Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 125179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“Yes,” replied Wynter. “And it also spoke to me while I was awake this time, telling me to touch what I later realized was Abaddon’s . . . bed, shall we say.” She didn’t want to say too much about how Ancients Rested. “Next thing I knew, my monster surged forward and joined with me somehow.”
“Joined?” echoed Delilah, concerned. “What do you mean by ‘joined’?”
“I don’t know exactly. But it was like our souls melded for a moment.”
“Whoa,” said Anabel with a jerk of her head.
“I know, right?” Wynter bit her lip. “It’s never done anything like that before. I felt its power pour into me as I touched Abaddon’s bed. And then he rose.”
“In short, your monster used you to wake Abaddon,” Xavier concluded.
“Seems like it.” Wynter licked her lower lip. “And I think Kali told it to. She relayed some kind of message, but I didn’t understand Her words—it’s not always easy to make out what She’s saying when She’s in this realm; it’s like Her voice has a thousand echoes and they all mingle crazily. Looking at the situation now, I don’t think I was supposed to understand what She said. I don’t believe She was talking to me. I believe She was addressing my monster.”
Anabel frowned. “So, what, She wants to help the Ancients?”
“Kind of,” replied Wynter. “I spoke to Her when I died after being shot by those vampires. But it wasn’t just a quick hi. She told me a few things; things She insisted I didn’t share with anyone, not even Cain or any of you. But She didn’t mention anything about wanting me to wake Abaddon.”
“She hasn’t made you privy to all Her plans, then,” mused Hattie.
“It seems that way.” Wynter was sort of used to it at this point. “I don’t know whether I should tell Cain about what part I think I might have played in waking Abaddon.”
Delilah’s brows drew together. “Why? You think he’d be pissed at you?”
“No. It’s just . . . He’s uber protective of me.” Understatement, but whatever. “He doesn’t like anything happening around me that he doesn’t understand.”
“And he’s not going to understand how your monster joined its soul with yours,” Delilah understood.
“I don’t even understand how it did that.”
“It’s not an impossible feat, but it ain’t easy,” Xavier cut in. “I’ve known witches to temporarily do it with deceased souls. Your soul is undead, and that leaves it vulnerable in many ways. I don’t know what exactly you host, but it’s powerful. I think it could manage something like this.”
“Maybe. There’s also a chance that Kali either helped or made it happen.” Wynter shoved a hand through her hair. “Whatever the case, Cain is not gonna like that the entity melded its soul with mine, even though it was only for a few moments. Because that would mean two things—not only am I supremely vulnerable to my monster, but by joining its soul with mine that way . . . well, it might actually be able to pull me back to the netherworld regardless of his rights to me.”
Hattie cursed. “Girl, this ain’t good.”
No, it wasn’t. “He won’t handle either of those things well, particularly the latter. I worry he’ll do something rash.”
“Like?” prompted Xavier.
“Like challenge Kali in some way,” replied Wynter. “Like insist that She drop whatever plans She has for me. Which She wouldn’t agree to do. And if She thought he’d interfere with them, She’d take me from him somehow—even if only temporarily. I don’t think even Cain could take on a deity, but he’d be enraged enough to try.”
Delilah winced. “Yeah, I can see that happening.”
Xavier puffed out a breath. “I get why you’re hesitant to tell him, but I think you should—you’ll just have to be careful how you go about it. There might be something he can do to ensure that your monster isn’t able to merge with you like that again. I mean, Cain owns your soul. He’d surely have some way to protect it.” He frowned when she only stared at him. “What?”
“You’re just the last person I expected would encourage me to be honest,” said Wynter.
“Hey, the truth is overrated—I fully believe that,” he stated. “But there are occasions when truths simply need to be shared. In my opinion, this is something that Cain needs to know.”
“I agree,” said Anabel. “As Xavier said, there might be something Cain can do to protect your soul. But he won’t know he needs to if you’re not upfront about what happened.”
Hattie nodded. “And you can always wrangle a promise out of him in advance.”
Wynter tilted her head. “A promise to do what?”
“Not challenge Kali, of course,” replied Hattie.
Wynter pulled a face. “I’m not so certain he’d be able to keep that promise.”
“But if you use magick to bind the verbal contract, he’d be unable to break his word.”