Can’t have you angering Hades again by sneaking into the Underworld, now, can we?” she asked.
Then she was all shadows.
By the time Aggy opened the door, she was gone completely.
Aggy’s nose wrinkled. “It smells strange in here,” she decided.
“Oh, that’s… my drink,” I admitted as she dropped an armful of snacks and drinks onto the foot of the bed. It looked like she’d wiped out the whole vending machine.
“Where did that come from?”
“Um, well, my mother,” I admitted.
“I didn’t see anyone leave.”
“You wouldn’t have. She has, you know, shadow powers too.”
“You’re one of them, aren’t you? Just not an evil dickhead.”
A surprised laugh escaped me at that. “I’m… partly them. A demigod, not a full one.”
“Hmm,” Aggy said, shoving a sour cream and onion chip into her mouth. “So, who’s your mom?”
“Nyx.”
“No shit?” she asked, brows raising. “Wait… then…”
“Yeah, they’re all related to me,” I admitted. “Unfortunately,” I added, thinking of the body I’d seen and smelled in the cellar. “But hopefully Nemesis is evening things out now.”
“So, is that drink what finally woke you up? Not to complain, but I had to drag you in here. Like… literally drag you. I thought you were dying.”
“Apparently, I need this drink to kind of… function, I guess.”
Or maybe I could do more than function. If just one drop was enough to revive me so much, imagine what an actual sip might do.
I could try that out, I decided, reaching for the bottle, taking a sniff, then having a sip.
It was like a hug from the inside out. It wove warm threads through my blood, my organs, my bones, my soul.
“Whoa. Weird.”
“What?” I asked, looking at Aggy.
“You just… got less pale immediately. Those smudges under your eyes are gone.”
“I wish it could work for you too,” I said, looking at her. So malnourished and exhausted. Though she had clearly bathed and stolen some of my clothes for herself.
“I’ll be fine now that I’m out,” Aggy said, shrugging. “Though, with the world going to hell, I’m worried I won’t ever be able to get a decent iced caramel latte anymore…”
“It’s getting bad out there,” I agreed.
“So… where is he?” she asked, making my gaze shoo back to her.
“Where is who?”
“The dude whose crap is scattered around?” she clarified, gesturing vaguely.
“Oh. I… don’t know. He was with me earlier. We were supposed to save you and free Nemesis together. Then he disappeared.”
“Is he your boyfriend or something?”
“Or something.”
“Did you have a fight?”
“No. No, things were good. We literally went into Hell together. He was… I don’t think he would have left me willingly.”
To that, Aggy nodded.
“Well, we could look for him,” she suggested. “Maybe… tomorrow, though? I haven’t slept more than an hour or two at a time in a year.”
I didn’t want to wait.
Not with how good I was finally feeling.
But, I reminded myself, Daemon was immortal. He would be okay for a couple more hours.
“Of course,” I agreed.
“Do you mind?” she asked, reaching for the remote. “I missed an entire season of my show.”
“Knock yourself out,” I said, smiling as she gathered her food, then came to sit next to me against the headboard, munching and drinking and watching a show.
Her relief was palpable, even if she was playing it down. I couldn’t imagine what she’d been through for so long under the gods’ thumbs.
After meeting Arick, and now Aggy, I was left to wonder what the future held for witches and warlocks in this world. If they were so sought after by the gods—even ones as powerful as Zeus himself—how could they all possibly hide and protect themselves?
“I can practically hear your thoughts,” Aggy said, making me stiffen. “Relax,” she said, smiling at me. “I actually can’t. But you’re doing a lot of thinking.”
“I am.”
“About your guy?”
“About you, actually. And those like you. I met a warlock recently who was fighting off Zeus himself.”
“He must be a powerful warlock.”