Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
The seed glows in the dark confines of the castle, carrying down the stairs, passing the cellar and weaving between iron railing until it reaches the open door of the bunker.
The women inside cry hysterically as they surround Willow Austin. Juniper and Maeve kneel over their beloved, their faces buried in her chest, their hearts heavy, and their guilt suffocating all other senses.
But the seed doesn’t stop. As the two women weep, the tribe gasps, watching as the light hovers above them.
Juniper stops sniffling, taking note of the change in atmosphere, and when she looks up, she gasps too.
“Mum,” she whispers, tapping Maeve’s arm.
Maeve picks up her head to eye Juniper until she realizes the bunker is bathed in lavender light.
Before either can speak, the seed descends, slipping between Willow’s parted lips. They stare down at her body, watching that same light switch to gold.
It courses through Willow, radiating every vein and sparking her fingertips. Her hair that was once dark brown transitions to a snowy white from root to tip.
Her arms become more defined, the melanin in her skin brilliant, radiant. The gaping wound in her chest is next. Her skin stitches together like needle and thread.
Juniper stares wide-eyed while Maeve presses a hand to her mouth in disbelief.
Willow’s body pulses with gold energy as her body repairs itself, appearing much stronger than it had been before.
And when Willow’s eyes fly open to reveal striking gold halos, she inhales sharply, coming to life again.
NINETY
CAZ
I feel Selah growing weaker. I see the panic in her eyes as I swing my sword, as I punch, kick, and wrap her in flames.
I catch one of her arms and twist it hard enough to crack it.
She howls, but it’s cut short when I grip her by the throat, ready to end this once and for all.
“Even if you do this, you’ll have nothing,” she croaks, her voice vibrating beneath my palm. “Life won’t be the same for you without a mate. In fact, you’ll never mate like that again.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I grip tighter, and her pale face reddens, the fire fading from her eyes.
“I…was wrong…about you...” she rattles on. “All this…time…I thought you were…w-weak. But Yuri…” She tries to swallow. I don’t let her. “Yuri…is there. I feel him.”
I press a hand to her head, allowing my palm to produce heat.
“You…let me live…and I’ll bring…her…back.”
At that, I falter, and the fire in her eyes disappears completely. She reveals her true self, attempting to appear softer.
“I…made…you. I…made…her. I…can do…it.”
My frown deepens, and my nostrils flare. “It’s too late for that, you demented bitch.”
I feel Hassha coming. I release Selah’s throat just in time for Hassha to slam a fist into Selah’s face. Blood gushes from her nose and mouth.
Hassha doesn’t wait for her to settle. She aims for her again, throwing rapid punches. She whips a sword out and plunges it deep into Selah’s chest.
“That’s for Korah!” she hollers.
Hassha starts to stab her through the chest, but before she can, Selah conjures a sword wrapped in orange flames.
“Hassha!” I call, flying toward them.
But it’s too late.
Selah’s weapon sinks through Hassha’s belly. She freezes above her, and Selah smirks, vanishing from beneath her. Hassha sails downward just as Selah appears on the other side of the sky, bleeding heavily.
Shit. I can’t go after them both.
I chase Hassha while throwing up a hand to try to wrap Selah in chains. It doesn’t work. She dodges them.
A yell rips out of me as I near Hassha, and just before she can hit the ground, I catch her. I swoop through one of the forests and don’t stop until I reach the beach where several survivors are swimming to shore.
“Don’t worry about me,” Hassha says, breaths ragged. “I’ll heal myself. Just don’t let her get away.”
I nod and leave her, soaring to the sky again to search for Selah. She’s nowhere to be found, but I sense her.
“Stop being a coward and show yourself!”
A prickling sensation builds under my skin. Then my ears burn.
I turn just as Selah rushes me, aiming her sword for my chest. I catch it by the blade, roaring as the flames sear my palms.
“You are no Regal,” she barks in my face, thrusting harder. The blade pierces my armor but I hold steady. “You are nothing but a commoner. You don’t deserve the power within you!”
The sharp tip plunges into my stomach, but I don’t stop resisting her. I conjure chains behind her, and they wrap around her throat. But even as they tighten around her, she doesn’t stop plunging the sword in.
“Your power will be mine, Seed of Yuri.”
My back slams into a mountain, and it cracks from the impact. Rocks fall, slamming into us, but they’re nothing compared to her sword.
The pain rips through me, and when she has me pinned, jamming the sword into my ribcage, she slaps a hand to my forehead.