Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 148397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
“Safe?” She clucked her tongue and moved aside to let me in. “I don’t think it’s anything to do with your safety, Ily, but more about his demented need to possess you.”
Ily.
My name caught me off guard.
Henri had barely talked to me since the night I’d taken pleasure from him. The talkative man who’d broken me with his secrets had turned into a stoic statue who barely grunted responses. And when he did deign to speak to me…he never used my name.
A prickle of worry shot down my spine.
Was it because of what it meant?
Was he that allergic to love that he couldn’t even say the damn word…even in an acronym?
“Is Peter awake?” I asked, brushing aside her comment.
Sighing heavily, she removed a pair of latex gloves and beckoned me to follow. “He is.”
My soul leapt with relief. “So…he’s okay?”
She gave me a hard look as she guided me to a second door and led me down another hallway. “Define okay.”
“Healing? As happy as can be expected?”
“He’s a long way from happy, I’m afraid.”
“But he’s not going to die?”
“Not from this incident.”
Her pessimism soaked into me.
It suffocated all my other questions.
My teeth locked together the farther we travelled. The scents of disinfectant grew stronger as we spilled out into a long narrow gallery. The ancient castle that Victor stole his blueprints from would’ve used this sort of space as an art display or promenade track. But now, in this modern hellhole, it housed a long row of single beds all facing a bank of interconnecting windows. Each window was wide open, allowing sunshine and fresh air to circulate.
A few jewels I recognised looked up from where they crowded around a bed.
With no Masters to serve and no Victor to command them, they huddled around the only leader they actually respected.
Rachel smiled and waved.
Mollie gave me a nod.
Citra and Caishen, Nancy and Corinne. Some of them had made the choice to go their own way in the caves, and others had left us out of panic. I held no grudges. Only relief to see so many faces.
“I’ll leave you to it then,” Dr Belford said. “I need to help Rose change Yumeko’s bandages.”
She retraced her steps and left me alone.
Drifting forward, my pulse pounded.
As much as I was one of them with our matching collars and cuffs, I was still removed—thanks to Henri refusing to let me sleep in the slave quarters.
What if they thought I wasn’t to be trusted? What if they no longer welcomed me?
Fear clutched my throat as I reached the end of the bed, and my eyes landed on a soulmate in friend form. I’d been wrong that he wasn’t a soulmate. I’d forgotten what my family had taught me. Soulmates came in all forms. My brother and parents were soulmates.
And this man too.
Undoubtedly.
And Henri? What’s he?
“You’re destined to destroy each other…”
I sighed heavily.
If Peter was my soulmate as surely as Krish was…what did that make Henri?
Was he my twin flame like the astrologer said?
While Henri typed away on his laptop the past few days, I’d done my best to remember what I’d researched after we’d gotten home that day. Krish had helped me, and together, we’d found texts full of dire warnings. Things like: You’re drawn to each other against your wishes. When you meet, you just know. Your twin flame will feel different from everyone else. Unbearable sexual chemistry. Reflection of darkness and light. Difficult and painful. Can amplify feelings of loneliness and loss. Cause discord and hurt. Can only be a lover and most often as not, ruin each other if that is the karmic pattern.
Finding your twin flame never seemed to work out well.
Shaking my head from useless thoughts, I blinked and focused on Peter.
His dark brown eyes met mine, his dusky skin drawn with pain.
Bare-chested and propped up by white pillows, he shifted his legs beneath the sheets and gave me a wobbly smile. “Hi…”
Every worry.
Every concern.
Gone.
Tears instantly erupted, and my knees threatened to collapse. “Aap theek hain.” (You’re okay.)
He shrugged a single shoulder. “I’m alive.”
“Alright, guys.” Rachel suddenly stood and clapped her hands. “Let’s give them a few minutes.”
With soft smiles and sweet kisses on my cheeks, each jewel gave me a quick hug as they moved from Peter’s bedside and went to visit the other jewels healing down the row.
I never took my eyes off Peter as Rachel hugged me last.
Pressing her lips to my ear, she whispered, “Meet me in the kitchens once you’re done. We need to talk.”
I squeezed her hand and nodded. “I’ll be there.”
“Mollie and I will be waiting.” Turning to blow a kiss at Peter, she added, “See you later, Pete.”
“Yeah, you too.” He grimaced as if speaking took too much energy. “Do what I said and ask Mel to order you some prenatal vitamins.” He swallowed hard, pushing himself to care about others instead of himself, even now. “Just because it’s his doesn’t mean it’s not yours too.”