Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54625 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54625 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
“Might have considered holding a mirror under your nose a time or two,” Daemon admitted, coming over to sit on the bed with me. “Feeling better?”
“Yes,” I lied again.
If sixteen hours of sleep wasn’t enough to revive me, it didn’t seem likely another day would do anything. I knew that would be exactly what Daemon would want if I told him the truth. But we couldn’t waste any more time.
My stomach already felt twisted into knots at how many innocent humans had already suffered because of our adventure. Even if it was necessary for us to leave to put an end to this, once and for all.
“Just gonna be glad to get this over with,” I added as I sipped the coffee that was jam-packed with caramel and sugar, which was somehow exactly what I needed.
The nearness of Daemon was already chasing away the chill, but the coffee was sure helping from the inside out.
“Are the poppies ready?” I asked.
“Ready and already very carefully transferred into the jar we’re going to use to transfer it. Once we are fueled up, we can go,” he said, sounding hesitant.
I understood.
I didn’t want to go either.
But want had nothing to do with this situation. We had to do this. Or my siblings’ reign of terror was only going to expand until who knew how many humans would suffer and die.
“So, the plan is, I shadow up, go into the estate, find the bottles or the communal drinks, pour the poppy juice in, then…”
“Then leave,” Daemon filled in. “Come back outside with me. Then, once the gods are good and fucked up, I will go in, find the witch or warlock, get them out, and we go to your sister.”
“It can all be over by morning.” I was speaking my thoughts aloud.
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
“I almost can’t believe it. I’ve been at this for so long.” And getting weaker by the day.
“What do you think your sister is going to do once free?” Daemon asked as we started to eat the sandwiches he’d bought.
“Hopefully, swing right into action. I mean, she’s got to be pissed, right? Being imprisoned like that. I mean, she is the goddess of vengeance.”
“Can’t think of a more deserving group of assholes,” Daemon said. “I mean, I know they’re your siblings…”
“They’re awful,” I said, shaking off his worry about offending me. “I’ve seen firsthand all the awful things they’ve done.”
To others, of course.
And especially to him. The only creature they’d come across so far that they could torture endlessly.
“Do you think they’ve been abusing their warlock or witch?” I asked.
“I guess it depends on how powerful they are.”
“Well, they’re powerful enough to imprison a goddess.”
“Yeah. But there’s a hierarchy of power, right? Being able to fend off Zeus, for example, must require more power than keeping Nemesis trapped.”
“Yeah, that’s probably true.”
“I do think that some spells, though, continually drain the one who cast them. Arick was a shadow of his usual self. It’s draining him to keep himself and his house safe. So, I imagine that whatever witch or warlock your siblings have up there, they’re probably pretty weak.”
I knew that feeling far too well. Suddenly, I really wanted them free of that torment.
Determination did manage to bolster some of my power. But the glass jar was shaking in my hand in the car on the way back to the woods.
Some part of me was worried my shadows wouldn’t protect me inside the estate. Would it be dark enough? Might they see me? What would they do to me?
No.
Nope, I couldn’t go there.
I had to keep my mind on the mission.
Because suddenly, we were climbing out of the car.
And it was go time.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Daemon
I watched Nox’s back as she walked away from me toward the edge of the woods.
She was putting on a good show.
Of not being absolutely scared shitless. Of not feeling like complete and utter crap.
I wanted nothing more than to rush forward, to grab her, to pull her back, to take her to the house with me where we could just hide away from the world.
But I knew she could never stand for that. She wouldn’t want to hide away. She wanted to make a difference. To balance the scales in any way she could.
It was admirable.
And incredibly dangerous.
Even just the thought of Nox in danger had my horns pressing through my scalp, had my talons elongating. And, this one was new, my wings pressing out of my back.
I knew then what I’d been suspecting since right before the Underworld.
It wasn’t that I just liked her—I did. Or that I liked fucking her—I loved it.
It was deeper than that.
I was going to Claim her.
That was why I was hearing that voice, that little growling Mine when I was with her, when I thought of her.
I was pretty sure the actual Claiming was more dramatic than what I’d been experiencing so far.