Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 229266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1146(@200wpm)___ 917(@250wpm)___ 764(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 229266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1146(@200wpm)___ 917(@250wpm)___ 764(@300wpm)
Too much of a problem?
“Which reminds me, I can make some extra bacon for when we leave.” He popped up from the chair. “If you like?”
Kieran paused with the second slice halfway to his mouth. “When it comes to bacon, the answer is always yes.”
The young Atlantian laughed as he glanced over his shoulder. The door opened, and my heart launched itself into my throat as my gaze crawled over the faces of the men and women who entered. My shoulders lowered as I recognized none of the faces. There was a half-dozen.
“You guys hungry?” Quentyn called out and was greeted with several enthusiastic replies. Turning around, he shrugged as he said, “I like to cook.”
And then, with a nod at both of us, he raced off to the kitchen area.
I watched the group of newcomers split into two, seating themselves at the round tables near the door. All of them nodded in acknowledgment, but none approached. A woman with dark hair glanced over her shoulder. She had golden eyes. An Atlantian. As did the man who stared from where he sat across from her.
Ignoring the nervous fluttering in my stomach, I offered a smile.
The woman turned back around, and the man faced another beside him.
Sighing, I turned to Kieran. “When do you think we will leave?”
“If Elijah was able to get the first group out a day after we left, they’ll probably be at least two days. Since the group would be larger, they won’t be traveling as fast as we did.” He wiped the sheen of grease from his fingers on a napkin. “But we’re less than a half-day’s ride from the mountains, so we should reach them by tomorrow afternoon, which will allow us to cross halfway before nightfall. And then we’ll be in Atlantia.”
My heart skipped a beat. I hadn’t realized that we were now so close to what was basically an unofficial boundary line. “Just like that?”
He smiled slightly as one of the younger men with light brown hair bent his head to the woman, whispering. “Just like that.”
Leaning back in my chair, I peeked over at the people. Their postures seemed awfully stiff. I bit down on the inside of my lip and opened my senses, letting them stretch out. The moment their bitter and sour-tasting emotions came back to me, I immediately wished I hadn’t let my gift free. Distrust and dislike were often hard to separate, but in some cases, they were joined. Like now.
They had to know who I was. It was the only reason they’d feel this way.
“You’ve been quieter than expected,” Kieran commented.
I shut down my senses, offering a shrug. “I’ve been thinking.” Which wasn’t exactly a lie. I’d done a whole lot of thinking during breakfast.
“Great.”
I shot him an arch look. “It’s really your fault, by the way.”
“Probably should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
“I sort of wished you had.”
“But I didn’t.”
“No,” I sighed, picking at the napkin on the table. “Where is he?”
“Who?”
My head tipped to the side. “Like you don’t know.”
“I know a lot of hes.”
“Hes isn’t a word,” I muttered. “Where is Casteel? Is he…?”
“Is he what?” he quietly asked when I didn’t continue.
“What if he’s not okay?” I glared at him. “If he was closer to the edge than you realized, what if he’s out there, feeding off…random people.”
“I haven’t known you for long.” He gave a shake of his head, and I thought maybe he was searching for patience. “But sometimes, the things your mind conjures worry me.”
“I think it’s a valid concern,” I grumbled.
“I imagine he’s cooled down, gotten himself ready, and is speaking with people.” Kieran looked at me from the side of his eye. “Glad to see that you’re acknowledging that you care for him and are questioning his wellbeing.”
I started to tell him that I wasn’t, but that would have been an obvious lie. Kieran knew it. I knew it. And I hated everyone, but especially Kieran.
Something occurred to me in that moment, and I got up close and personal with abject horror. I had no idea what I was going to say to him about this morning. Not about the whole feeding thing. I knew what I needed to do to make sure he didn’t go all Ascended-eyed on me again. But the other thing? Could I just pretend like it didn’t happen?
That seemed like a successful plan.
Shoulders slumping, I changed the subject. “Can I ask you something?”
“I have a feeling if I said no, it wouldn’t stop you.”
He was right. It wouldn’t. I kept my voice incredibly low. “Casteel said that if I refused the marriage, he’d let me go. That he would take me somewhere safe. Was he telling the truth?”
Kieran looked at me, brows raised. “So, you’re basically asking me to betray him?”
“I’m not asking—okay. I am.”
“He wasn’t lying,” Kieran said after a moment. “If you had refused, he would’ve let you go. But I doubt you would’ve been free of him.”