Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 125083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“I did,” Seth confirmed.
She smiled. “Then I know it will not be tedious. Oh, and please do not throw any celebrations for me,” she said, addressing every Ancient. “I know it is tradition, but I would much rather save it for when we are finally free of our cage and the Aeons are dead. Just the thought warms my black heart. They will regret what they did, but not quite as much as they will regret not ending our existence—that was the worst mistake they ever made.”
*
“Can I kill him?”
Wynter sighed at Xavier. “No.”
“Why not? He’d deserve it. You reap what you sow in this world.”
“Explain how Elias could possibly deserve it. Without lying.”
“So, what, you think it’s fine that he keeps pestering me to have a threesome with him and his boyfriend?”
“I wouldn’t say he’s pestering you. I’d say he’s so amused by how much his first offer annoyed and flustered you that he now keeps repeating his offer to mess with you. That’s not a criminal activity.”
Huffing, Xavier looked down at the arena’s performance space, which was beginning to fill with entertainers now that the interval was over. “You’re not even really listening to me.”
“Of course I am,” she told him. “But we’ve been over this. You can’t kill a person simply because you don’t like them. It’s not a reason for someone to die.”
“You choose to focus too much on logic.”
“Well, aren’t I strange,” she said, her voice dry. She raised a hand when he went to argue. “No, you’re not allowed to kill him. He’s in the service of an Ancient, remember? They’ll never permit you to end his life over such a trivial reason. Your request would only succeed in pissing off Elias’s boyfriend and pack. And let’s be honest, you don’t actually dislike him. You’re attracted to him and unhappy about it. For you, this situation is a very weird version of ‘you only hit the one you love’ thing.”
Xavier glared at her. “I don’t love him.”
“No, but you’re into him. Reluctantly. That’s what this is all about.”
“I’m not into him. He’s a dick. He said I was a ‘naughty little liar’ and needed a Daddy to keep me in line.”
“You are a bad little liar, and you do need someone to keep you in line.”
“Again, you’re choosing to focus on logic.” He raised a finger. “And excuse me, I need no one. Except you, Delilah, Anabel, and Hattie.”
“It’s good to expand your circle.”
Sitting on Wynter’s other side, Delilah leaned in with a frown. “What’re we talking about?”
“I want to kill Elias,” Xavier declared. “Wynter says I can’t.”
Delilah’s brow creased. “What’s wrong with Elias?”
“He annoys the hell out of me,” said Xavier. “He keeps coming to my tent for ‘readings.’ But then all he does is grill me. I had to tell him about my past just to get him off my back. Though I didn’t tell him much except for how I originally came from Montana and that my parents were ranchers.”
“You were born in Chicago,” said Wynter. “And your parents were both teachers.”
“I didn’t say I told him the truth about my past.”
Delilah rolled her eyes. “At least you’re aware that you’re bullshitting.”
Yeah, that was the thing about Xavier. Unlike many chronic liars, he didn’t believe his own tales. He didn’t invent fictional pasts to avoid speaking of something painful. He didn’t present different faces to different people because he was uncomfortable with who he truly was. Nope, it was simply his way of keeping people at arm’s-length. The world tended not to trust liars or attempt to bond with them. That suited Xavier just fine.
When he did let people in, though, he wasn’t a half-assed friend. He was loyal and protective and accepting.
Sensual music began to play as the performers resumed their show. Acrobats, dancers, jugglers, and illusionists showed off their talent, but it was no circus-like performance. Nope. There was a BDSM undertone to the whole thing. Artists dressed in leather or PVC. Whips, canes, handcuffs, and crops were mingled into the routines. It should have been weird, but it was actually quite fun and creative.
“You know,” began Delilah, “given that the rumor-mill says Seth isn’t fond of Ishtar, I figured he’d throw a celebration she’d be bored by. But look at her, she’s loving this. So is that woman I’m guessing is the sister who rose from her Rest yesterday.”
Wynter had noticed the new face. The woman was just as pretty as her irritating sister. Though the siblings were similar in looks, they each possessed a different ‘air.’ Ishtar came across as sultry whereas Inanna was more poised.
“Yeah,” began Wynter, “I’m getting the sense that Ishtar respects talent, even if she doesn’t necessarily respect people in general.” She certainly liked seeing her sister happy and entertained. Ishtar seemingly wasn’t quite as one-dimensional as she might come across.