Total pages in book: 436
Estimated words: 415303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2077(@200wpm)___ 1661(@250wpm)___ 1384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 415303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2077(@200wpm)___ 1661(@250wpm)___ 1384(@300wpm)
To them, we weren't victims. Just nuisances they put up with.
"Well then…" Ethan held out his hand in my direction. "Shall we?"
Fear kept me rooted to my spot.
Then suddenly warmth spread throughout the room. I quickly glanced to the siren; Alex had his hand raised in the air, and I could almost see the heat radiating from his hand toward my body.
Be calm, he whispered in my head. Ethan will not harm you.
And you?
None of us mean you harm.
My gaze flickered to Cassius.
Alex gave a slight shake of his head. Yes, human. He means you harm. You are never to be alone with him. Ever. If you are, I cannot help you. I cannot shield you from his power. If he touches you, if he claims you, it will be the last time you own your own body, soul, and mind. He will destroy you. If you must… run.
My hands shook at my sides, but I managed a nod in his direction.
Ethan held out his hand again. "Come."
I followed him, careful not to touch his hand lest he have the same effect on me a Dark One would, and followed him through a side door.
He moved silently next to me, opening door after door, finally leading me into a dark parking garage where a black unmarked town car was waiting.
"Hurry, get in."
"What?"
He shoved me in the car and ran to the other side, faster than my eyes could follow, then sped off as if we were being chased.
"We don't have much time." He looked behind him. "Damn it, we have less than that much time."
"What are you talking about?"
"He will hunt you."
"What?" I gasped. "Who?"
"Cassius…" He spat. "He wants you. I could feel it. Could see it in his mind's eye as if I was living it myself. The reason you're here isn't for the immortals. It's for him."
"But, my mom said that—"
Ethan barked out a laugh. "Yes please tell me what your human mother told you about what your job is to the immortals?"
I swallowed the dryness in my throat. "I'm to educate you about the ways of the humans so you don't have to interact with us. Teach any of the immortal children how to use the Internet, cell phones — technology — and at the end of the day, I—"
He roared with laughter, interrupting what I thought was a pretty good speech.
"So that's what they tell you now?"
"Wh-what?" I looked behind me only because he kept looking behind us. For Cassius to fly overhead? Or what? We were in the middle of Seattle. It's not like the immortal would want to be seen.
"Immortals cannot have children with one another, Genesis."
"What?" I gasped. "But that's impossible. That would mean—"
Ethan's eyes flashed. "Do you really think that with all the money we have, all the resources, we would need a tiny pitiful ugly little human to tell us how to use a damn computer?"
Well, when he put it that way…
It didn't make sense. I mean, I'd studied their history, studied everything about each race. I'd studied my butt off so I could be useful for them, to them. And when all of that was finished, I'd even had to take classes on proper etiquette — how to serve at an immortal feast, how to dress when I was presented, how to—
"Oh, my gosh," I gasped, reaching for the seatbelt.
Ethan's hands went to mine. "Stop. It will pass. You're just scared."
"But—"
"Shhh." Something shifted in the car, maybe it was the temperature, maybe it was just Ethan trying to calm me down, but my heartbeat slowed way down.
"Did you just…" My words felt funny. "…slow down my heart?"
"I'm a vampire, love. What did you expect me to do? Bite you into silence?"
Yeah, that's exactly what I expected; it's what the books had said.
"Don't believe everything you read. Besides, I'm not the least bit hungry." He winked and took the next exit toward Lake Washington.
"So…" He drove the car like a maniac. Turns weren't just turns. It was like he was jerking the car so hard the steering wheel was about to come off. "Tell me you believe me."
"Believe you?"
"About your purpose?"
"What is my purpose?" I asked. "I mean, sir, or… um…" Crap, I'd drawn a blank on how I was supposed to address him. He was above me; I needed to show him respect.
"Ethan." He sighed heavily. "Damn, do they brainwash you that much these days?"
"These days?"
"We haven't called a number up in fifty years." Ethan shook his head. "Pity that Cassius would do it now. Then again, after looking at you…" He licked his lips. "…I'd probably do the same damn thing."
"What?"
"Home!" Ethan screeched the car to a halt in front of a gigantic, fenced-in mansion overlooking the lake. A few men stood outside the gates. When they magically swung open, Ethan sped inside then turned off the car. "Come on."