Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
“But this...how are these defenses here, like this?” Why hadn’t she seen them outside this otherworldly arena?
“As a man thinketh, so is he,” he muttered, tightening his grip on her hand, as if he feared she would attempt to pull free.
Did he, maybe, derive comfort from her nearness, the way she derived comfort from his? Neeka inched even closer to him, until they pressed side by side. His heat enveloped her, blocking the chill. His scent filled her nose, fogging her head, making her too intoxicated to resist the urge to rest her head on his shoulder.
“Are you telling me you brought all this to life with your imagination?” She waved her free hand to encompass the entire horrorscape, that was part of him, the male. Why didn’t the idea alarm her?
His chest puffed up the slightest bit. “I am, and I did. Anyone who attempts to enter physically must overcome every challenge, though they cannot see them. Those who flash are caught in a mystical trap.” He pointed to the flames. No, to a spot above the flames, where the air shimmered with a glittering, jellylike substance. “They are bound with chains when they pass through there.”
Wow. The power Rathbone wielded, to create and fuel such magnificent defenses. Now she knew why Erebus and Taliyah had arrived bound.
Wait. “Do you sense every entry?” she asked.
“I do.”
Well, well, well. Rathbone had absolutely, positively clocked Taliyah’s arrival. Which meant he had absolutely, positively spied on Neeka via the owl figurine.
Tricky king. Could he get any cuter? Better question: Did he realize he’d lowered his head to nuzzle her cheek?
Uh-oh. She was nuzzling him right back. Focus. How would the Astra come? Spiritually or physically? Maybe if she invented a brand-new obstacle?
Rathbone inhaled sharply and pointed. “They are here.”
Neeka followed the line of his finger and swallowed a curse. Sure enough, the Astra gathered outside the ring of fire. All nine, decked for war. Spread out in a straight line, they wore huge helmets that caged their faces in teeth and fangs. Leather straps crisscrossed over muscular chests. Weapons abounded.
Radiating unshakable determination, they angled their stances to look up at her and Rathbone. Oh, yeah. They would totally bypass the barrier within the hour.
Her breath caught when Azar stepped forward, approaching the flames. He entered without pause. The others followed. Their helmets and clothing burned first. Then their skin bubbled, melting. Charring. Not once did they slow their gait. No, they continued gliding forward. Muscles and organs turned to ash until only bone remained. And still they kept walking. When their bones burned away, the particles blew backward, reforming outside the fire as fully healed—and madder—Astra.
They did it again and again, advancing a little farther each instance. No matter what pain they suffered, they refused to back down.
Though a hint of a solution teased her, Neeka couldn’t quite grasp it. “Are we done here?”
Her companion didn’t hesitate. Within a split second, they reached the throne room. Spirit Lore reclined in Rathbone’s throne, drumming her fingers against the arms. The second the goddess spotted them, she vaulted to her feet. When she noticed the hand hold, she narrowed her eyes. Just for a moment. In a blink, she displayed only concern.
“Something has happened,” she proclaimed softly, fluttering delicate fingers to her throat as she closed the distance. She took up residence beside Rathbone. “Azar comes for me, yes?”
“Yes.”
Chest tightening, Neeka released him. During their meal, he’d shared bits and pieces of his past, comforted her as she shared some of hers, and kept her enraptured by his charm. How would he treat her in front of his queen?
“There’s no need to fear,” he instructed. He didn’t reach for the goddess, at least. A thrill and a surprise. “I’m promised a solution.”
Right. Neeka’s cue. She had a sisterhood to save. Her new objective: Hide the bones from the Astra for good. If she could hide them from Rathbone, too, even better.
“Give me a few minutes to think.” Neeka sprang into a swift pace, attempting to spark a vision. If she could see the end from the beginning, she could figure out how to get there. A trick that sometimes worked. Today? Not a blip.
Maybe she was still in recovery mode?
Argh! What she wouldn’t give to stuff the goddess in her pocket and move on.
Hey! That wasn’t a bad idea, actually. And it was doable. There was a harpy named Downsize Daisy. A loner who charged an exorbitant amount to morph an ex-boyfriend into a pint-size pocket rocket. The best revenge in town. Didn’t Neeka have a gift certificate to redeem?
Could Daisy shrink the throne, with the floor attached? A big question in need of an immediate answer.
No doubt Neeka’s request would be met with a stanch refusal, considering she was known as a traitor and all. To save harpykind, however, she was especially motivated to change the girl’s mind.