Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
The thing that made it extra embarrassing was that he was so handsome. Well, except for the jagged scar that ran down one side of his face, but somehow that only seemed to emphasize the perfect symmetry of his chiseled features. He also had long, thick black hair that came down past his broad shoulders and he was extremely tall and muscular, like all the Kindred were.
Men that good looking usually looked right through Hanna. She wasn’t skinny enough to be worth their interest or to attract their attention. But this man—this warrior—had been staring at her like he couldn’t take his eyes off her!
And speaking of his eyes, they were the only thing about him that wasn’t symmetrical. Because his left eye was a brilliant blue but his right eye was pure, melted gold. It was a striking combination and Hanna had had to force herself not to stare.
The other odd thing about the strange warrior—besides the fact that Aunt Luna and Uncle Bruin had acted like he wasn’t there—was the fact that he was wearing some kind of strange, old-fashioned looking uniform.
Most of the other Kindred warriors dressed in tight black trousers, tall black boots, and long-sleeved uniform shirts that were different colors, depending on what branch of the Kindred tree they came from. Beast Kindred wore scarlet, Blood Kindred wore pale blue, Twin Kindred wore emerald green and so on.
But the strange warrior who had been staring at her had on a kind of armor that put Hanna in mind of feudal Japan. He had a chain-link sleeveless shirt which showed his muscular arms and a chain-link kilt kind of thing that came down to just above his knees.
Come to think of it, maybe the armor was more like something from the Roman Empire? Or not—she wasn’t an armor expert, after all. But what really made her think of Japan was the long, curving blade she’d seen strapped to his back. All of the other Kindred carried blasters—why did the strange warrior have a sword instead?
But she didn’t have long to ponder the strange anomalies in the warrior’s outfit or wonder why he had been staring at her—before she knew it, the three of them were stepping into Aunt Luna’s and Uncle Bruin’s suite and her aunt was telling her to make herself comfortable on the couch.
“I’ll just go get you some hot tea to drink—that will steady your nerves. Then we can talk,” Aunt Luna said.
“Luna, darling, why don’t I make the tea?” Uncle Bruin rumbled, raising his bushy black eyebrows. “Hanna’s waited long enough to tell you what’s troubling her and that will give the two of you some privacy.”
“Oh yes—that’s a good idea. You’re so sweet to me, Bruin.” Aunt Luna stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to her husband’s cheek.
He turned his face at the last minute and the kiss landed on his lips instead.
“That’s because you’re beautiful and perfect and I have to take care of you,” he said, when the kiss broke at last. “And that means taking care of the ones you love as well.” He nodded gravely at Hanna who gave him a weak smile. She truly was grateful that he was giving her privacy to talk to her aunt—she hadn’t felt comfortable confiding in Luna until the two of them were alone.
As soon as Bruin went into the kitchen—or the food prep area, as the Kindred called it—Aunt Luna sat down beside her on the couch and took Hanna’s hands in her own.
“All right now, tell me everything and don’t leave anything out,” she commanded.
Hanna took a deep breath and began talking.
“…so when I woke up this morning, I was hoping it was all a dream—a nightmare,” she finished, some time later. “But then I looked in the mirror and, well…look.”
She lifted the hair off her forehead—she’d left it down to be sure it covered the strange, glowing script. But when she pointed, Aunt Luna only shook her head and frowned.
“I see nothing.”
“What? But it’s right there!” Hanna jumped up. “Do you have a mirror? I’ll point it out to you.”
They went into the bathroom together and Hanna looked anxiously into the 3-D viewer, which was the Kindred version of a mirror, only it showed you from all sides. She would have been ashamed of her ratty jeans and t-shirt—(she’d thrown on the closest thing at hand and hauled ass to the HKR building without even packing anything)—if she hadn’t been so fixated on the glowing red letters that still burned on her forehead.
“See—there!” she said, pointing again.
But again, Aunt Luna shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Hanna—I just don’t see it. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing there—we both know your Gift involves being able to see Dark Entities and their works while mine does not. ”
“Wait—I have an idea. Do you have anything to write on?” Hanna asked her.