Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 131875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
No wonder she was hungry. She hadn’t had a meal in two days. She was going to need to find something to sate her hunger soon, and yet she couldn’t tear her eyes from the window. It looked out across much of Constantine’s estate, and she could see roughly a dozen men running shirtless around the perimeter.
A pang in her chest brought back memories of all the times she’d done the same while dragon training. And somehow, that felt like a lifetime ago.
Kerrigan closed the curtain with a sigh and headed to the door. She turned the knob and pushed it open. As Danae had said, no guard waited on the other side. It wasn’t freedom, but it felt different than with Flavia. She retraced her steps to the large eatery. To her surprise, there were a half-dozen men sitting around one of the tables, devouring breakfast. One of them caught her out of the corner of his eye and then did a double take. He elbowed his fellow, and they all turned silent at her approach.
“Holy gods,” one of them whispered.
Kerrigan raised her chin at their attention. It didn’t matter that she was still in her dusty white outfit that she’d slept in for the last two days. She was hungry enough to eat a horse, and she was relatively confident that she could take any one of them in a fight as long as there was no magic involved.
“My lady,” one of the men said, jumping to his feet and bowing deeply at the waist. “My name is Theo, and I am your humble servant. How can I be of assistance?”
Another man laughed and elbowed him. “She’s not a Doma. Captain already explained.”
“Look at her,” Theo hissed, his eyes wide. “Apologies for their disrespect. Can’t account for taste.”
She didn’t know what to make of this merry bunch. Theo was staring at her the way so many other Doma worshippers had done. She must have looked like a god incarnate to him.
“I was hoping for some breakfast.”
“Right this way,” Theo said, jumping to her assistance. He was shirtless, like the rest of the men, in nothing but a loincloth and sandals. He was younger than many of the other men with the curly, dark locks she’d associated with many of the Andine, but surprising bright blue eyes.
Kerrigan had no other option but to follow him toward the kitchen door. One giant man was busy at work, rotating pots and adding ingredients. The room smelled like fresh-baked bread and bacon. Her stomach rumbled loudly.
“Geraldo,” Theo said cheerfully. “Our lovely lady has requested to break her fast.”
Geraldo barely glanced her way before slopping food onto a plate. “Here,” he grunted.
Theo took it out of his hand and gestured for her to take a seat by the door to the kitchen. “The others won’t bother you in here, and I have to get to training.” He bent low at the waist and kissed her hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“Um, thank you.”
He grinned broadly and then skipped out of the kitchen. Well, he clearly thought she was a Doma … or he was a relentless flirt. Either way, he’d gotten her food, and that was what mattered. She dived into the meal, devouring the eggs and bacon in a matter of seconds. Until her stomach ached from stuffing it too full, too fast. She sipped from a glass of wine that Geraldo had plopped unceremoniously onto her table. Instead of bitter, it was sweet and delicious. If she was fine with losing her faculties, she would down it.
When she was sated, she explored the house. Danae had said she had free rein, and she was right because no one else seemed to live in the building. Or at least, the only other people were already training. She gave up on the house quickly when she found an open pavilion that looked down upon the fighting square.
The space was coated in sand separated into sections for different exercises. The men were sparring with wooden swords, running through an obstacle course, and using weights. A large rack of weaponry was open, and men were going through it. All of them naked to the waist with powerful thighs and nothing but a loincloth and sandals. There was not a single woman. Constantine had said as much, but it was still disappointing. Did they not allow women to fight in this world?
She observed the men, watching their shoddy footwork and overeager reaches. She’d despised many of her teachers, but they had made her into the formidable weapon that she was. Yes, magic had been her forte, but she’d had tests where she was either not allowed to use magic or had it removed temporarily. She was stronger with it, but still dangerous without it.
Theo noticed her first. He dropped the barbell he had been snatching over his head with ease. The weights clanged noisily against the hard earth. He bowed at the waist and blew her a brazen kiss.