Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“That isn’t going to happen,” Korah says. “Not all the commoners are bad. Some of them are good. Some of them want to restore the order.”
“Like the weak, angry little wolf you have drifting about the Blackwater territory?” Selah’s eyes flash as she rises to her feet. Hassha raises her sword while Korah does the same, eyes flaring. “I will kill your chosen one and absorb the Seed of Yuri,” Selah breathes. “And when it is mine, it will be too late to stop me.”
“You’ll have to get past us first,” Hassha growls.
Blue and lavender rope wrap around Selah’s body, squeezing tight. The ropes throb with energy, working to restrain her.
But Selah only smirks. “If that’s you want it, so be it.”
In a flurry of flames, Selah vanishes. The flames she leaves behind drench the island and start to spread, but Korah swipes a hand in the air to bring them to an end.
“She’s weak, but not as weak as we thought.” Hassha sheaths her sword, peering around the island.
“We can find her.” Korah swings her gaze to her sister. “We can try to restrain her again. We just need more energy.”
“Restraining her will only last for so long.” Hassha sighs. “We can’t keep her bound while keeping the people safe. It’ll drain us, and she’ll wait it out just to free herself again. We can’t put her into another slumber either. Not without another sacrifice.”
Korah starts to speak but clamps her mouth shut just as quickly.
“We cannot sacrifice him, sister. He is the only way this world will be saved.”
“But his blood—”
“Cannot ever be transferred!” Hassha grips Korah’s shoulder. “You know we cannot risk it, sister.”
“Then that leaves us with only one other solution,” Korah murmurs.
“Yes.” Hassha looks into Korah’s eyes, watching them glisten. “I’m afraid it’s the only way.”
Korah releases a deflated sigh. “I’ll get Willow back to Caspian. Knowing Selah, she’s on her way to Luxor. She cannot be in the same place as his mate. She’ll use her just to get to him.”
Hassha nods.
In the blink of an eye, Korah is gone.
THIRTY-THREE
WILLOW
The sky is black when I open my eyes.
The moon has disappeared along with its companions, the stars.
I gasp and sit upright, reaching for my dagger as I peer out the invisible wall. The city of Luxor is completely dark. I can’t see a thing outside these walls.
Then there’s a loud crash.
Followed by another.
That noise is why I woke up.
I climb out of bed just as my door bursts open. Killian appears, his eyes wide beneath the flickering candlelight.
“Something’s happening.” His voice is a rumble. “We need to find a way out of here.”
Someone belts out a bloodcurdling scream from a distance.
I gasp. “Who was that?”
“Dunno.” Killian flings his hand, demanding that I hurry. I rush his way, and we walk a fast pace through the corridor. There’s a door at the end, but the guards aren’t there. Not only that, but the door is halfway open.
On the other side, there’s a pulsing orange light, and it’s growing brighter the closer we get. When we near the door, someone else screams at the top of their lungs.
Killian shoves the door open, and I start to follow him until he raises an arm and my chest slams right into it.
“Stop,” he murmurs.
“Why? What’s—” My sentence falls short. There’s no need for Killian to explain because the reason is right in front of me.
Spread through the second wing are bodies, at least a dozen of them. There are a mixture of servants and guards…and there is only one thing they all have in common: they’re dead.
Killian steps over one of the guards before squatting to study him. His neck is bent at an odd angle, and his skin is sunken and gray, like he’s been drained of life.
“Who would do this?” I whisper.
“Not The Council. They may be selfish, but they’d never kill their servants unless there was a betrayal. I doubt this many people have betrayed them.” Killian leans down some more, and that’s when I notice the glowing orange veins in the guard’s neck. “Definitely not The Council.” He turns his head left and rises slowly. The pulsing orange light is coming from another wing. “How are we going to get out of here?” Killian mumbles.
A clatter in the distance makes me jump, and Killian tenses. “You should return to the room. Let me see what’s going on first. I don’t want you trapped in any shit.”
“No, Killian. I’m not letting you go alone. It’s my fault you’re even in this situation.”
“Willow, no. Caz would kill me if he knew I was letting you walk into what could be a fucking death trap.”
“I don’t care. I’ll tell him you were left with no choice.” I walk past him and step over the bodies.
“Willow! Wait,” Killian hisses.