Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Melora snickered, her eyes closed as she lay back on the grass. “That is always a good takeaway.”
“Yes.” Atarah grinned. “But a vampire’s moral is…patience. Especially with yourself. As your new older sister—”
“Here we go,” Melora huffed. “Atarah, you are no less young than the rest of us even with her here.”
“At least I am not the young one!” she shot back. “As I was saying to you, as your new older sister, I feel the need to tell…relax, Dru. The first couple of years for all of us is hard, messy, and confusing. And Theseus really doesn’t have it that bad—he’s just spoiled! I didn’t fall into Arsiein—”
“You sort of did,” Melora cut in.
“What I mean”—Atarah shot Melora a nasty look—“is that I didn’t choose to be reborn because I was head over heels for Arsiein. In fact, I thought he was a little odd. I had ulterior motives. I had things I wanted to do. I flipped out, and I broke things. I hid and cried and mourned and went on revenge hunts. I was a lot to deal with.”
“Now she sits in puffy dresses and tends flowers,” Melora teased.
“I totally understand why Ulrik is your mate.” I laughed, looking at Melora. “You are always looking for a fight.”
She shrugged. “I grew up in a somewhat repressed society where I was never able to be me. Now I finally can, and I’m getting used to it still.”
“Melora, you are over 567 years old. I think you’re plenty use to it.” Atarah laughed, and so did Melora.
However, they stopped abruptly when, all of a sudden, a teenager with long dreads was flung into the grass a few feet from Melora.
“What in the world?” I asked as the boy tried to pick himself up.
“Hello, Jabari,” Melora and Atarah both said, not even shocked.
“I said I didn’t want to come here,” the boy snapped.
Jabari, as well as his mate, M’kena, just appeared right beside the teen. “And I said you didn’t have a choice.”
“You guys missed all the fun.” Melora waved over to them. Noticing us, all three of them glanced over.
“Sisters, forgive us for the intrusion,” Jabari said as he yanked the boy up by his shirt. “I was too preoccupied with this one to care about my landing.”
“No problem. Teenagers can be difficult,” Atarah said as if she hadn’t told me she was nineteen.
“I am older than you—”
“Don’t be rude to your aunts,” Jabari ordered.
“I am not in the mood to play fucking vampire family—ah!” he yelled as Jabari flung him once again, but this time, he did not hit the ground but disappeared.
“M’kena, would you like to join us?” I asked, curious about her and the land she had come from.
“No,” she said simply, then looked to Jabari.
He looked at her for a moment before sighing and looking at me. “What she means is we must see Father. Excuse us.”
“Isn’t that what I said?” M’kena asked him as he held on to her and vanished.
I looked at Melora for an explanation, but she was just laughing as she said, “I love this family.”
I looked at Atarah, and she explained, “Jabari’s ability allows him to teleport or jump to any place he’s already seen before. If he touches you, he can take you or send you wherever you want. It’s very convenient when we don’t want to fly for vacation.”
Vampires needed vacations?
“And M’kena?” I asked her instead.
“She has no gift but is very smart and even more hilarious. I think she says only half of what she thinks she says, and she is a real stickler for etiquette. It took me years to figure it out. I thought she was just cold,” Melora replied. “Don’t take it personally. She’ll come around to you eventually.”
“So weird,” I whispered, shaking my head.
“That’s exactly what Atarah is trying to tell you. I have yet to meet a vampire who is not weird. You are one of the weirdest, Dru, but that doesn’t mean you don’t belong. I think Sigbjørn prefers it, too. The weirder, the more interesting the mind for him. You should hear Rhea’s story.”
“And the rest of you?” I asked. “You do not mind my weirdness?”
“It gives us something to look forward to. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing you dance like you did the first day you came,” Atarah teased me.
“Oh, God.” I groaned then laughed. “Okay. Fine. One weird day or night at a time then.”
But I spoke too soon or maybe right on time, as there, on top of the hedge of the maze, sat a black cat with mismatched eyes, staring directly at me.
“Druella Zirie Omeron,” the cat said.
“Guys, please tell me you see that,” I nearly begged. But both of them looked at me, confused.
“See what?” Atarah asked.
Shit.
I was now only two aunts away from my Sabrina, The Teenage Witch set being complete.