Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Everything she said happened.
Until it didn’t.
6
“Are you kidding me?” A sudden growl came from behind us. It was Gum, but he didn’t look like the Gum we saw in the bar earlier. This Gum had his hair loose, and it was flowing freely around his face, and his eyes were lit and furious. His massive jawline was tense. And he was wearing a muscle tank, which showed how very large and muscular his muscles were. He looked like a body builder’s wet dream except without the veins sticking out. Kinda like a mix between Thor and the Hulk guy, when he was in the green mode. And he was wearing loose cloth pants that were half ripped so they were flowing around his legs, just like his hair. Barefoot too.
She Shay cut off, right before there was another growl from her guy, who stepped forward. “We’re doing what we were asked. This is me being nice. Do not make me want to be un-nice.”
She Shay cast her guy a nervous look, but Gum snapped back, “Lancaster had no authority to ask you to do this to these humans. They’re under Arogyous’s protection.”
Well, that changed everything.
Who was Arogyous?
At the name, the Demon guy stopped being all growly and there was a lifting in the air. It took three seconds, but the rest of my friends began looking around in confusion and panic.
She Shay raised her hand, the same crooning tone coming from her. “Calm. No one is in danger here.”
They calmed. The girl had serious power.
Demon guy said, still a little growly, “I wasn’t told Arogyous was here.”
“Who’s Arogyous?” Caden asked.
I harrumphed because exactly.
She Shay, Demon Guy, and Gum all ignored him.
I answered, “No clue, but apparently we’re under his protection. And there’s a Lancaster dude who wanted our memories wiped, but he had no authority to ask for that.”
“What?” Kennedy’s mouth was on the sand. Her Shay stepped over, pulling her into his arms.
Gage was still shaking his head. “I’m so confused by what’s going on. Did you see those people? And they went into the ocean?” He faced the ocean, his legs unsteady. “They never came back. And what was that? You think a giant goldfish ate them?”
She Shay said to Demon Guy, “I don’t think you need to wipe his memories.”
“Enough.” Gum’s voice rose. “Arogyous said they could stay at his place. That means they’re under his protection. It’s his call what happens to them.”
The Demon guy’s eyes went dark again. “I do not adhere under the control of Aimilios Arogyous. You’re forgetting who you’re talking to.”
Gum seemed to waver for the first time, his head lowering a little, as well as his tone. “I do not forget who you are, Kellan, and whose son you are. But Aimilios is my best friend, and wiping the memories of humans under his protection is something he doesn’t agree with.”
Kellan took a step closer to Gum, his head tilting, and a shiver went down my spine because I had the distinct feeling he was considering just killing Gum. He said, his voice soft, but it sent waves of fear through me, “Are you forgetting your own blood’s calling? Do you think I don’t know who you are, Prin–”
“Enough.” The word whipped out of Gum, but he took a shaking step back. “Who my family is has no say here either.”
Kellan continued to study him, until his Shay stepped to him. Her hand went to his arm. She spoke to Gum, “We don’t care if these human’s memories are wiped or not. Your man Lancaster insisted it be done, for their sake. We agreed it would more helpful to them if they forgot what they saw happened earlier. They must not have understood it, but later, it could trigger them to start trying to understand.”
Kellan shot her a look.
She amended, “I agreed it would be more helpful to them.”
Oooh! Ooh! I shot my hand up.
No one paid attention to me.
I waved it. “Me! I have something to say.”
She Shay frowned, her eyebrows pulling low together. “Did you wipe my memories, Kellan? Did I already say we don’t need to raise hands here.”
He just chuckled, his eyes gleaming with some evil amusement.
I dropped my hand as Caden rubbed my back. “Can I just say that what we saw in the bar is nothing compared to this whole experience, and also, my memory wasn’t wiped.” I gestured to my friends. “I could tell when you lifted it from them, how they clued in, but me–I’d known the whole time what was going on.”
That drew Kellan’s attention. His gaze sharpened on me, and he started for me, but his woman grabbed his hand, keeping him beside her. I felt a pulsing power blast me, and almost fell over from it. Caden readied me, snarling at Kellan, “Stop it.”