Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 125077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“But the very act of taking it points out that I’m not a proper mate for Fen.”
“Or it’s a gift you were given so you can stay with him for as long as you should.” I knew how to turn this around. Strangely enough, Quinn had been the one to teach me how to turn what seemed like weaknesses into strength. “This soul of yours, that’s the part that speaks to Fenrir, the part that has likely loved him before. That soul is housed in a companion body, and a companion with regular vampire blood can live a long time. As long as a wolf.”
“I never thought about it that way. But it’s true. Companions on vampire blood can live up to one hundred and fifty years,” she mused. “Fenrir and I are almost the same age. My father’s blood means we could have a whole supernatural life together.”
“Your father’s blood is a gift. Don’t look at it like proof you’re not a wolf. Look at it as proof that the universe will give you the tools you need if you’re brave enough to use them.” It was time to give her one more tool. “And the next time your papa says something, tell him that. Tell him the universe gave you everything you needed to fulfill your destiny.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. Why would I say that?” Evan asked.
“Because it’s exactly the words he said to me when I didn’t believe in myself.”
Evan wiped away a single tear and smiled at me. “Excellent. It’s good to know my papa believes in fate. He’s going to have to believe in mine. I wanted to make sure you’re okay with me and Fen. I would have understood if you were worried.”
“Oh, I worry. I’ll likely worry every day for the rest of my life, but for you, not about you, Evangeline,” I assured the young woman who would someday be my daughter-in-law. “Now tell me what you know about the witches we’re going to talk to.”
She straightened up as though I’d said some magical words that turned her from lovestruck teen to soldier. “Relda is the older of the two. She’s in her forties, I think. Jade is twenty-two. Relda led a coven in the Seattle area until she refused to swear fealty to Myrddin. He slaughtered half her coven, but she made it out.”
“He’s been killing witches?” I don’t know why I was surprised, but I was. I suppose I thought he had some decency.
“Yes,” Evan replied. “He kills anyone who gets in his way. He killed Jade’s mother. They lived in the Council House in Dallas, and from what I understand her mom worked with Myrddin in the beginning. Until she saw what he was doing and started to fight back. Sasha says she fed the academics information for a while and then Myrddin caught her. She was burned at the stake. Jade was forced to watch, and then she was supposed to be ‘reeducated,’ as Myrddin calls it. My grandma got her out.”
“The queen?” I thought the queen of the Seelie Fae had chosen to stay out of this war. I knew she’d refused my son entrance when they’d sought refuge. The Seelies had wanted Rhys and Evan, but they wouldn’t allow Fenrir and Lee in. Or Sasha and Trent.
Evan’s head shook. “My human grandmother. My grandfather’s wife. You know my family isn’t one of mere blood. Like you and Fen. Christine didn’t need blood to be loyal to us. I’m hoping she can come home now. She’s lived in the Council House for years.”
I looked around to make sure no one was listening. “Evan, maybe we should…”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a talisman. “Kelsey, I’m not a newbie. Lily makes sure we have a steady supply of these. No one can hear me talking unless I can physically see them. To normal people it would seem like I’m whispering and they can’t quite catch what I say. They won’t be able to hear you either. Unless I’m looking at them. Then they hear us quite well. Didn’t you notice how Fenrir and I walked into the room and made eye contact with everyone? We wanted to make sure we didn’t leave anyone out. I have to activate it. I wouldn’t want it to suppress my voice all the time, but there are creatures here who have especially sensitive ears.”
“How do you activate it?” I wanted one.
“Blood, of course.” She slid the talisman back into her pocket. “Or tears. Like I just did before I talked about something I would never talk about in the open. I would never mention my grandma’s name. Even here. But you’re the Nex Apparatus. You’re Kelsey. I trust you the way I would my own parents.”
That got me a little teary, and I didn’t even need tears to prime some talisman that made it so I could talk around potential enemies. “Well, thank you. I’m glad you’re here with me. But if one witch knows about Christine Wharton, we have to worry that they all do.”