Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Brushing any remaining breadcrumbs from my hands, I returned to the bed. I stretched out, careful not to poke myself with the daggers hidden in my pockets.
Viktor stopped pacing and focused all his intensity on me. Or through me.
“My firebrand,” he muttered. “Beautiful. Trouble.”
Right back at you, bud. The ‘trouble’ part, I meant. And yeah, okay, the beautiful part, too. His features were way too harsh when examined one by one, but all together, they dazzled. And those muscles…
Anyway. With a little finesse, I bet I could convince him to return me to Aurelian Hills and force Malachi to share what he knew about my birth parents. If I could make the other king rue the day he’d kidnapped me, even better.
After a while, my lids drifted close, and I didn’t resist. I wouldn’t let myself fall asleep, becoming vulnerable. Rather, I’d use the time to recharge, so I’d better deal with Viktor. A quick mental and emotional reset…
I dreamed the dream.
A thick fog enveloped the night sky. Despite the haze, I had no problem detecting the stars. Perhaps because I floated in the ether without an anchor, yet somehow I also stood on solid ground. The hem of my wispy white gown billowed at my ankles.
Before me towered a shirtless warrior sculpted with a wealth of hard-cut muscle. For the first time, I saw his face, and my entire body reacted as if I’d stuck my finger into an electrical outlet. Nerve endings sang.
Viktor Endris.
He said nothing, but then, no words were needed. I knew in the depths of my being. For the greater good, I must place my life in his hands.
Some of the fog around us thinned, and I spotted the weapon he clutched. A long double-edged sword he kept pointed down.
A question drifted through my mind. Am I willing to die to save him, our loved ones and even our worlds?
Dream me rasped, “For the greater good, I will do this,” and sank to her knees.
Another first: I saw what happened next.
Dream Viktor jutted his stubborn chin and repeated my words. “For the greater good, I will do this.”
He raised the sword high in the air, as if he intended to–
Swing.
I awoke with a gasp. My heart pounded at warp speed. I was panting, breath sawing between my lips. Sensing a presence, I jolted upright.
Viktor sat on a trunk pulled next to the bed, twirling two daggers in his hands. Bright morning sunlight filtered through holes and seams in the tent.
I’d slept all night while a berserker played with his weapons a few feet away? Yikes.
The vestiges of the dream faded to mist, to be dissected later. Right now, the king glared bloody murder at me. I poured through my options: run, run fast or run faster.
“Don’t,” he barked, predicting my decision to go with option three. He set the weapons aside, rested his elbows on his knees, and linked his fingers.
Okay. All right. Without the blades, I didn’t mind staying put and looking him over. He’d bathed, his hair damp and his clothes clean. Today, he wore a plain black T-shirt that covered his wealth of tattooed strength. His eyes possessed no glaze or gold, and his glare became a soft stare.
Unfortunately, the lack of aggression caused me to notice details I’d previously missed. Like how long and thick his lashes were. The perfect frame for those wild green irises. His aquiline nose complimented his stubborn jaw. And his lips. Wow. They couldn’t be as luscious as they appeared. Nothing could.
My skin flushed. He was something far better than beautiful right now. He was crazy sexy hot. “Good, um, morning.”
Silent, he held my gaze, daring me to look elsewhere.
Trembling a little, I smoothed locks of hair from my face and realized I still wore my tank and shorts. But dang it, the daggers I’d stolen were missing. Well, not missing, per se. He’d been twirling them a moment ago. I recognized the carvings on the handles.
Irritation bloomed. “Are you just gonna ogle me or is there something you’d like to say?”
“After a night spent in contemplation, I have concluded you are not my firebrand,” he stated simply.
I almost snorted. “Okay, sugar pop. Whatever you need to tell yourself.” Mental gymnastics couldn’t hide the truth for long. “What’s for breakfast?”
He snapped his teeth at me. “I cannot deny your presence comes with certain…benefits.”
“Yeah, you’ve already mentioned the fog and the whispers, neither of which I understand.” But. Hmm. My dream. In it, I always dealt with a fog, too. Could our experiences be connected? “But don’t forget, I’ve seen what happens when you’re trantruming and I approach. I’m one hundred percent your firebrand.”
Shock of shocks, he let the taunt slide. “A thick, agitating fog has enveloped my mind for centuries. Some days it’s thicker than others. A necessary evil. Through it, the Valkara helps me see what I need to see. Our relationship. The future.” He paused. “The end. Does that ease your confusion?”