Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
The song faded, and Matilda’s voice came forth, otherworldly and suffused with power.
“The pact is made.”
EPILOGUE
The hospital bed was surprisingly comfortable, Augustine reflected. But then, considering the amount of money he spent on MII’s infirmary, that was to be expected.
Arabella had borrowed Connor’s medics. In less than an hour, both he and Diana were patched up and on their way to Houston via a MII helicopter. They didn’t speak during the trip. He had misled Diana, and she was angry. He could almost feel the intensity of her indignation radiating outward like heat. Once they landed, her people picked her up, while his people took him to the infirmary, and they parted ways without a single word.
The infirmary was on the twenty-second floor, and from his bed he could see Houston, a multitude of electric lights glowing like coals scattered across dark ashes. They must’ve given him a strong cocktail, because he wasn’t given to poetic nonsense.
A careful knock sounded through the room. He glanced at the doorway and saw Arabella rapping her knuckles on the doorframe. Augustine nodded.
She walked in and set a high-capacity storage drive on the side table. Woodward’s dirty secrets.
“All the animals have been evacuated,” she reported.
“Blake Harrison?”
She nodded. “He just appeared out of nowhere with a pack of wolves and three horse trailers.”
“What’s your opinion of him?”
She frowned. “Unsettling. I’ve met him before, and he is very good at pretending to be human. Tonight, he didn’t bother.”
His original assessment proved correct. House Harrison was full of interesting surprises.
“About that recommendation,” she said.
“Are you sure it’s what you want?” he asked. “It will be a lot of work.”
Her expression became defiant. It was a look he was all too familiar with by now. “I’m not afraid of work.”
“If you do this, you must go all the way. I will be committing a lot of resources to supporting you. Don’t waste my efforts or your own.”
“I won’t,” she promised.
“Stop by Lina’s desk and ask her to give you the green folder.”
Arabella flashed a smile and took off.
She was a troublesome child, but debts had to be paid. All things considered, she would make a powerful ally in the future. Provided she didn’t self-destruct along the way.
Augustine looked out the window again. The sun would rise soon.
Somewhere out there, Diana rested, probably in a bed just like this one.
He missed her.
She told him he was the one. The special one.
The safest course was to pretend it had never happened. Their magic wasn’t compatible, their Houses weren’t on the same footing, and her nature was too unpredictable for a stable partnership. He recognized all that.
Augustine closed his eyes. He needed to take this time to heal while he could. He needed to be in top shape when he went looking for Diana Harrison, and he wasn’t sure how long he could stay away.
ARABELLA SAVES THE DAY
Iwalked into the gym at a quarter past nine, took my high-heeled cork sandals off—I really liked this pair, they had little blue flowers on them—and crossed the floor.
Gyms were not my favorite places. Something about walls of mirrors and rows of equipment made me feel like I was on display, and I avoided them whenever it was possible. I liked working out—it helped with the stress, and I’ve had a lot of stress lately—but I preferred doing it where nobody could see me and run away screaming.
Although, as gyms went, this one wasn’t too bad. It was large, with a heavy-duty rubberized floor, light and bright, no mirrors, and it was empty except for two people, which was a huge plus.
They stood by one of those heavy, cylindrical punching bags that were designed to take both kicks and punches. The bag hung suspended on a chain from a metal track in the ceiling, and the track ran almost all the way to the back of the gym.
Interesting.
The first person, a muscled guy in his late thirties, carefully pushed the bag forward and stepped to the side. He was a big dude, tall with broad shoulders, a wide chest, and biceps that stretched the sleeves of his black short-sleeved compression tee. His hair looked rough, and he probably knew that but just didn’t care. This was the kind of guy who’d rather buzz his own hair off with clippers knowing he would probably miss a spot than sit down for twenty minutes and politely make small talk with a barber.
Ray Braddock. Professional Tough Guy and All-Around Badass.
He kind of reminded me of those high school wrestling coaches who were always super serious and focused and were, like, way too intense at times, but also were helpful, professional, and quietly patient. Until you pissed them off. And then he would be screaming in your face while you just stood there, terrified, watching the blood vessel pop in his forehead and counting the seconds until it was over.