Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
The wind howled as it picked up in intensity, whipping up and tangling Harper’s hair. The trees creaked under its brutal force, and she hoped one would snap and smack one of the incantors right over the fucking head.
She flinched at the sharp crack of thunder, and had the satisfaction of seeing Linda almost jump out of her skin. That satisfaction left her when yet another contraction made her almost double over – this one more painful than any that had come before it. When it stopped, she panted, “Tell me about Sam.”
Linda reared back as if she’d been slapped.
“I’ll bet it hurt when you lost him,” Harper said gently. “I’ll bet you’ve never felt pain like that before or since. The worst day of your life, right?”
“By far.”
“And yet you want to take my baby from me. You of all people should know what an injustice it is to lose your own child.”
Guilt flashed in Linda eyes for a brief moment. “They won’t let you live to keep it anyway. I’ll only be taking it because there’s no one else.”
“There’s Knox,” Harper pointed out. Another contraction came along and stole what she was about to say. As she moaned and panted, lighting repeatedly flashed within the clouds. It was an isolated electrical storm that seemed too close for Harper’s liking.
Knox, where are you? I don’t want to do this alone. She hadn’t envisioned it happening this way. Not once.
Her demon paused in its raving, sending Harper an impression of them being one – telling her that she wasn’t alone. It was the first time the entity had ever offered her any support of any kind. But then, they had a common goal: they had to protect the baby. They just weren’t sure how they’d do it.
The terrible facts were that she was outnumbered, restrained, in no physical state to fight, and she couldn’t access her abilities. Moreover, she’d been infected with some kind of dark magick that would kill her pretty much instantly after she’d given birth.
In sum, she was fucked. But that didn’t mean she’d give up hope. That wasn’t who she was.
We’re almost done reopening the portal, baby, just hold on for me.
Hope flared. She closed her eyes, imagining him standing right there, being calm and supportive to keep her own fears at bay. Hurry, Knox. She must have said that aloud, because Linda snorted.
“No one’s coming for you. Even if they did, they’d be too late – just like Nora said.”
“Nora’s batshit.”
Linda inclined her head. “Possibly.”
“Yet, you’re working for her.”
“Working with her. She needs me.”
Harper couldn’t imagine Nora needing Linda. What she needed was a midwife; one who would risk going against Harper and Knox; one who was expendable and could be manipulated into helping. But Harper didn’t get why she’d been so easy to manipulate. “Why help Nora?”
“You shouldn’t have taken McCauley from me, Harper. And you definitely shouldn’t have killed Jeanna. She was my best friend.”
All right, that was a shocker. “She was also a demon for hire who tried to kill me and led Knox into a trap.”
“I know. I’m not really doing this because of them anyway. I’m doing it because Nora made me a very good deal. If I help her, I get to keep your baby.” Linda smiled, but it was a creepy smile. “Nora will hold it over Knox’s head, but she can’t take care of it herself. That’s where I come in.”
Harper’s demon snarled. “What about Wyatt?”
Linda snickered. “Oh, don’t feel bad for Wyatt. He’s had plenty of affairs over the years.”
“Talia,” Harper guessed, remembering what McCauley had said about Linda hating the she-demon.
Taken aback, Linda blinked. “Yes, she was one of them. How did you know that?”
“Wild guess.” Harper gritted her teeth as another contraction wracked her womb. When it finally eased, she asked, “If you hated Talia, why would you have kept her son?”
Affronted, Linda glared. “I would never punish a child for someone else’s mistakes. If I was that sort of person, I wouldn’t be willing to raise this baby, would I? I’ll raise it as mine, Harper,” she taunted. “It’ll believe I’m it’s true mother. And I’ll raise it to hate you and Knox. I will. I’ll fill its ears with stories of what horrible, pitiless people you are. It will grow into someone who despises you both.”
Just the very idea of that was a knife through Harper’s soul.
“It might even one day kill Knox for us,” Linda continued. “It won’t matter if it’s as powerful as Knox or not – he’d never harm his own child, especially when it’s part of you. And that right there will give it power over him.”
She was right, the bitch. But… “You can’t think Nora will really give you the baby, Linda. Think. Think past how badly you want a child. To Nora, this baby will be a weapon she can wield over Knox’s head. She’ll keep it hidden but close and highly protected. She won’t want it to be loyal to anyone other than her. She’s not going to give you the baby and then send you on your merry way. She also won’t let you live to tell anyone what she’s done.”