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)
Addie Mae’s feet hit the ground. “I heard Faith scream and I raced her way.”
“What?” My thought process shifted back to my love. “Where is she now? Did you get her and—”
Most of those faces frowned. “The wolves won’t let me near her.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
I stepped back. “This is your world. Why don’t you know?”
Wind whipped through the trees. She slithered off toward the east without beckoning me to follow.
“There goes all of those questions again,” she said. “We don’t have time for those.”
I hurried behind her. “You can fly.”
“I can do a lot of things.”
The sounds of the icy woods rose in the air. With Remy gone, nature had returned to normal. Dread circled in my chest. There were too many things left undiscovered. For one, Addie Mae didn’t appear worried anymore. She hadn’t even helped me battle Remy.
Why not? What am I missing?
“I need you to get Faith for me.” Addie Mae quickened her pace. “The wolves will let you near them.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re your wolves.”
Things were starting to make sense. “The mojo bag brought them alive?”
“Yes. The bag called to spirits on the land to lead Faith and you to each other. I’d conjured animals for her and you.”
“Wolves grabbed my attention, but no animal led Faith. It was Remy that came alive.”
“Yes.” She led us back to the opening, where the trees ended and the mountains sat off in the distance. “Again. That was my debt.”
“Your debt?”
“I have blood on my hands. . .had I not participated in spreading negativity to this land. . .my conjuring would’ve worked as planned.”
We headed toward the mountains.
Howls sounded.
Thank God, it had stopped snowing. I squinted and spotted a circle of glowing ice wolves lounging on the ground. Faith sat in the center with her arms and feet held in blocks of ice.
“Faith!” I raced away. Done with the mystery of Addie Mae or Remy. I had to make sure she was safe, before caring about anything else.
I had to make sure she was warm and okay. “Faith!”
“Daniel!” She wriggled on the ground, spotted something behind me, and screamed, “No! No!”
I glanced over my shoulder. Addie Mae had remained a foot behind me and hadn’t come closer.
The wolves growled.
Faith continued to scream.
Something isn’t right.
It wasn’t like I could fight Addie Mae. I’d grown up around her. She’d always taken care of me and kept me healed. For god’s sake, she’d returned my love to me.
I should’ve freed Faith in that moment. Should’ve simply focused on saving her and not question anything else. But Addie Mae did not look like herself and Remy had seeped into my head, laying doubt in the corners of my mind. At the bare minimum, the wolves did protect Faith. They saw Addie May as a threat.
Why?
Being that I didn’t think I could keep her safe against her own mother, I decided to figure this out now.
I turned around and had to yell over Faith’s screams. “If you made the spells, then why won’t the wolves let you pass?”
“Because blood covers my hands.”
“Can you give me a clearer answer?”
“I’m not as good as you think.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Remy said you were the villain.”
She glanced off at Faith. Some of the wolves had rose to their feet and bared their teeth at Addie Mae. Those hundreds of heads swayed back and forth, chanting some odd words.
“I am the villain,” she said. “But none of that matters.”
“It matters to me.”
“I wouldn’t hurt you or my daughter.”
“How are you the villain?” I asked.
Faith’s screams ceased. Had she recognized her mother’s voice? Or maybe she relaxed when she realized that the creature didn’t scare me. Regardless, her head must’ve twisted into more insanity.
“Daniel,” Addie Mae said. “We need to get Faith inside and away from these spirits.”
“I need answers.”
Faith looked back and forth at us.
A few more wolves bared their teeth.
Addie Mae’s voice lowered to a deadly edge. “I don’t have time for this, boy.”
I trembled, but wouldn’t run away or listen to her commands anymore. I’d fucking battled some spirit snowman. I would at least get some answers or Faith would remain right there with the wolves protecting her.
“How are you the villain?” I asked.
“Damn you, boy.” All those heads separated.
If I hadn’t been mentally-fucked by them being formed into her body, I was destroyed by them all floating in the air. How could one really describe the scene in front of me. They were like circular leaves riding the breeze, twisting, and turning around. She had no center, just darkness and hundreds of heads spinning around.
“Addie Mae?” I backed up toward the wolves and then decided to go in the center of the circle with Faith. It had been a smart move. They didn’t even growl at me. Addie Mae had been right. A few even stepped to the side.