Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 72515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Ah. I understand. As Romulus rises, I see that he does as well. She is not comfortable being left alone with him in case his twin should make a reappearance. But she’s comfortable being alone with me?
I blink in confusion as I move to take Romulus’s place by baby Raven on the rug. The baby’s happy because, with my many hands, I can stack three times as many block towers for her swinging arms to destroy.
Romulus quietly slips from the room.
Though we hadn’t been talking before, I feel the weight of silence heavier now that it is just the two of us and the baby.
“Where will you go tomorrow?” I ask. “Do you have a plan so you don’t end up in circles again?”
“Can I have a map?” Her voice is quiet in the large room. Timid.
I breathe out laboriously. “I can supply a map, but I am not sure it will help. This part of the earth is quite barren. There are not many landmarks.” And then a thought occurs to me. “But Abaddon or Romulus could fly you out. It is how Hannah came to us. Abaddon flew her in.”
The woman startles at that. “Fly me. . . You mean, they would just grab hold of me and—”
“Fly, yes. They are very strong and can go anywhere in the world quite quickly. They are efficient flyers.”
I’m attuned enough to her now to see her shudder, and I do not think it is because she is cold anymore.
“What about you?”
An old, unexpected shame rises. “I do not have wings.”
“No, I mean, I can see that. But could you—” Then she shakes her head. “Never mind.”
“What?” I ask, now more curious than ever. “What do you mean to ask?”
Just then, Romulus reenters the room, carrying an armful of Hannah’s clothing. She brought back much when she returned with Abaddon for the wedding and occasionally sends Romulus to shop for her, so she has plenty. Romulus has brought a good array for the woman to choose from.
Still, she looks a little overwhelmed by so many choices as he lays everything on the couch. She finally snatches a long-sleeved shirt and the closest pair of jeans.
I point her to a bathroom off the dining hall where she can get changed, and she hurries off.
As soon as she slips through the door, Remus is back.
“Did you see all of that blood? She is perfect. She’s my ideal consort.”
He looks so self-satisfied when I glance his way. Only the baby’s presence keeps me from tackling him and smashing his teeth in. A moment later, I sit back, astonished by the violent thought.
I focus on breathing in and then out. In through my nose and out through my mouth, repeating the process several times to bank my rage at my brother. Something I have not had to do in a long while.
Romulus taught me the technique several decades ago, and I practiced meditation during my long imprisonment. I only exhibited monstrous rage when Abaddon came down to feed us because it is what he deserved for locking us up like that. If he wanted to treat me like a monster, then a monster he would get.
But I often slipped to the nether realm, where the souls drift.
It is quiet there, and if not peaceful, well, it is at least . . . still. The stillness eventually crept inside me and quieted the madness.
Or so I thought. Now I am back in this world and find it more difficult than expected to find any equilibrium. Especially when provoked.
I narrow my eyes at my brother. “She is not yours or any others. She belongs to herself alone. And tomorrow, she will be gone.”
We would return to peace, and I to my solitude.
Chapter Eight
KSENIA
Looking around the small bathroom, I’m surprised to find modern fixtures everywhere. For a castle in the middle of nowhere, this sink has a nice marble countertop and fancy fixtures. I take the opportunity to use the toilet and wash my hands, then take several handfuls of water from the sink. The water is cold but pure tasting.
We have to be nearish to civilization, right?
I try to retrace my steps to the chateau location. Well, the ones Dad didn’t ask me to blindfold myself for. All I knew was that I flew from Helsinki to a small Finnish airport, then was driven for about six hours. I have no idea in what direction. Because of the blindfold and Dad’s secretiveness, I suspected into Russia.
But still. Northern Russia might be remote, but it’s not so remote that a place like this could just go unknown.
Then again, the blue guy mentioned something about invisibility, so if. . . magic of some sort was real. . . I shake my head. Did they make this whole place invisible? Is that even possible?