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)
“I learned a few things tonight,” she said. “I overheard a little conversation between Missy, Vera, and Kyra. It seems that your speech did a good job of convincing people to back you. Allegedly, most do. Just the same, most believe that Adam wouldn’t truly offer any of his promised rewards and, in any case, they fear you too much to cross you.”
Cain’s hirelings had made that very same assessment.
“Don’t let what happened tonight make you suddenly feel that there are threats to me everywhere. Yes, there will still be some people who are so tempted by the thought of becoming a millionaire that they’ll take their chances. But most people won’t. Most are behind you. And we both know that I can take down any who come for me.”
He rubbed at his nape. He couldn’t even claim she was being overconfident. Not when she was a being that could kill literally anything—including an Ancient. “You could have at least let one of the witches live so I could get my own message across.”
Her lips twitched. “I totally knew you were gonna complain about that. If it had been me who personally dealt with them, I would have kept one of the bitches alive for you. But my monster was behind the wheel, and it pretty much does whatever it wants.”
Cain grunted. “I’ve noticed.” He let out a long sigh. Rage still held him in a tight grip, but it was no longer hot and wild. It was cold. Logical. Controlled. “You and your coven really played catch with Missy’s severed head?”
“While singing ‘Ding Dong the Witch is Dead’.”
He felt one corner of his mouth cant up for the briefest moment. “And whose idea was it?”
“Mine, of course. The best ideas are always mine. The craziest? Usually Delilah’s, though Xavier contributes his fair share of insane suggestions.”
Cain gave a slow shake of the head. Wynter never did what he expected her to do, but he found that he liked that. “I’m almost sorry I missed it. Other things required my attention, as you know.”
“Shit, I forgot to ask, did you have any luck waking Abaddon?”
“No, but we’ll keep trying. It’s all we can do.”
“I truly think your efforts will eventually pay off.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.” Wynter didn’t see how seven beings so unbelievably powerful wouldn’t manage to bring another Ancient out of their Resting state. But she understood why it might be difficult, given how long Abaddon had been under. Snapping people out of comas wasn’t something that people just did.
“You’ll wake him up, and then you’ll get out of this damn cage, and then you’ll kill Adam and all will be well.” She cocked her head. “What will you do with your freedom?”
“Travel a little. You’ll go with me, of course.”
She hiked up an imperious brow. “Is that so? You know, you could try asking rather than telling.” She doubted he’d do it all that often, though. He was a person used to being in charge and dishing out orders, and he’d been that way for an exceptionally long time. Someone like that didn’t suddenly just change. He did usually make an effort to tone his highhandedness down for her, which she appreciated. It was likely the best she could hope for.
“But that would give you the chance to refuse, and I want you with me,” Cain told her. “I don’t want to be away from you. And you wouldn’t want me to go alone in any case, so let’s not pretend differently.”
Rather than concede he was right, she gave him a haughty sniff. “Where is it you want to go?”
“Nowhere in particular.”
He merely wanted to get a taste of freedom, she understood. He wanted to prove to himself that he wasn’t imprisoned anymore; that he could go where he pleased, when he pleased, however he pleased. “But you intend to come back here?”
“Yes. This place was supposed to be strictly a cage, but myself and the other Ancients made it into a home. I’m proud of that. I don’t wish to build another for myself. I’m content to live here. I simply want the walls of the prison gone.”
“Good. This place is a refuge for a lot of people, including me and my coven. I like living here.” She didn’t want to move. Nor did she want her coven to leave here—this was likely the safest place for a bunch of insane fugitives such as them. And it would be no easy thing to get them to leave that cottage anyway. Plus, they’d likely blow it up before they’d let anyone else have it. “Do you think the other Ancients will also travel?”
“Probably, though we won’t all do so at once. Devil’s Cradle needs to be protected, so I suspect there will always be at least four Ancients here at one time. We don’t want others thinking that it’s up for the taking.”