Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
“But I can kill you here.”
The djinn is knocked back, but she stays on her feet, shimmering out of view. Dammit. I let out a breath and turn around again, looking over the water. I’m closer to the edge of the pond than the middle, and I’m sure the middle is deeper.
Deep enough to drown someone in their sleep.
Fuck. Easton was cold and clammy. He’s underwater somewhere.
“Easton!” I yell, summoning another ball of light. I throw this one up, spreading my hands apart so it grows in size. Blue light illuminates the water, but it’s too murky to see beneath the surface. I put my hand over my bleeding wrist again, applying pressure to the wound to try and get my blood to clot.
I heal faster than most humans, even before my father unlocked all my angel-powers. Lucas had commented on how quickly the bite wounds clot after he’s fed from me, but the puncture on my wrist is still bleeding—and it’s bleeding a lot.
“Easton!” I call again, squeezing my wrist as I trudge through the scuzzy water.
“Do you wish to find your friend?” The djinn shimmers back into view, standing along the shore.
“Nice try,” I tell her, and feel warmth spreading beneath my fingers. I take my hand away and look at my wrist, which is healed. I wipe blood away, needing to be sure. There’s no wound anymore. There’s not even an indent where the demonic IV was. How did I? I didn’t do anything, but I…I did.
Something splashes again and when I look up, the djinn is gone.
“Shit!” Water sloshes under my feet and the toe of my boot gets caught on some sort of underwater plant. If Easton is underwater, then it could already be too late. My heart pounds in my chest as I think about having to call Melinda and tell her what happened. I’ve already lost so many people, I’m not losing anyone else, not when I’m so close to—
The oracle.
I madly pat my pockets, feeling for it. My eyes actually close and I let out a sigh of relief when I feel it still safely zipped in my pocket, right where I left it. The thing supposedly brings bad luck, which is the last thing I need during a fight with a monster.
Though the djinn knows I have an advantage. I found her in the nightmare and can find her again. And this time, I can kill her for real. Holding my breath, I scan the surrounding forest, trying to find her. Easton made the wish. She’s bound to him until he dies. He has to be nearby.
The breeze picks up, blowing with it the ripe smell of pig shit, and rustles a pile of leaves on the other side of the pond. The leaves were from last fall, and are glistening with moisture from the damp forest floor, like they’d just been raked up.
Rushing toward it, I summon a string of light, and the blue energy above me pulses along with my heartbeat. Easton’s foot is sticking out from the pile of leaves, and I drop to my knees as soon as I’m by him, brushing the leaves back.
Oh, fuck. He’s lying face-down in mushy soil. I roll him over, fingers trembling, and wipe dirt from his mouth.
“Easton!” I call, giving him a shake. He’s cold and unmoving, but he’s alive—for now. “Shit!” He too is being drained of his blood, and when I yank the black cord from his wrist, I accidentally tear his skin and he starts bleeding more. I grab his wrist with my hands, holding it up and closing my eyes.
“Heal, dammit,” I whisper, clenching my jaw. Nothing happens. I recall what the heat felt like beneath my fingers when I healed myself. But again—nothing. “Okay, you got this.” I close my eyes, holding his wrist so tight I can feel his heartbeat slowing down. It’s cold and he’s losing too much blood. We have a complicated history, but I’ve forgiven Easton and have been glad to have both him and Melinda back into my life.
Why isn’t this working? I squeeze his wrist tighter and then release, scared I’m going to hurt him. I’m wasting time just sitting here, trying to get my damn angel-powers to heal. It’s not the first time I’ve tried to use them and failed.
“Easton, can you hear me?” I carefully lift his lolling head, trying to keep it above his heart, though I’m not sure if that works when you’re laying down. Sucking in another breath, I look around once more and then get back to my feet, grabbing Easton by the ankles. I attempt to drag him away from the pond, but he’s so damn heavy. I’m going to have to use magic to get him out of here.
Before I have a chance, the djinn appears behind me. I whip around, hitting her in the chest with a small ball of blue magic. She pushes her shoulders back, letting the magic spread inside of her, glittering and fizzing along the surface of her skin.