Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 125179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“He would kill you. But not quickly. Not cleanly. You would suffer. And, let’s face it, you’d deserve it for betraying your people, for making them vulnerable at a time of war, and for shitting all over a place that is a sanctuary for many—including you.”
Wynter noticed some people nod, including her coven.
“So think on that,” advised Cain. “Don’t let greed override your common sense. If you do, the consequence would be simple: either Wynter would kill you, her monster would kill you, I would kill you, or—in the unlikely event that you made it to Aeon with a captive in tow—Adam would kill you. In short, no matter the case, you would die. And it would be as far from painless as painless can get.”
Well.
Chapter Five
As Wynter had anticipated, the meal at Seth’s Keep was a fancy affair. Not simply due to the gourmet food and vintage wine. Every place at the table had an elegant little name card featuring a calligraphic font.
There were multiple knives and forks of various sizes and styles—all so shiny they could double as mirrors. The pretty crystal dishware looked so expensive she’d honestly hesitated to touch it. The classical background music made her miss her regular background dinner noise, even if it was the sounds of her coven members squabbling like kids.
The room sure smelled good, though. The scent of the beeswax candles on the table laced the air, along with the scents of food, pungent wine, and the freshly cut flowers that formed the centerpiece.
The other people seated at the long, mahogany dining table seemed perfectly at ease. Still, conversation was sort of . . . stiff at times. The silences weren’t always comfortable.
Being introduced to Wynter had seemed to pleasantly surprise both Eve and Noah. They’d even seemed a little touched, though more Eve than him. As for Rima? She still behaved somewhat aloof toward Cain and Seth, clearly intent on holding a grudge over the surely-not-so-hard-to-understand fact that she’d once been under suspicion of freeing Saul—like his sister Lailah, he had been one of the four ruling Aeons who’d imprisoned the Ancients. The siblings were now dead.
As she’d talked with and studied the Aeons at the table, Wynter had reached the conclusion that Cain’s assessment of them was correct. Although she’d once lived at Aeon, she’d never spoken a single word to Eve or the twins before now; hadn’t even exchanged nods with them. Mortals simply held little to no interest for Aeons. They were easily ignored and just as easily sentenced to death, much like Wynter and her mother.
Not that Wynter held that against these particular Aeons. They’d had nothing to do with what happened to her or Davina. Abel and his consort, Lailah, were to blame—both had paid for that with their lives. Something which often made Wynter smile.
She actually felt sorry for Eve and the twins. They were permitted to stay at Devil’s Cradle, but they weren’t fully trusted or welcomed by its residents and so hadn’t yet integrated themselves into society. Wynter knew what it was like to stand apart like that. Knew how lonely it could make a person feel. Her old coven had treated her as though she were an outsider for most of her life.
Opposite her, Eve looked up from her meal with a smile and said, “Living at a Keep must be quite strange for you, Wynter. Modern-day houses are quite different, even at Aeon. I never left there until coming here, but there were ways for people to see how the rest of the world looks. I saw houses made mostly of glass, saw some that were like palaces, and even buildings that were higher than any tower I could ever imagine seeing.”
Wynter knew that the woman had “viewed” the outside world by utilizing preternatural methods such as fire-gazing. Cain did it often using the font in his temple. Wynter had found it pretty fascinating to watch as images flickered to life within the flames, providing a kind of satellite view of the globe. He could zoom in on any spot to get a better look. Aeon, however, could not be seen—the Aeons had ways to block it from view. But, just the same, those assholes couldn’t see Devil’s Cradle.
“Modern houses are very different from Keeps,” Wynter confirmed. “But I can’t say that living at Cain’s Keep feels strange.” Nor could she truly say she officially lived there yet, but she saw no need to have that conversation with his family. “I’m not sure I’d love it so much if it was situated above the town where it’s not so easy to regulate the temperature all-year round, though.” Castles weren’t exactly simple to keep warm.
“Yes, there’s a bit of a chill up above now, isn’t there? I don’t like wandering around the town. I’m quite happy exploring the city. Many of the Halloween decorations outside the houses are quite something.”