Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Isabeau and Juniper cheered while I slumped in my seat. As much as I was looking forward to reading Soraya Hart’s next book, it wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear.
Maggie tilted her head, her blue eyes perceptive as she scanned my expression. “I expected you to be a lot more excited by the news.”
I forced a smile. “Don’t get me wrong, I am.”
“But?” Juniper prodded.
“I was kind of hoping you’d say that the pilot I rescued was the one staying in the cabin,” I admitted, staring down at the table as I traced a circle on the cloth covering the hard surface. “Saving him was…special. I was truly happy for the first time since I was turned into a Valkyrie because I did something good with the talent that came along with becoming a monster.”
“You’re not giving yourself enough credit.” Juniper patted her stomach. “Being able to order a meal delivered to our home when Silas and I aren’t in the mood to cook or go anywhere definitely counts as doing good as far as I’m concerned.”
I flashed her a grateful smile as I shrugged. “I get what you’re saying, but it’s not the same as literally saving someone’s life. It just would have been nice to see him again, that’s all.”
The server dropped off our drinks, along with several appetizers, and we were all quiet as we enjoyed the delicious food, wine, and sparkling juice—for Juniper and Maggie, who were both pregnant. After we polished off the bruschetta and arancini, Maggie patted her lips with her napkin. Then she turned everyone’s attention to me again. “Do you know what I just realized, Isla? You told us about how you saved the pilot from the plane crash, but you never gave us any details about his appearance.”
I felt my cheeks heat as I replied, “Everything happened so fast, I didn’t really get a good look at him.”
“Was he old or young?” Izzy wanted to know.
“Um, not too old. Probably around his late thirties or maybe forty,” I guessed.
“Blond, brown, or red hair?” Jackie asked.
My fingers twitched as I remembered how soft it was. “Light blond, almost white.”
“And his eyes?” Juniper probed.
I closed mine while I remembered what it had felt like to stare into his. “Bright blue.”
“What was that you said about not getting a good look at him?” Maggie teased.
My eyes popped open, and I glared at her. “You know what I meant.”
“Yes, I do.” She leaned forward and patted my hand. “Because you sound an awful lot like I did back when I first met Eli. It seems to me that this pilot made a heck of an impression on you, and not just because you saved his life.”
“I’ve been there, too,” Juniper chimed in with a nod. “I couldn’t stop thinking about Silas after I bumped into him when I was lost in the woods. At least I knew I didn’t have to wait long to see him again since we’d made plans to have lunch the next day. But for you, it’s been so long and you have no idea if you’ll ever have the chance to get to know him. That’s so sad.”
“She should just track him down,” Jackie suggested before taking a sip of her wine. “It shouldn’t be too hard since planes don’t crash in the forest often. I bet his information is included in the accident report.”
I shook my head while all of my friends loudly agreed with her wild proposal. As much as I wanted to see my mystery man again, I couldn’t go looking for him. It wouldn’t be right. “Even if I found him, nothing could come of it anyway. He’s human, and I’m…not.”
Juniper pointed at herself. “That didn’t stop Silas and I from falling in love with each other.”
“Only because you’re special enough to look past the electrical charge running through his body,” I pointed out. And more than that, Juniper was somehow immune to it.
Maggie poured me another glass of wine from the bottle the server had left on the table. “You deserve someone special, too.”
3
COOPER
With another week gone and no sign of clarity, I went for another walk in the woods. I shoved my hands in my pockets and strolled down the path that led to the small, nearby town. A place called “Screaming Woods.”
Who wouldn’t be curious about that?
I often walked down to the tree line, but I never actually ventured out of the woods. When I’d gone to the grocery store on the opposite side of the forest, I’d heard rumors about the place. That it was filled with “freaks and monsters.” Perhaps that was what intrigued me. If it was true, could it be that my beautiful, feathered creature resided there?
After watching the small amount of activity that I could see from my spot, I turned around to head back to my cabin. I was halfway there when I heard the neigh of a horse and the sound of hooves beating the ground as it approached. It was coming fast, and there was very little moonlight, so I came to a sudden stop to make sure it wouldn’t run me over. Seconds later, a giant black horse appeared, and a deep voice commanded, “Whoa, Gunpowder.”