Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79726 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79726 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
I cough out a scoff. Baggage? Did she just call me baggage?
“Seems reasonable,” Hannah says. “Besides, what’s the harm of her staying a little longer?”
“There’s lots of harm!” I explode, and all their heads swing my way at my outburst. Dammit, I’m losing tactical ground because of my emotions. Something that usually only happens to my opponents. I’m always the cool, calm, and collected one. I try to gather myself, stand up straighter, and use reason.
“The humans will be looking for her. You said the video of Remus’s reckless actions was all over the human’s networks.”
“It’s not that bad, actually,” Layden pipes up from behind us. Apparently, he didn’t storm off to his room after all. He meandered to the fireplace couches, but he’s heading back in our direction, having been listening to our conversation the whole time. Again, my eyes narrow at him.
“Look,” he says, holding out his phone.
A video plays on it, a serious man in a suit speaking while sitting at a desk. “The incident that took the Internet by storm has officially been debunked as a hoax. In Miami this week, a winged man appeared to descend from the sky to the shock of everyone in the plaza.”
“Many took amateur video of the incident, “In the corner of the screen, a shaky video shows a shadow descending into the center of the plaza and people running all directions away from it, “and the world has been ablaze with conspiracy theories about the man, who some on the scene heard claim to be a god. But today, the Florida man has been arrested, along with his illegal jet pack.”
The video changes to police pulling a tall, drunk-looking man out of a trailer while another policeman holds up a large jet-pack, and still another drags out a pair of large, synthetic wings.
“In other news, yet another federal bank has been hacked—”
Layden turns off the video. “See? No long-term ramifications. The humans have already moved on to the next story. They have no attention span.”
“That’s that,” Abaddon says with a smile, clapping me on the shoulder. “Problem solved.”
“Wha—”
“What’s for dinner?” he asks, turning to Hannah. “Should I sear some steak?”
“What do you mean, problem solved?” I demand. “She can’t stay!”
Abaddon turns to her. “Do you want to leave?”
She shakes her head. “No, if it’s not too much to impose on your hospitality. I’d really love to stay and get to know Remus better.”
Abaddon claps his hands. “Sounds like it’s solved to me.”
“What about the little problem of he and I sharing a body!” I demand.
Hannah looks sympathetic as she reaches out to put a hand on my bicep. “I can’t imagine how difficult this is for you. It’s not like you could really discuss what it would be like if one of you started dating.”
Dating?! What alternate universe have I stepped into?
“This is Remus we’re talking about!” I pull away from her touch. “Psychopathic murderer? Does no one remember?”
But Kharon only steps forward, brows furrowed. “We all have a past, brother. Even you.”
“Exactly,” I say heatedly. “Which is why we need to keep her,” I wrench my head so fervently in Lo-Ren’s direction that it almost snaps, “away from us.”
Kharon’s eyes are full of compassion, and I want to let loose and punch him. Especially when he says, “We are no longer the monsters we once were.”
Instead, I just laugh, a cackle that I know only from my memories. My brother’s manic cackle. “You think people change?” I say accusingly, pulling back from all of them. “You think you’ve all become so civilized because you put on these stiff clothes and play happy family?”
Baby Raven has flown down to perch on the back of Ksenia’s chair. All of them are watching me like I’m the crazy one. I’m the only one speaking any sense.
“We’re monsters!” I shout. “We were born cursed, and we’ll die cursed.”
My words ring out, echoing off the stone floor and walls.
And then Lo-Ren steps forward. “You know, I used a quick-rise yeast for the bread I started downstairs, and I bet it’s the perfect time to pop it in the oven.” She smiles winningly at Abaddon. “Some fresh-baked bread would go fabulously with steak.”
“I can make some rosemary potatoes and salad that will round out the perfect meal,” Hannah says. She puts an arm around Lo-Ren, and together, they start toward the stairs. Everyone joins them.
I’m left alone in my righteous indignation.
The last one to go is the baby, who flies in my direction, shakes her head at me like she’s disappointed, sticks her thumb in her mouth, and flies away to follow her parents.
Chapter Sixteen
LAUREN
I take a long nap for most of the day and excitedly rejoin the family for dinner. It’s delicious, and it’s easy enough to ignore Romulus, who’s still sulking. He sits quietly like a stone statue at the other end of the table, barely eating.