Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 145721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Then he sank his fangs into her wrist. She hated herself for the gasp that escaped her mouth. Blood flowed from her veins, and then he went deeper. This time, her gasp became a scream as he gulped down the blood.
With a satisfied sigh, he wrenched back. Her blood just barely tinted the edges of his mouth.
The venom hit her system like a shot of espresso. Where pain had been only seconds earlier, now there was nothing. She’d never been bitten before, but she had heard from enough people to know the sensation was like a mix of alcohol and ecstasy. A little drunk, a lot aroused. She’d thought nothing could be as bad as wish powder. But she would take that every day over the blanket that was thrown over her senses now.
“Delicious,” King Louis said. The raucous cheer from the crowd brought her back to reality. “And full of power.” He took a deep breath and spread his arms. “Brimming with power. With you and my spear, I’ll be unstoppable. We’ll end the Monster Treaty. We’ll take back what was ours.”
Kierse swayed on her feet.
He laughed at her, tipping his head at his minions. They released her, and she stumbled forward.
“The venom works swiftly,” King Louis informed her. “Mine in particular is incredibly potent, as you can tell.” He gestured to the girls at his feet.
Her eyes were unsteady as she looked for an exit. She still hadn’t seen Graves. What was he waiting for?
“I assure you. No one is coming for you,” he said with a sinister edge as if he knew her thoughts. “You’re mine.”
He put a steadying hand on her back. She tried to wrench away, but his grip was firm.
“Come along. Let me show you my other prize. You can’t touch it anyway,” King Louis explained. “No one can get through my young apprentice’s wards.”
So, King Louis didn’t know about her powers. He only knew what Mafi had told him about her blood absorbing magic. Good.
She needed to stay coherent. If only she could shift into slow motion and burn the venom off—but it wouldn’t come. Her magic was as sluggish as her senses, and all she could do was follow King Louis toward the box.
Her breath caught even in her addled state as she looked inside the clear glass and got her first real look at the spear.
It was somehow more ordinary than she had expected and more glorious. The blade was about a foot long, razor-sharp with little adornment. It was attached to a dark wooden handle that showed no signs of wear despite its age.
Her heart thudded. So much energy put into acquiring this one item, and finally it was right before her.
“Wow,” she breathed despite herself.
“Isn’t it glorious?”
King Louis raised his hands and began a diatribe about the spear and his rightful place at the head of their maniacal monster organization. Kierse was barely able to stand, but she knew her cue when she saw it.
With a quick lunge, she pushed her hand through the wards of the box and wrapped her fingers around the spear.
A tidal wave hit her. The vampire venom in her system evaporated upon contact. Suddenly, her addled senses sharpened. Her slow motion sat so close to the surface that it practically shimmered in front of her in a haze of gold energy. Filaments of light dotted every bare scrap of skin, revealing all the magic she’d absorbed. For a second, she felt as if she could suck all the magic out of this very room like a vacuum just by concentrating hard enough.
Oh yes, this was the spear they had been looking for.
It hummed with untapped energy. Magic so depthless as to be overpowering. As if lightning were trapped in the blade, desperate to be released. As if it recognized her. The spear had a will of its own, and right now it wanted to release its power. She had to force down the desire to do just that.
Use me. Wield me. Unleash me.
And oh, it was tantalizing.
Oh, how I have longed for you. Destroy our enemies.
How many times had she wanted something to give her the power to destroy her enemies? She’d wanted her parents to come back and save her from poverty. She’d wanted someone to come and stop Jason in her darkest moments. She’d wanted someone to take care of her after she was broken so that she didn’t have to steal any longer. She’d wanted a safe city and safe streets and no monsters.
But wishes were for the weak.
She pushed back against that hum—that draw to its energy. The spear bucked against her, angry that she was imposing her will against its own. She had to remain like steel, building an impenetrable shield against its nature. Then she locked the door and buried the spear’s energy behind it. Finally, it settled.