Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
“Go ahead and take tomorrow off, William.”
But William’s features tightened. “I’ve got too much to do. Don’t worry, I plan to do nothing but catch up on sleep this weekend. See you tomorrow.”
He left, and Julien went back to the data. The whole time, his gut churned. Something was going on in his city of Seattle. Earthquakes, the incredibly high heat—and now, according to what he was reading, powerful magical beings were gathering here. There were cryptic discussions through shared documents, but believing their words private, they’d let a few hints through. It was easy to decipher that there was some big plan in place. He couldn’t figure out what, though.
He spent another three hours looking through it and by the time he was ready to leave, he still didn’t have any solid answers.
He rode the elevator down to the underground parking garage. A blast of heat hit him when he stepped out onto the concrete, but that fled his mind when every hair on his body suddenly stood on end.
Magic.
Only one person knew this about him, but he was well aware of the hidden world of preternatural beings living among them. He employed quite a few, and they were the reason he’d named his company Spectral Enterprises. They used magic to disguise themselves, but for some reason that magic didn’t work on him. He’d long grown used to them and no longer gave himself away when he saw them. And feeling actual magic in the air was a part of whatever weird gift he’d been given.
Only this magic felt wrong. Dark. Whatever was in this garage with him didn’t have a pleasant greeting in mind.
He stopped and cocked his head to listen for anything moving, but it was eerily silent. There was a strange smell to the hot air, something he couldn’t place, but made him crinkle his nose because it was certainly unpleasant. He took two steps before a whispering sigh wafted past his face.
There was a dark, low laugh right behind him that prickled over the back of his neck.
He spun around, gaze searching nothing but empty air.
Something hit him in the back.
Julien staggered a few steps forward, and another blow came from his left, so hard he dropped his briefcase. He didn’t have time to regain his footing before something slammed into his stomach, and he collapsed to his hands and knees, gasping air into his lungs.
Julien swiveled his head right and left, but he still couldn’t see what it was. He could still feel the magic, though. It was like a thick tar sticking to the surface of his exposed skin. And that odor—it made his stomach lurch.
“Who’s there?” he called out.
That low laugh sounded again. This time, he was braced for the hit, but it was such a hard chop to the back of his neck he collapsed fully to the concrete. Dizziness and pain swamped him, but he worked to get back to his feet.
“Show yourself!” he ordered as spots danced before his eyes.
This time, it slapped him, knocking his face to one side, then the other. He ducked, feeling a hint of wind as whatever it was swept around him. He spun on his heels and swung his fists out, but he was merely punching into the air.
More eerie laughter sounded just to his right, and he swung his fist around, hoping to hit something solid, but it just wasn’t there.
A blow to the side of his head sent him reeling, and he fell to the floor again.
How the fuck was he supposed to fight this?
He couldn’t.
He judged the distance to his car, then the elevator. The car was closer, so he grabbed his keys out of his pocket and hurriedly unlocked it. Taking a quick but deep breath, he surged to his feet and ran toward his car. Invisible hands wrapped around his ankle, and he tripped, his hands scraping along the concrete as he dropped his keys and broke his fall. But he scrambled to grab the keys and jump to his feet. He reached for the handle as a heavy punch slammed into his back. He twisted away and managed to get into the car and lock the door.
Breathing heavily, he waited, still trying to see anything in the empty parking garage. His palms ached, and he glanced down to find them scraped raw and bleeding. But he had nothing for them, so he started his car and peeled out of the parking spot. The whole time he drove out of the garage, he expected it to attack him inside the car.
But that heavy magic feeling wasn’t with him now. That rank, earthy smell wasn’t in the car. Whatever it was, it was still back in that parking area.
His hands stung on the steering wheel, but still he gripped it tightly as he navigated the busy traffic. He’d left his damn briefcase behind and could only hope someone brought it into the building. It was locked, so he wasn’t too worried about losing his laptop.