Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Yes,” he says, head slowly bobbing up and down.
“Well, spill,” Mabel presses. “What do you remember?”
“I can’t place it directly,” he starts, closing his eyes to try and help remember. “I hear a voice, and something about a seal.”
“Like one you see in the ocean?” Mabel asks.
“No,” Devon and I say at the same time. He holds my gaze, a line of worry forming between his brows, knowing I understand exactly what kind of seal he’s talking about. “They said something about a seal needing to be broken.”
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
“I’m sorry,” Devon says, blinking his eyes open. “I’ve got nothing.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him, picking up a clear quartz crystal. “Maybe if we try two crystals instead of one, something will come back to you.”
Devon looks at me dubiously. “We’ve been doing this for three days and I can’t remember anything else other than what I told you.”
“There are other forms of hypnosis.” I trade the crystal for my phone, prepared to search for any other methods we haven’t tried.
Xavier puts his hand on my arm. “I think you’ve exhausted all efforts, my darling. And exhausted Devon.”
“Fine,” I groan and put my phone back on the coffee table. We’re in the living room, and I had Devon lie down on the couch with his eyes closed and I tried to do a guided meditation to remember what was said about breaking a seal. “Breaking a seal doesn’t sound good. Seals are put in place to keep something shut. Like literally sealed shut.”
“Sorry I can’t remember,” Devon says, but there’s a question in his voice because he didn’t really think he needs to be sorry. And he doesn’t. It’s not his fault the last few hours of human memory were lost.
“It’s okay. It would have been way too easy if you just suddenly remembered everything.” I gather up my crystals, putting them back in a little velvet bag. My phone dings with a text.
“Delphi,” Xavier notes, handing me my phone.
I open the phone and read the text. “She wants to know if I’m free to get lunch.”
“You should go,” Xavier says right away and I cock an eyebrow.
“Eager to get rid of me?”
“Of course not.” He put his hand on my thigh, fingers inching dangerously close to the hem of the blue and white sundress I’m wearing. Devon makes a point to turn his head, suddenly interested in the images on the TV screen simulating an open window. “You should hang out with her and use your powers to get a feel for her and ask if the wolves’ loyalty remains with the coalition.”
“I’ve never sensed anything bad about her before.” I shrug. “I kinda like her, actually.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind poking, just a bit.” Xavier playfully nudges me.
“Oh, not at all. I haven’t seen her since we tried to buy drugs together, so I’m sure she’ll have a lot to say on this.”
“You love saying that, don’t you?” Xavier chuckles.
“Come on, you would too. Despite being arrested a handful of times, I’m a law-abiding citizen. Well, when I’m not breaking and entering, digging up corpses, and setting things on fire.”
“You’re so innocent,” Xavier jokes and I catch Devon scoffing out of the corner of my eye. It really sucks to see someone you have feelings for have feelings for someone else. It’s probably ten times worse when that person is your hundred-times-removed brother who is almost now your maker and can command you and force you to listen.
“I’ll text her back,” I say and quickly fire off a text. She replies back right away, and we plan to meet downtown at one PM. I need to leave in about forty minutes, which is more than enough time to go upstairs and have mind-blowing sex with Xavier.
So we do.
Our relationship is starting to feel so deep and so natural. And that scared the absolute crap out of me.
“Hey!” Delphi waves when I step into the restaurant. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too. Love that dress. We kinda match.”
“We do! Blue looks good on you.”
The waitress brings two wine glasses and a bottle of rosé.
“You can order something else if you’re not a wine drinker,” Delphi says once the glasses are filled. “I’ll have yours. It’s been a day.”
“Everything okay?”
She rolls her eyes. “Just stupid drama with my ex.”
“You mentioned an ex-husband. Why is he still bothering you? You guys don’t have kids or anything, right?”
“Nope. We had a couple cats, but he was so mean to them. Like would throw them down if they jumped on the counter.”
“What a psycho.”
“I know. So glad I got out before we had kids and I got tethered to him even longer.”
I take a sip of the rosé and make a face. It is not my thing. I’ll order just an iced tea when the waitress comes back to take our order. “What is he bothering you about?”