Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“Oh dear.” Bussy Bluebird swept inside, already unwrapping her colorful purple scarf. “I can’t believe everyone was poisoned. Are you okay, dear?”
“I’m fine,” Nadia said, slightly relaxing as she took in the elderly female.
“Oh, good.” Margaret Thistle strode in behind her sister.
The ladies were twins. They paused just inside the kitchen, surveying the scene with sharp, assessing eyes. They had to be at least a hundred and fifty years old, their silver-gray hair thick and glossy, their posture straight and alert despite their age.
“Well, as long as you didn’t get poisoned,” Margaret said.
Nadia shook her head. “Is this a normal occurrence? You two were around for the last challenges.”
“No, we weren’t. When your father went through the Alpha trials, there were no challengers. We’ve never been through this,” Bussy said, tsking her tongue. “The last actual challenges were so long ago, I’m not sure anybody was alive. The Nightsoms have ruled forever.”
Nadia turned slowly toward Solomon, who had finished cleaning and now stood with his hands braced on the counter. “Is there anything in the grimoire that talks about sabotage?”
He nodded, and her heart kicked hard. She hated the relief that rushed through her, even as she clung to it. She felt horrible about the poison, but if this was a way out, she would take it.
Solomon scratched his elbow. “Everything’s open. Free game. They can kill each other any way they want.” He shook his head. “The only safe person right now is you. They can’t touch you, which is why the ladies are here now.”
Nadia looked from one female to the other. “What do you mean?”
Bussy tilted her head toward Solomon. “We’re your designated lupine aunts.”
“Excuse me?” Nadia asked, her voice sharpening.
A faint flush crept up Solomon’s cheeks. “Yeah. I may not have explained this all that well. You’re probably not going to like it.”
Nadia held up a hand, palm out, as if she could physically stop the words before they reached her. Her throat tightened and her stomach rolled. “Just a minute. I don’t want to know.” Her voice came out higher than she intended, edged with panic she couldn’t swallow back down. “We need to get a doctor out there to help Dax. He can’t be dead. Just from tea.”
Solomon shook his head, his expression strained, his shoulders held too tight. “I already called. The soldiers have probably retrieved the body by now.”
The body. Nadia’s breath caught hard in a sharp sound she couldn’t control. Her eyes stung, and she blinked fast, refusing to let anybody see her fall apart. Poison was awful, yes, but wolves had strong constitutions. They were built to survive. That was part of the whole terrifying mythology of them, and it had felt steadying until this moment.
“The body,” she repeated, quieter, as if saying it softly could make it less real. Her hand went to her chest as though she could hold her heart in place. “So, he really died.”
Solomon’s gaze dropped for a beat. “Yes. I could tell by looking at the lack of breathing, bleeding, and movement. I’m so sorry.” His voice roughened. “Did you like him?”
“I just met him,” Nadia said, and the words came out with more bite than she meant. She dragged in air and forced herself to slow down. “But I didn’t want him to die over this, Solomon. I didn’t want any of this.” Her eyes burned again. “There has to be a way out.”
“I don’t see that happening,” Solomon said.
Nadia started pacing, three steps one way, three steps back, the motion scraping energy out of her and leaving raw nerves behind. The marble floor was cold through her shoes. The kitchen smelled faintly of steeped herbs and citrus, and the last ghost of tea that should’ve been harmless.
Isaac had seemed reasonable. Luca had too. She could talk to Caidrik, because something like a friendship had sparked there, something that had felt safe for about five minutes. Bulwark was another problem, a big one. “Maybe they’ll all just quit.” Except for Caidrik.
Solomon’s jaw tightened as he watched her pace. “It’s too late to agree if one of them has perished. The rules stand.”
“What?” Nadia exploded.
He shuffled his feet. “They can’t back out now. We all took an oath when this thing started.”
“That just figures,” Nadia muttered. She stopped and swung toward the elderly women, because if she stayed focused on Dax and his untimely death for one more second, she might start shaking so hard she wouldn’t stop.
The twins stood in the kitchen, both tall with prominent noses. The ladies were elderly but not fragile. Their posture was straight and their presence sharp. Bussy’s scarf was a riot of purple and color, totally cheerful. Margaret’s coat looked dense and practical in a dark green.
“Okay,” Nadia said, her voice clipped. “Somebody tell me what lupine aunts are. We’re not really related, are we?”