Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 99935 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99935 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
I froze. “Was that there when I went to sleep...?”
The empty bedroom didn’t need to answer me, because I already knew the answer was no.
Slowly, hesitatingly, I crept across the bedroom and picked up the paper. Fifteen seconds later, I was running out the door—my day clothes, my patch, and my shoes forgotten.
I bet you thought you were being very clever,
sending your sneaking, slithering spy into my bedroom.
Since we are very much close to the end now, I will forgive this lapse in judgement,
and give you a chance to save your pet.
Come to the fourth-floor demon wing library before the breakfast gong sounds,
and don’t be late.
There’s nothing like deep-fried chili snake to start the day.
I TORE THROUGH THE empty hallway, skidded into the main corridor, and then turned left. Between Sabrina’s nighttime wanderings and mine, we had quite a bit of the manor mapped out, and that more than included the demon wing.
I raced up the stairs two at a time and it sharply reminded me of my ill-fated chase after the Dora phantom.
But this is not going to end the same way. This time I will save you. I picked up the pace. I’m coming, Sabrina. Just hold on!
Topping the landing, I peered down a single straight hallway to towering double doors. Once again, the décor was a masterpiece. Endlessly creepy and beautiful, the face of a skull stretched across both doors so that its mouth could swallow you when you pushed them open.
And that’s what it felt like as I fell on the doors and roughly shoved them open.
I was walking into the belly of the beast.
Bare feet padded across the cool stone, carrying me deeper into the bowels of the library. I didn’t know if electricity existed in hell, or if they really just preferred everything be lit by torches and candlelight, but the latter were all I had lighting my way as I moved through the shadowed stacks.
The light burned brightest toward the back of the library. I found myself naturally moving that way, if only to escape the chilling darkness. I reached the last stack and stopped.
Slowly, I stuck my head out, peering around and—
“Ahhh!”
I had walked into every one of these horrible scenes, so you would’ve thought I’d be desensitized to the wanton cruelty and violence. But you’d be wrong.
I screamed so loud my voice gave out, and then I screamed more.
Five fae men—each of them instantly recognizable to me—lay sprawled out over the library’s sitting space. Draped over the armchair, lying on the coffee table, crumpled on the floor, and propped up against the shelves. They looked so untouched and serene, you could’ve almost believed they were just sleeping, if it wasn’t for the fact that nearly all of them were missing their wings. All except for the faeman spread out on the coffee table—the one I knew as the guard who tried to punch my skull in on the first day of classes.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. Tears soaked my face as I went over to him. “I’m so sorry this happened to you and your friends. I’m going to get you out of here before anyone else comes in here and gawks like you’re a window display, and not—”
His eyes snapped open.
“Ah!” I screamed, and so did he.
“Mhhh! Mhhhmm!” he grunted. His eyes rolled in his head, shouting a visceral, naked fear that chilled my soul.
Not dead! He still has his wings because the bastard didn’t sacrifice him. He just left him in this hell.
“It’s okay,” I cried, grasping his shoulders. “I’ll get you out of here. I’ll get you help.”
I tried to lift him, and my foot slipped. I crashed down on top of him, ripping a grunt from the poor man.
It was like I tried to lift a ten-ton boulder. He was stuck fast to the table, and it wasn’t because of his girth.
“Magic,” I gritted. “Fuck!”
First week in hell, and my no-cursing vow was dust.
“I’m sorry, I can’t move you,” I told him. “I’ll have to go get help, but it won’t take long. My stalker never sleeps, so he’s probably out listening for me right now—”
“Hphh!”
“I’ll be right back, I swear.” I scrambled off him, backing away. “Just one minute, and we’ll—”
Panic bled his eyes white. “HMMMM!”
A hand clamped on the back of my neck and ripped me off my feet.
“Kergh!” I choked, scratching and clawing at the vise. Freaking out, I kicked and flailed in the hold as all Sabrina’s mutterings that I was a clueless, stupid human tumbled through my head.
The last fae wasn’t alive because the killer left. He was alive because the killer was interrupted... by me.
“You got here much earlier than I was expecting.”
My eyes bugged, and not because the life was being choked out of me. Surprise rocked me to the core because the voice the that filled my ear was distinctly, unmistakingly, female.