Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
In a gust of wind, he arrived beside me, his hand gentle on my back.
“Druella, move!” Simone hollered, her hands already alive with blue lightning as she pulled back her bow at him. Not just her, but all of them, ready to do what we were trained to do—destroy him.
“I am here,” he whispered.
When I looked at him, he paid no attention to anything around us, so it gave me the strength not to, either.
“Get me out here, please.”
“Hold me tightly,” was all he said as he hugged me to him and took off so quickly I didn’t even see who it was that screamed my name.
It was like the wind and trees together screamed, “Druella!”
* * *
It was only noon.
I had gone to Greece, argued with a vampire queen, came back, lost my—lost someone important, seen the world burn, a ghost hunt down any creature in sight with flaming swords, and I’d exposed my betrayal to my coven…and it was only noon.
“Drink, my love,” Theseus whispered beside me, handing me a glass of water. But I didn’t have the energy to. I just wanted to hope that time would pass over me. I’d drifted in and out of sleep three times already, but still, time didn’t seem to be going any faster.
“Rest some more, then,” he said, putting the water on the bedside table and taking a seat on the floor right beside the bed in front of me.
I wanted to speak, but I was so tired yet not tired enough to close my eyes. I just watched the clock.
12:01
12:02
12:03
The minutes seemed like they lasted decades. Mortals were supposed to be the ones that fell asleep easily. However, no matter how hard he tried, Theseus didn’t seem to be able to keep his eyes open any longer. So, I watched him, hoping time would move faster, but it didn’t. It only made me jealous of how he could sleep so effortlessly, which was ridiculous.
I tried to roll over, but the moment I did was the moment I realized I was still holding the book. I want to let go, but I was terrified at the same time. I wanted to sleep to forget my fear, but I couldn’t do that, either. Sluggishly sitting up in the center of the bed, all of me was…was sad. My heart ached, and my eyes burned. Looking to the ceiling, I forced my pain back and tried to breathe.
Oh God, how my heart ached.
“Why did this happen?”
Because it was meant to happen, the soft, silvery voice of a woman spoke again.
I glanced back down at it in my hands.
“Who…what are you?”
I am Wraith.
“I don’t understand. What are you?”
Instead of answering, the inside glowed a golden light, and my heart beat faster as I carefully lifted the leather cover.
These are my origins.
When I flipped again, words appeared alongside moving images.
* * *
1
* * *
1 And so claimed the humans that in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. 3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw the light was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 But their God only did so with the permission of the darkness. 6 For the beginning was not the beginning as the humans told.
7 The true beginning was Eden and Terra. 8 And upon that Eden was the humans, who swelled and multiplied in great numbers, built and toiled in great fashions, but only by the light of their God. 9 And upon this Terra, were the Wiccans, whom from within spurred nature’s vast power and commands, small were their numbers, large was their might, cradled by their goddess, the moon, darkness, and night.
10 The God of Eden loved his people and blessed the work of their hands. 11 So the rivers flowed with milk and honey, the trees brought forth every manner of sweet fruit, every hill was fertile land, and the vineyards were never bare, 12 But never did the humans give thanks to their God. 13Proudly did they proclaim, “look what I have done, look what I have created with the strength of my own hands.” 14 “I am my own God.” 15 The humans warred with one another for more than what was their share. 16 They enslaved, raped, beat, and abused one another.
17 The Goddess of Terra said to the God of Eden as he watched and thought about the punishment of his sinful people, “Bring forth your light, and cast them upon Terra where the land is peculiar, the sky stubborn, and the rivers hard to find. 18 For the Wiccan are few and in need. 19 For this, they will protect the humans from the harshness of the land until the day of their redemption.” 20 So the God of Eden agreed.