Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
“That’s just the Phantoms and Skull and Serpents being uncivilized,” Blaine muses.
“Uncivilized?” Nathan rasps.
“Tartarus is a much better house, let’s be honest,” Ares says, stoking the flames.
“You want to prove that, brother?” Kai says, leaning his chin on his elbow.
“Jesus Christ, how much longer is the food going to take?” Silas interjects from a few seats down, breaking the icy mood. “I’m fucking famished.”
Aspen is sitting beside him, and she shoves her elbow into his side.
“Silas!” Penelope warns him.
“Yeah, Silas. Chill,” Mavis says from across the table. “Eat the fucking table if you’re so damn hungry.”
“I’ll chomp off your fingers first,” Silas retorts. “Tasty snack.”
Melody, Silas’s younger sister, giggles like it’s funny even though it’s not. “Silas, can you come and pose for me sometime? I really want to paint you when you’re angry.”
Silas sighs. “If I get the painting, sure, I don’t see why the hell not.”
“So, is that girl the little thief you were talking about, Silas?” Mavis glares at Ivy. “Do I still need to cast some spells?”
Silas makes a fist. “Don’t you fucking dare hex her.”
“Do those two even like each other?” Ivy asks.
I snort. “She’s his sister. Of course he loves her.”
“No, I said like.”
“No one ever said you needed to like your siblings,” Heath says.
“I don’t, that’s for sure,” Atlas growls, sipping his drink.
“Thanks, bro,” Apollo says as he pats Atlas’s shoulder. “Remind me to kick your ass when we get home.”
“See? He likes me,” Atlas jokes.
“Guys, guys, where is the love?” Orion Navarro approaches with a glass of wine in his hand. He looks wasted already. “There’s a new girl in our family and you guys can’t even stop one day and just … smell the roses.” He sucks in a breath through his nostrils. “C’mon, do it with me. Breathe in, and out.”
Sunny just glares at him. “Shut the fuck up.”
Orion stares at her, his eyes widening, then relaxing, before his entire body shivers.
“Orion, can you please stop drinking wine?” Crystal rubs her forehead. “You aren’t even old enough yet, and you look drunk.”
“Mom, please, not tonight,” Orion says, making a face. “Can’t you see this family is driving me to the edge?” He’s so dramatic when he talks.
“Orion, I thought you cared about your skin?” his father, Blaine, asks as he takes a sip of his water. “Drinking will age it even quicker.”
Orion’s eyes widen, and he immediately puts the wine down.
“You have … an interesting family,” Ivy tells Heath, smiling.
“You think?” Heath replies, snorting.
She sniggers behind her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I feel the same way. But they’re my family, and I love them,” Heath says.
“Aw …” Orion hugs Heath from behind. “Thank you, big bro.”
Heath’s mom, Crystal, claps her hands. “Everybody, find your seats!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Levi Torres says, eyeing the seats left. He sits down at the far end of the table next to Mavis.
“So, I heard you three were together now. Is that true?” Levi asks me casually.
I blush. “Um, yeah. Pretty much. Ivy is with me, Heath, and Silas.”
“Interesting …” He taps his knuckles on the table as he looks at Ivy. “I’ve seen you around. You’re Aspen’s friend, aren’t you?”
Ivy nods. “We met on campus. All of us, actually.” She laughs awkwardly.
This must be so weird for her.
It’s normal to us, but our families aren’t exactly the regular kind.
We tend to kill people if they do us wrong, and that’s okay. Every family has its flaws.
“Anyway.” Levi shrugs, turning to Mavis instead. “So, are you coming on the camping trip next week, or what?”
Okay, this conversation shifted out of nowhere.
“You know, I thought about it, and why not?” Mavis replies, leaning over the table on her elbows. “Are we just going hiking up the mountain, or are we going to go visit some spooky shit? I’m talking graveyards, abandoned houses, stuff like that.”
“No, I was actually thinking of going far beyond Lake Verity,” Levi says. “There’s another ridge there that directly overlooks the sea. I think it’d be nice.”
“Oh …” Mavis sounds disappointed.
“Romantic,” Apollo jests, winking at him. “With Silas’ sister?”
“You’d better not say that out loud again if you value your life, Torres,” Silas grits.
Apollo clasps the table as he stands up, those muscles looking all menacing. “I’d love to see you try to kill me.”
“Apollo …” his father’s voice booms across the table, silencing everyone. “Sit. Down.”
“Yeah, shut up.” Mavis throws some bread at Apollo too.
Finally, he sits, the annoyance clearly showing on his face.
“Why is everyone throwing the bread around?!” Penelope growls, and half the table begins to chuckle.
Ivy frowns. “Wait a minute … A camping trip?”
She looks over at Aspen, whose eyes have widened, and then she quickly turns to chat with her brother Xavier.
“Never mind.” Ivy casually tucks her hair behind her ear.
Xavier throws his arm around Aspen. “We’re coming too!”
She punches him in the shoulder.