Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 140780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
People didn’t burn the way he did. People didn’t have blood that could heal—
Stop it.
What if Marcus had always known what Lucien was and used pain to keep him in line?
What if Lucien hadn’t just gotten free but made everything a thousand times worse?
The room faded in and out as black spots crowded my vision.
A queasy wave of vertigo played havoc with my balance, and I tripped to the closest thing that could save me.
Landing heavily on the luggage bench by the door, I tipped forward and clutched my raindrop pendant. My fingers wrapped around the cool crystal, begging it to actually work for the first time in my life and take away my pain.
With a groan, I slid sideways as faintness tried to drag me down.
My head fell on my still-damp rucksack. My cheek pressed against the zipper and something small and brick-like answered back.
My eyes popped wide.
Jerking upright, I tore open the front pocket where my phone rested. Out of battery and fast asleep but helpfully cuddled up next to its charger ready to be useful. Relief blanketed me.
How could I be so stupid?!
Dillon.
Dillon can help!
My long-suffering bodyguard who’d probably had an aneurysm looking for me for the past seven weeks.
Snatching the charger and phone, I went to launch upright but another small bulge in the side pocket had me freezing.
My stomach turned.
Slipping my hand into the bag, I pulled out the vial of Lucien’s blood that he’d given me this morning—just before demanding I kill him.
I swallowed hard at the thought of drinking cold, coagulated blood.
In any other circumstances, there would be no way. On any other day or in any other nightmare, I would toss it out the window and forget I’d ever been in the slightest bit tempted but...
He’d set the wall on fire.
I was moments away from blacking out yet again.
I couldn’t afford to be a burden and...we had to run.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” I grimaced as I unscrewed the stopper and fought the urge to gag. His blood had darkened, settling thick at the bottom like oil instead of liquid.
Would it still work?
Did it still have the power to take away my discomfort, even if it wasn’t fresh out of his veins?
Do you hear yourself?
My spine snapped straight because...all those moments he’d cured me with his life-force. All those times he’d made me drink straight from him—that should’ve been the first warning sign that he wasn’t...human.
I choked—
Whisper padded toward me, smelling Lucien’s blood.
I tensed as the huge predator towered over me, his nose pressing against the vial before glaring at me with questions.
“H-He gave it to me,” I stuttered. “For emergencies. And I think...” I gulped as I clutched the cold vial with two hands. “This qualifies as an emergency.”
He snorted as I looked toward the bathroom.
The shower continued to fall.
I didn’t give myself time to think.
With a gasp, I jerked the vial to my lips and upended it.
The blood hit my tongue. Thick and cold, slick and syrupy. I gagged as it slid down my throat. It tasted of iron and ash, bitter and strangely alive, leaving a faint burn in its wake.
My system tried to evict it.
My stomach hurt and my temples throbbed and I hugged myself as I tipped over my knees, trying to think about anything else. Flowers and butterflies, summer storms and snow bunnies. Anything apart from oily, icy blood.
Unfolding, I kept my teeth clenched tight against my body’s urge to retch and snatched my phone again. Needing the distraction, I forced my legs to move and headed toward the bed and the socket above the side table. With shaky hands, I plugged it in, attached it to my phone, and turned it on.
It took an age to reboot.
A century to come reluctantly alive.
And every minute that I waited was a minute that Lucien’s blood worked its magic.
It started subtly...a soft soothing behind my eyes, an easing of the pressure in my head.
As my screen flared bright and mobile data connected, my muscles steadied as strength flooded my veins, humming and potent, like I’d been the one plugged in instead.
Messages and notifications came flying in, making my phone jump and jive.
I dismissed them as fast as I could, unable to keep up as the network kept delivering.
Frank: Hey, hey. When are you coming back? We have spas here too, you know.
Frank: Rook, this isn’t funny anymore. Where are you?
Frank: Call me. Urgently.
Frank: ELARA SNOWFLAKE, ANSWER YOUR PHONE RIGHT NOW!
I scowled.
He actually went there.
He used my corporate world pseudonym when he knew how much I hated it.
Dillon’s messages crowded over Frank’s. Messages that were far, far worse.
Dillon: Give me your status or I’ll hack your phone and turn on your location.
Dillon: Frank is freaking the fuck out. Give me your location. Right now.
Dillon: Give me an update, Rook. NOW.