Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 147891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
The whirring of the pole becomes faster, and this time two birds come flying out of the pedestals.
“I’ll try by myself this time,” I tell him, and Caz grins, gesturing to the open field with a slight bow.
“Be my guest.”
I miss my second bird, and it takes me three tries before I finally shoot it down. Caz whips out a dagger, throwing it into the air at the other bird. The bird sails across the field and pins to a tree trunk.
“Show off!” I yell, and he throws his hands in the air, a guiltless gesture.
“Hundreds of years of practice, babe!”
We spend an hour on the field, wooden birds springing out of the pedestals, a gentle breeze going, and the honeysuckle scent stronger. The daggers are the hardest part, and he informs me that it’s really about force and the use of my wrists.
I only knock down one bird with a dagger, but I’m determined. Hopefully with a few more weeks of practice, I’ll be just as good as he is—as all of his clan are, really.
There’s a serenity to this—being outdoors in a picturesque field and practicing with my mate. Moments like these, I realize, are irreplaceable. We’re bonding, allowing our Tether to go much deeper than we imagined. I could never get this on Earth. I’m starting to think everything I need is all here. I wonder what Warren thinks about this new life…well, from what he can remember. Does he like it here? Does he want to stay forever? Would he want to go back to Earth?
I throw a dagger ahead of me as one of the five wooden birds floats nearby. Sometimes they thrust high, sometimes they bobble low. I barely hit the bird, but it does fall, my dagger going with it.
Then I feel a sense of unease wash over me. There’s a tightness in my stomach, almost a cramp, and my heart races, the hairs on my arms rising. Silvera and Cerberus are on their feet in seconds growling and baring their teeth and I look over my shoulder at Caz, who rapidly whips out his gun and points it directly at the opening of the thicket.
“Who’s there?” he barks, brows furrowing as he moves closer toward it. My heart continues its race as I remain stuck in place. Fuck. Here I go freezing again.
There’s rustling near the thicket, and Caz presses the gun hammer down, his finger wrapping tighter around the trigger.
Who is it? I ask him.
Don’t know.
“It’s just me.” A person appears, climbing through the opening. Her hair is pulled back in a thick braid, and loose tendrils hang around her face. Her eyes are still puffy, and the gray eye seems sadder than the good eye, but her face is clear, a little brighter. She’s also changed clothes, dressed in all brown, with boots to match.
Danica forces a smile, looking from Caz to me, and I relax a little, breathing a sigh of relief. God, this place makes me so on edge. That could have been anyone coming to hurt us.
Caz drops his arm with a frown. “Why are you sneaking up on us?” he snaps.
“I’m not sneaking up on you. I was looking for you.”
“Well, you found us. Now what do you want?”
Danica takes a thorough look around, moving closer. “I was hoping to ask for a favor.”
“Of what kind?” Caz moves my way. He does that a lot, no matter the person. Stands close to me, just to avoid any surprise attacks.
“It’s about Warren. He’s hanging out with Rowan right now, but I’m a little worried.” She wrings her fingers together. “You, um...saw me this morning. How I ran off. He found me through our bond, and he tells me he can still hear my thoughts, still feel how I feel. But…something is different now. Besides the fact that he can’t remember anything we’ve experienced together or falling in love with me, his thoughts are…well, they’re disturbing.”
“Disturbing how?” I ask.
“Earlier, I heard him thinking about killing himself. But it’s a different voice, one that sounds like his but more sinister. Truthfully, I don’t think it belongs to him at all.”
“Whose do you think it is?” Caz inquires.
“I know you said Decius has been put away, and that Korah has him locked up, but that doesn’t mean all his energy has fully disappeared, does it? I think…I think this voice that’s in Warren’s head is telling him to kill or harm himself so that his half of the Cold Tether can be dispensed. And I know this is a stretch, but what if Decius is still controlling him somehow? He was stuck in that trance before, and sure, the elixir woke him up and brought him back to reality, but it didn’t erase everything. And I hate saying it, but Warren is the weakest of us all. He’d be the easiest to take down. Decius’ energy is still working through him, regardless that he’s been put away by a Regal. It won’t be until he’s dead that we’re all truly safe.”