Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 132582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 530(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 530(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
“Excuse me?” I turn to glare at Killian. “I am not a junkie,” I growl. How fucking dare he?
He ignores me, still looking at Caz. “I don’t trust her, or this whole story about landing in the fucking forest.”
“You don’t even know me,” I counter. I don’t give a damn if he just beat some guy to death or whatever the hell he did, he’s not about to treat me like I’m scum on the bottom of his shoe.
“What if she’s here to hurt you? You led her right into your home, your place of work—she could be working with the Rippies for all we know!”
“I would know,” Caz responds calmly.
“How?” Killian demands.
Caz pauses before looking at each person in the room, and then me. “Because I can hear her thoughts—well, the important ones, it seems.”
“What?” Killian asks, irritated.
“If she were here to harm me, I would know it, Killian. She and I have already gone over this. I don’t know what kind of fuckery it is, but we can hear each other without saying a damn thing.”
“You mean like telepathy?” Juniper asks, perking up on the bench.
“Exactly,” Caz answers.
“Just like the woman from ninety years ago, only it wasn’t with Caz. It was with Tepper,” Maeve says, looking me over.
“Who’s Tepper?” asks Caz.
“He was a friend from Whisper Grove. I met the old Willow through him. He was close friends with your mum.”
“And where is this Tepper now?” he asks.
Maeve lowers her gaze. “Dead.”
I don’t know why, but my eyes lock on Caz’s when Maeve says that, goosebumps sweeping across my skin.
“So let me get this straight. There’s someone in this room who can get into Caz’s mind? Shit!” Rowan laughs, nudging his brother in the ribs with his elbow. “We can use that, brother! Talk about a loaded gun!”
Killian folds his arms, still frowning, finding none of this amusing.
“Unlike her, I can control my thoughts,” Caz informs them.
“How?” I ask again because he’s never explained it.
“I practiced when I first started hearing you. Months ago. I didn’t know who you were, didn’t trust you, and I knew deep down I wasn’t going out of my damn mind, so I learned. I had my own mind and I wanted to keep it to myself, just like everyone else gets to.”
“Yeah, but how? How do you block me out?”
He shrugs.
“How can I block you out?”
A smirk tugs at the edges of his lips. “Practice, I suppose.”
I groan in frustration. That answer doesn’t help me.
“If all of this is true,” Maeve interjects, stepping forward, “then I think the bigger question is why is she here? Why now, during the middle of this feud with Ripple?”
Caz studies Maeve before shifting his eyes to the left. “I’m trying to figure that out myself.”
The room falls silent. We bounce our eyes over each other, listening to the music amplify from the bar, the rambunctious chatter gravitating down the hallway and sneaking into the office.
“I know who we can go to,” Maeve finally says. “But you won’t like it.”
Caz narrows his gaze, looking into Maeve’s gray eyes, and Maeve cocks a brow, giving him a silent answer that I can’t grasp.
“No,” Caz growls, pushing out of his chair.
“She can help us, Caspian. You know it.”
Caspian? Is that his full name?
“I will not go to her. Not after her truce with Ripple Hills. And you stop worrying about my name.” He points a stern finger my way.
“She made the wiser choice, and you know it. She didn’t want to pick sides anymore,” Maeve goes on.
“Which is exactly why we can’t trust her! She can easily use that to her advantage to keep us against one another.”
“Well, if you don’t lower your pride and go to her, you’ll never get this girl back to whatever world she came from. Alora has connections to powerful Mythics. She’d know who to talk to about this.”
“Oh—no. No, I have to get home,” I say quickly. “I can’t stay here. This place is dangerous and, no offense, but I feel really sick here—like this whole place gives me nausea.”
Juniper snorts into her glass while Killian grumbles something incoherent.
“If we don’t go to Alora, Willow might be stuck here,” Maeve urges. “And I’m sure the last thing you want is this woman in your hair during this mess with Ripple. She’ll become a liability—one we don’t need, especially if people find out she can hear what you’re thinking, Caspian.”
Caz’s head shakes, but he doesn’t disagree. With a sigh, he cuts his eyes at Killian, who says, “I’ll send the message,” and immediately stomps out of the office.
“Juniper, Rowan, tell Veno to get a car ready,” Caz orders, planting his fists on top of the desk. “Looks like we’re taking a bloody trip to Vanora.”
Sixteen
CAZ
I just want to go home. I can’t stay here. I need to get back. Oh my God, is that kid skinny dipping?