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)
“Caz, I’m not sure what your hurry is. No one can come into Whisper Grove with violent intentions, so you’ll be safe for now.”
“Yah, for now. They’ll be camped outside of this place waiting for me at every corner by the time we leave.”
“Who are you referring to?” Manx asks, his nose scrunching.
“The bloody Rippies. They just attacked us less than an hour ago. That’s why she had the metal in her leg.”
“Did you start it?”
“What?”
“Never mind. Look, whatever the issue may be with you and the Rippies, this young woman cannot leave until tomorrow.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Caz pinches the bridge of his nose.
“Alexi can send one of our troops out, make sure no one is lurking around the Grove, and if they are, we’ll send them away. In the meantime, I suggest you use a room in the inn and take the night to let her heal.”
Caz’s head shakes, clearly not in love with this idea, but he finally releases a deep breath and says, “Fine. Give us our rooms.”
“Alexi, which rooms do we have left for the night?”
“Well, there was the Yeung wedding last night and some of the guests are still here, so we only have one room vacant.” Alexi slides his gaze from me to Caz. “Comes with only one bed, but we do have extra cots available that we can send to the rooms.”
“Fuck that,” Caz rasps.
“I’ll take it,” I say, raising a hand. “And some more water with the verdeberries, please.”
Alexi smiles and walks up to me, taking my glass. “You’ve got it, love.”
Caz looks between us, his eyes wide and wild, before shaking his head and storming out of Manx’s office. We watch him go, and when he’s disappeared, Manx looks at me and says, “That boy is a hard one.”
“Don’t know why you tolerate him,” Alexi mutters, walking away with my glass. “I’ll bring a wheelchair and the keys to the room. I can help her to the room when I return.”
“Thank you, Alexi,” says Manx.
When he leaves, Manx makes his way to his desk, organizing some of the tools on top of it and then straightening the vials.
“How long have you been around Caz?” he asks.
“Um…just two days now. Maybe three.”
“You saw Beatrix,” he says, smiling over his shoulder.
“We did. We ran from her house after the attack from the Rippies. How did you know?”
“That woman’s energy lingers. It’s powerful. I could feel it before even touching you.”
“You can feel people’s touch?”
“Oh, I can feel lots of things. See lots of things.” He pauses. “Just like I can see that you and Caz share a bond, one he’s not ready to surrender to yet.”
“He doesn’t have to surrender to it. Trust me, I want nothing to do with him.” Just as I say that, I feel that cold cramp in my chest again, but it’s much tighter this time and nearly stops my breath.
Manx’s eyes broaden. “You felt that, yes?”
“Yeah,” I breathe.
“Denying your Tether.” He makes a sucking noise with his teeth. “It’ll pain you to deny it. Better to give in to it.”
“There’s no way anyone will ever give in to him. Have you met him?”
“I have. I’ve known him since he was a boy. He and his mother were patients of mine for a few years.”
“Oh.” No wonder he tolerates him.
“I always knew he was special, but this? A Tether? It’s astounding. Where did you come from?”
“Earth…I think.” I bite my bottom lip.
“Earth.” He laughs. “I’ve heard of that place in my studies, yes. Well, Willow, I encourage you to be patient with Caz. He’s in need of people like you. The kindhearted and selfless. He just has to accept that people like you are here to help him, not hurt him.”
Alexi returns to the room with a wheelchair and another glass of water in the cupholder of the chair. “Ready?” he asks.
I nod, and Alexi helps me off the bed and onto the seat. He swivels the chair around and guides me out of the room, but Manx calls my name.
“Yes?” I answer.
“When Caz finds his way to the room, tell him to come to me if he develops any black veins on his body.”
I frown, confused, but Manx turns away, going back to tidying up his tools and medicines, and Alexi rolls me out of the office, down the hallway, and through the lobby.
As he pushes me, I can’t help looking for Caz. The lobby is full of people in ivory and tan clothing. He’d stand out amongst them in all his black clothing, yet as I surf the crowd, I can’t find him anywhere.
Thirty-Two
WILLOW
Alexi leaves me on the bed inside a large room that overlooks the Whisper Grove village. Just outside the window are groves of trees, the green leaves vibrant even in the night.