Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Higher and higher, we flew. He tried to shake me off him. Everything was happening so fast. I latched onto the invisible thing with my other hand. Whatever it was I wouldn’t let go. Cold and slick, it was hard to hold on.
Don’t let go. Don’t let go.
My body whipped in the air.
He slammed me against the tree.
I dug my nails into cold flesh.
“Argh!” he cried out.
Higher, I rose. He dragged me against a tree, ripping my skin with icy bark. I bit through the pain and dug those fingers even more. Whatever I gripped, I would tear the fuck off.
It must’ve been working.
The sounds of the forest returned.
Some of his magic must’ve gone.
The wind blew hard and loud. Branches crackled. Wolves howled. And off in the distance, Faith screamed, “Help! Mama! Daniel! Somebody!”
That was all I needed. My baby’s voice yelling into the night sky—lost and hopeless. Scared out of her mind.
We lowered. He’d proven that he could fly, but my fingers were fucking up his focus. Something kicked my head. I guarded the next blow and knew I’d been right earlier.
I have his ankle. Good. I’m going to break his fucking leg.
As he whipped us through the trees, slamming me and kicking my back.
I gripped that leg hard with one hand and brought my own pain. Jabs to his knee. Slams to what I hoped to be his thigh or maybe crotch. All I knew was that I smashed my fist into something and met cold flesh.
Snow blinded my view, but I didn’t stop. I punched and he kicked and we both smashed into a branch and fell to the ground.
“No!” he screamed.
Jesus. God. This is pain!
I lay on the ground. Something thumped on my side.
Is he up or did he fall by me?
Fear laced my heart. I would have to get up and fast or that would be the end of me and everything. Addie Mae still needed my help. Faith too. I had to grab for any energy I had left and end this fucker.
I spit blood and shoved myself onto my side. Every part of me ached. I’d broken something. There was just so much injury, I wasn’t sure what was sprained and what was shattered.
More blood spilled out of my mouth, causing my words to come out garbled. “Where are you?!”
I waited for his response.
None came.
Luckily, the flowers had been waiting. They must’ve been following our fight the whole time. All of them rolled toward where we’d crashed. They headed our way fast, triggering a thundering tremble to rock my whole body.
Buzzing sounded around them.
He’s on the ground! He must be. They’re too excited.
They headed right for me. Some rolling over my chest. Bile rose in my throat.
And then this Remy screamed right on my side. “What is this?! No!”
The flowers opened. Those wicked tongues jutted out and lapped at the air. Blue sludge dripped from the blooms as they licked and sucked on something that I couldn’t see.
“Get them off me! Get them off me!”
More blooms arrived and began feasting. They never bit or gnawed. It was just licking, sucking, and sipping. I wanted to look away, but couldn’t. I had to see this entire thing to the end.
And then a man’s image appeared among the licking blooms.
Haunting white flesh and glowing blue eyes. He had a bald head and massive arms.
He batted the blooms away, but they wouldn’t go. They were stuck to him and not interested in stopping their sucking.
It was a sick and twisted dance. Him twisting and turning, swaying and hitting. No matter where he moved the flowers flowed back to him like magnets. Had we been deep in the ocean, I would’ve compared them to a school of flesh-licking fish. They moved together and focused on the same goal—sucking Remy’s skin.
“Get them off me!” He limped my way. His face frantically searched the air. “Hurry, before she comes.”
Help him? He’s magical, but not that smart.
“She’s coming!” Terror glazed over those blue eyes. “Help me.”
“Who’s coming, you piece of shit?” It took all my energy to get off the ground.
“The women of disguises.”
“I don’t know who that is. Where’s Faith? That’s who I want. Where is she?” I stumbled to him, ready to punch him some more. “Where’s Faith?!”
“No! Stop this!” Remy kicked two flowers off him. They fell to the ground and then leaped back on him. “I can’t help, if you don’t stop this!”
“Help?” I closed some of the distance between us but didn’t get too close. I still wasn’t certain one of those things wouldn’t jump on me and start licking my skin too. “Help you? I want Faith and then maybe I’ll help you.”
“She’s safe.”
“Where?”
Tiring from fighting the blooms, he fell to the ground.
I hobbled over and fell to the ground too. “Where is she?”