Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
“Yeah, Thane.” More like bane of my existence. “Let me go. Now.”
The door flies open, and the handle slams into the stone wall. I peer over my shoulder at the slick cobblestone street and the canal that splits the Commons in two. A screech builds in my throat.
Bane of My Existence doesn’t let me go. Not until I’m completely outside and several feet away from the door. His hot grip vanishes as he plops me on the ground, causing me to land square on my ass.
“Ow! What the shadows is wrong with you?!” I yell, just as the door of the tavern swings shut. The smug satisfaction in Thane’s eyes is the last thing I see. “Oh no he fucking didn’t.”
I haul myself up, push my spectacles back in place, and storm back to the tavern, shoving the door open.
As if Bolivar was expecting my furious return, he stops me with a solid hand to the chest before I can even get two feet in the door.
“Do not go back over there. Do you hear me, Z?”
I maneuver around him and stomp toward Thane’s table regardless of Bolivar’s warning. Thane doesn’t pay me any mind as he wipes the blade of a dagger on the hem of his cloak with an air of boredom.
“Whoa, Zaira. Come on,” Bolivar whisper-hisses as he follows me. “You don’t want to get into it with this one, okay? I’ve seen what he can do, and believe me, that son of a bitch will kill you.” He catches me by the elbow to stop me again.
“So let him! All I did was ask for help!” I shout, directing my words to the masked jackass, not giving a shit who hears me. At this point, I have nothing to lose. “Everyone around here is so afraid of Seferin, but I’m not, and I don’t care if he has henchmen or snitches in this place to tell him that! All I want is to get my sister back!”
Thane freezes. Then his eyes dart up to mine. I swear his bright irises absorb the fire as they swell with fury.
There it is. His attention. It seems I’m not the only one around here who despises Seferin.
“Orvena’s sake, Z,” Bolivar grumbles.
“Please. My sister is going to die within the next month if I don’t do something,” I plead to Thane. “All I need is someone to look after me—to simply escort me on a brief journey. It’ll take two weeks, max. If I leave tomorrow, I can make it there and back in time.”
“Let her go.” Thane’s voice has a deep, gravelly timbre. I swallow as those fierce eyes scan every inch of me.
Bolivar huffs and then glares at me. “Zaira, this isn’t the way.”
I pull away from him, matching his stare. “I have to try.” Without another word to Bolivar, I turn back toward Thane, this time with more poise. “Can I sit, or are you going to toss me into the fire this time?”
He narrows his eyes briefly before he folds his arms and gives me one simple curt nod.
I sit and blow out a deep breath, rubbing my forehead, as if that action alone will lessen my stress. That’s when I feel all eyes on me now. The weight of them is heavy.
I look around, and of course everyone is watching us.
With what might be a low growl, Thane stares everyone down, his body tense like a predator ready to strike. With some exaggerated throat clearing and shuffles, the tavern patrons melt into the background, resuming card games and overly loud conversations about anything except what just happened.
“How do you know Seferin?” Thane asks, cutting straight to the chase.
“I don’t know him personally. My sister worked for him, but then she tried to steal from him, and matters…escalated.”
He studies me like he’s searching for lies. “Start from the beginning.”
“My sister stole a crystal from Seferin, and now he’s punishing her for it.”
“A crystal?” he questions with a hint of annoyance.
“Yes. She had the terrible idea to sell it, so she tried to steal it. The only reason I know is because I snuck into his keep when I sensed something was wrong. She’s down there…and he’s placed a curse on her.” I feel eyes on me. I glance toward the bar, and one of the beastials with feathers on her arms jerks her gaze away when I catch her staring.
“Don’t worry about them.” He takes a thorough look around the tavern. “Even if you scream, they won’t hear you.”
I sit up, confused and, quite frankly, disturbed by that statement. “Why can’t they hear me?”
“Because I don’t want them to.” He waves a hand, and that’s when I notice an almost imperceptible shimmer of gold light surrounding us like a dome.
I gulp. “Oh.” I don’t know how I feel about this, but something tells me I should be terrified by it. I finger the pendant of my necklace as if the action will provide me a bit of security.