Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
“She was a good person and it stuck after she died.”
“We’re going to find her,” I say as I blink back tears. “I know Xavier and Theo already think it was these young vampires not happy about following rules, but…I don’t know. I just have a feeling it’s not. So I decided to go about this old school, like a hunter and I found her last known location.”
As soon as the words come out of my mouth, something hits me. If I could easily find Mabel’s location, so could anyone else. Most people don’t think the same way I would, noticing the little text on the cup and putting two and two together.
But hunters would.
And there are several hunters who would want nothing more than to hurt me. Hunters who know Mabel is my friend because of her social media posts. It’s not vampires retaliating against Xavier who took her, it’s hunters retaliating against me who took her.
I set the tea cup down and rush out of the room.
“Where are you going?” Devon asks.
“Stay here,” I press. “I’m going to bring Mabel home.”
CHAPTER 44
“What do you mean?” Devon asks, following me up the stairs.
“It wasn’t vampires who took her.” I run into my room, getting the box of stuff we took from the Russo compound. “It was hunters, and I think I know who. If it’s them, I can do the locator spell and figure out exactly where they are.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes,” I tell him. “Do you still have any maps of Charlotte?”
“I have a big one.”
“Perfect. Grab it and meet me in the kitchen.”
Devon nods and hurries out of the room. Xavier killed Buck and Gavin, and if there’s one thing hunters band together for, it’s revenge. I tear through the box, looking to see what, if any, weapons the Russos would have given me. I stop myself; I don’t need weapons.
I have magic.
Still, I’m not walking in there defenseless. I grab the dagger I took on my way out along with Larissa’s sweater. There’s no way she would pass up an opportunity to get revenge on me. I go into the kitchen. Devon is at the island counter. He has the map spread out and got the bag I left in the parlor. We set up the crystals and I mix up the herbs. Holding Larissa’s sweater in one hand, I whisper, “Ostende mihi viam.” I imagine Larissa’s smug face. “Ostende mihi viam.”
The herbs start to vibrate on the map, and form a circle. “She’s there.”
“Mabel?”
“If I was a betting person, I’d say yeah.” I look up at Devon. “I located Larissa, the girl you were supposed to take, if that helps.”
“She looked like such a bitch.”
“She is. I think she has Mabel and she’s using her to get to me. I have to go.”
“Wren, no.”
“Yes.” I straighten up. “Larissa, Leo, and Antonio…I know them. The guys are still like brothers. I can reason with them.”
“I’m not letting you leave.”
“Don’t make me use magic on you.”
“I’m coming with you.”
I shake my head. “They’ll be more likely to talk if it’s just me,” I say, which is true. But I also don’t want Devon to see what I’m willing to do if things don’t happen peacefully. Hell, I’m scared to see what I’m willing to do.
“Wren.” He comes around and grabs my arms. “This has trap written all over it.”
“I know. And I know them. Plus, I have magic. They don’t.”
He looks into my eyes and shakes his head. “I know I can’t stop you, but I can try.”
“Devon, come on. I have to go. I don’t know what they’re doing to her. And this is going to go one of two ways. You’re going to let me go, or I’m going to cast a sleeping spell on you and go anyway.”
“Fine,” he sighs. “Go and leave the helpless human.”
I don’t have the time or mental capacity to address his little dig. “Thank you. Just stay home and I’ll be back with Mabel soon.”
Grabbing the map, I smudge the herbs over the location to mark it. Then I use the bathroom, put my hair in a ponytail, put on a jacket, and head out. I blindly grab a set of keys again, not realizing which car they belong to. I hit the unlock button, making the lights of Xavier’s G-Wagon flash. I open the door and throw my stuff inside. Adrenaline floods my system when I plug in the address into the GPS. I’m not far, but I know the drive is going to feel like ages just like the plane ride.
My mind starts to get away from me and I begin to fear what the hunters are going to do to Mabel. A lot are old-school Bible thumpers, cherry picking which versus they like to follow, and an eye for an eye is a favorite amongst a lot of them.