Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
“Don’t get it twisted. I’ll have my revenge,” he said, his words a promise. “But for now, I think we need each other more than I need to punish you. We have bigger enemies than what we are to one another.”
I had to admit that what he said made sense. With all the animosity in the prison, you clearly had to take your allies where you could find them. Besides, that angle would work well with my plan to gain his trust. Though, I still couldn’t help being suspicious. Was he up to something? Did he suspect I was undercover and was playing me at my own game?
I needed to poke a few holes in his offer and see if it burst. I met his gaze steadily. “I pretended to kiss you so that you would be captured. How can you look past something like that?”
His head tilted, something like amusement crossing his features. It was almost startling, given his frosty attitude thus far. “Pretended to kiss me?”
“Yes. Pretended,” I affirmed, hands on hips.
“It didn’t seem like you were pretending. Well,” he amended, “at least not for part of it.”
His comment enraged me, mainly because he was right. There was a brief moment while kissing him that I forgot myself, but it was barely a second. It didn’t count.
“Whatever. You can stand guard outside my cell tonight if you want. Right now, I need to lie down. That stew they served in the dining hall isn’t sitting well with my stomach.”
I made to leave when he called me back. “Darya.”
“Yes?” I turned back around.
“You still haven’t told me your cell number.”
I grimaced because, as nice as it would be not to have to worry about being attacked by vampires again, I wasn’t too keen on Vasilios and Sven acting as my bodyguards. They’d killed Mr Williams, attacked Angela, and arranged for some mysterious third party to murder Belinda and make it look like I did it. I didn’t trust them as far as I could throw them, but as Vasilios said, you took your allies where you could find them in a place like the Prison of Thorns.
“One hundred twenty-eight on the fourth floor. Please don’t start spying on me. I know how you enjoy that sort of thing,” I said, unable to resist the jibe.
He almost smiled. “That’s going to be tough.”
I frowned. “Why’s that?”
“Because my cell is on the fifth floor, directly across from yours.” He scratched his jaw. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I have a perfect view of cell 128 without even having to strain my neck. All I need to do is look down.”
“Well,” I replied, flipping up my middle finger. “This is what you’ll see every time you sneak a peek.” His eyes flashed, and I felt like I’d just roused a beast. Hurriedly, I left and headed for my cell.
***
“You have to kill him for me. Let’s face it, you owe me,” Belinda said as I lay on what was surely the thinnest, most uncomfortable mattress ever invented.
She was trying to convince me of all the reasons why I should kill Sven for her, and she was getting on my last nerve. I was tired, sore, and hungry for blood, certainly not in the mood for her nagging. Besides, if I wanted my mission to go as planned, I couldn’t kill anyone. At least, not yet.
“I’ll take it under advisement, but right now, you need to let me rest. I’ve got a thumping headache.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to sleep right now? Anyone could come into your cell and attack you. We both know I’d be no help. It was so embarrassing when I ran right through that prick today. Being a ghost is terrible. I have no powers at all.”
“That’s not true. You definitely have pester power,” I quipped, and she scowled.
I closed my eyes and laid my head on the hard mattress. I had no pillow or blanket, though I doubted they would’ve made my tiny bed much more comfortable. I would just have to get used to discomfort. No more plush orthopaedic mattresses or high thread count duvet covers for the foreseeable future. I almost resented my luxurious upbringing because it hadn’t prepared me at all for the harshness of prison life.
Now I was getting a crash course.
Belinda had gone suspiciously silent, but I could still feel her ghostly presence, so I knew she hadn’t left. I let out a heavy sigh. “Listen, you were a witch when you were alive. You had magical powers. Perhaps some of those still exist in this form. You just have to try and find a way to access them.”
“You think I haven’t already considered that?” she replied glumly. “No spell will work. My magic died when I did.”
“Maybe you’re going about it the wrong way,” I suggested.