Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
“Arsiein?” I repeated. “The one that can hide things or people from sight?”
He nodded, frowning as he looked about. “He can also hide himself, though normally he has the manners to refrain from doing so at home.”
Once again, I glanced back over my shoulder, feeling something, and then a slight push caused me to stumble forward a bit. Theseus grabbed me before I meet the ground.
“What hell?”
“Arsiein? What in the god’s name is the matter with you?” he hollered into the air. “Ulrik stop him before I do…” His voice trailed off as both Melora and Ulrik were also out of sight. He glanced around once more, holding me. “So, I see this is a family affair now? Since when do we greet mates in this way?”
“She is not your mate.” A vibrant, yet stern voice said from right beside my head, causing me jump again and her to laugh.
“Mother! This is childish…” He didn’t get to finish the statement because he disappeared.
One minute he was beside me, holding me, and the next he was gone. And I understood exactly what was happening. His mother, their mother was already letting me know she disliked me. I had thought she was just going to sneer at me or give me a ‘my son could do much better than you’ but nope; apparently, she was much more extreme. Total isolation in a foreign place was harsh. But on the drive here, I had already determined not to let her hurt me, or let Theseus hurt his relationship with her on my behalf.
Fine, if she wanted to play, so could I.
“Hello is anyone here?” I faked politeness and a poor English accent. “Hello?” I pretended to look around. “I’m Druella Zirie Monroe,” I said, taking a tiptoe forward, looking to the left and the right. “I guess no one’s home.”
I grinned wide, kicking off my boots, taking my hair out of the bun, and wiggling my fingers, already feeling them tingle. I wasn’t sure how to treat my magic, so I just thought, how does one play music?
“Music.” I heard that voice again and pointed to the record player in the corner. I wasn’t sure what the record was, but I wanted to play something crazy, something this place had most likely never heard before or at least wasn’t common. The grin on my face spread. I must have looked like a crazy person as the song came to mind.
“Stevie Wonder, ‘Superstition.’” I thought, pointing to the record player. When the beat dropped, I started to bob my head, lifting my hands. I spun around and started in the middle of the living room.
“Writings on the wall…” I sang out aloud before moon walking. Not wanting to embarrass myself too much, I decided to dance and look around. Walking by the television, I pointed to it, and it came on to the music video. Listening to the music video as I walked over to the tapestry, I leaned closer to observe the art as I danced. It was beautiful. I reached out to touch it but stopped to look around one more time then did so very gently.
I noticed the discolor ration at the top and wanted to see it.
“Fly.”
How? I tried.
“Swim up.”
I paused for a moment before stretching my hands and then flapping up. My feet lifted off the ground, and I laughed. “I can fly!” I cried out and moved again, flapping more until I got to the corner. It had been replaced, not restored. Cool. Dancing left to right in the sky, I walked backward in the air and moved to the other side.
“Believe in things…” Pretending I had a microphone, I sang into in the air and then spun. I sort of expected to see them all appear after that, but it seemed mama bear was holding on strong. Though I was sure Ulrik was laughing his butt off.
Hearing someone, I floated down only to see an old woman walk inside from the doors. She looked at me wide-eyed and confused. I waved at her.
“Hello? Do you live or work here?” I questioned when my feet touched the ground.
“Work,” she stated, her frown so deep that her face looked like it was going to slide of her skin. She…smelled human. “Are the masters aware of your presence? How did you enter here?”
“I have no idea. Do you want to dance with me?” I switched the song to Madonna.
Her eyes widened as I began to toss my head from side to side with my hair all over the place. “Are you insane?”
“No more than the usual. Do you know where they keep their fine art?” I questioned, two-stepping to her.
She just stared and shook her head.
“I see.” I frowned. “Oh well, maybe later then.”
I hopped onto couch, stretched out, and looked back at her, wiggling my feet. “Do you think your bosses would be upset if I took a shower somewhere?”