Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
She lifted her eyebrows. That was, indeed, quite logical.
“Yeah,” Frank said, not one of the real thinkers in this group.
“When did you all come up with this?” she asked.
“It’s been somewhat peaceful for years now,” John said. “We’re bored.”
They’d continually refused to go across the veil and find peace in the afterlife because of their devotion to Lexi and Kieran and their team. They could only speak to her and Kieran, but they were as much a part of the family as anyone. The others just didn’t know it.
She sighed. “I can’t guarantee your safety. The fae are wicked and their gods are vicious and awful. Even in death, things might be…difficult for you. I can protect spirits here, but I don’t know if I’ll have that power there.”
John chuckled, but it was Mia who spoke. “You didn’t know Valens. He was as ruthless as those Faerie gods sound, and just as cunning. He wasn’t even a god. He didn’t have any compassion. Not like they must have to keep their world working. He was evil all the way through…and he had friends. Close friends. Those friends are quiet now that you’ve been blessed by Hades, but they aren’t gone. I remember hearing all about them when I eavesdropped. The Demigods of old weren’t as reined in as they are today. They didn’t do truces or give quarter—”
“Your dad killed all his kids except you,” John told Lexi.
Mia nodded earnestly. “I don’t think we’ll be any worse off over there. If we are, you’ll fix it. You always do.”
Lexi shook her head. “No, you don’t understand—”
“I’ll take my chances,” John said forcefully. “Dying has to be more of a shock than changing locations while already dead.”
“As a man who has changed many locations, I can attest.” Frank nodded, his hands on his hips. He didn’t seem to have a handle on the crux of the conversation.
Lexi bowed in resignation. “Fine. Do not blame me if this goes tits up.”
“Oh, it will absolutely go tits up.” John grinned. “That’s what’s fun about working for you. You’re very inventive when you’re under pressure.”
Most people didn’t understand why she was every bit as protective of spirits—of ghosts—as she was of people. That was because they didn’t understand her magic. Her duty to the spirit world.
She wondered if the fae had anyone like her. They had a whole kingdom with an affinity for spirit, like Mia had said, but was it the same thing? Protectors? Guardians of souls? She’d never voice her curiosity. That she wanted to visit and speak with them, just to see.
“Right, let’s get cracking.” She clapped once and headed away from the structures selling animals and merchandise. A hundred feet away, off on its own, a collection of weathered boards encircled a large area big enough for a horse-drawn carriage to fit. The air within it was waving lines of purplish haze, billowing like smoke that disappeared ten feet up. The portal, obviously.
Kieran met her there, all business until she was beside him. Then he turned to her and his hands fell around her face. His eyes delved into hers, and she could feel the concern through their bond.
“How are you?” he asked softly.
She steeled herself, willing her lip to stop trembling. “Hanging in there. If I could just feel her through spirit and know she’s okay…” She leaned against him. He was always so confident and strong. So sure of himself and the situation. “I feel responsible. I should’ve—”
“We all do,” he cut in, not letting her devolve into the self-loathing and despair that had plagued her since Daisy’s abduction. He held her close. “Every single one of us is responsible for this, me most of all. I have a duty to protect my family, and I failed. But baby, I promise, we will get her back. All she has to do is stay alive. If she can just stay alive, we’ll get her back. The fae think their twisted magic is all-powerful, but that’s because Demigods have always had a history of steering clear of them—those of us smart enough not to get shackled with a deal. There are two of us and a team of level five magical workers. They won’t know what hit them. We’ll get her back, and we’ll close these portals forever.”
She nodded into his chest.
“Now…” He pulled back to look into her eyes. “It’s time for war. Are you ready?”
She took a deep breath. Daisy needed her strength. “Yes.”
Kieran and Thane led the group into the portal. If something was waiting on the other side, they’d encounter a Demigod and a level five Berserker capable of laying waste to anyone and everyone in his path. Lexi’s huge cats bounded up to her. Each about as big as a Great Dane, they had magical powers of the Hades line, a special gift created in a somewhat gross way. They’d been kept in the cars until the last minute so as not to spook the horses.