Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 119942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Harper nodded. Thanks for the advice, Grams. Sensing Knox’s stare, she realized he was looking curiously at her. “Everything okay?”
He leaned closer, bringing them into their own little cocoon. “Who were you talking to?”
“I was just chatting to Jolene.” His expression turned expectant; he was clearly waiting for her to repeat the conversation. “You’re so damn nosy.” His smile was unrepentant.
Like yesterday, the food was amazing. It was mere moments after the tables had been cleared that Knox went rock solid at her side. “What is it?”
“Hello Knox,” said a pleasant voice. Isla. How delightful.
“Isla,” he greeted simply.
Her lips briefly thinned before breaking into a polite smile as her gaze swept along everyone at the table. “I hope you all enjoyed your meal. I must say, Jolene, I was surprised that your family joined us this weekend. I wouldn’t have thought your lair would particularly care about the election. After all, you haven’t bothered much with political events in the past.”
Jolene’s smile was all teeth. “How could we miss this? We’re looking forward to watching you crash and burn.” Yeah, her grandmother had no tolerance for Isla, since she believed the bitch sent the dark practitioners after Harper.
Isla’s pleasant act disappeared. “You would do well to remember that there’s a high chance I’ll soon be an authority over you.”
“‘High chance’ might be overstating things a little.”
“I suppose you believe you can offend anyone without consequences now that you’re linked to Knox through his anchor.”
“At least you’re acknowledging that I’m his anchor,” said Harper, not entirely convinced Isla genuinely believed that.
“As I said to Knox when we spoke earlier today in his office, if he’s so very certain that you’re his anchor, it must be true.”
Harper nodded. “Yeah, he’s not the delusional type.”
With one last fake smile, Isla headed for the dais.
Lifting her champagne flute, Harper quietly said to Knox, “You didn’t mention Isla paid you a visit.”
“I was distracted by…other things.”
Picking up on his insinuation, she snorted.
“Are you still wet?”
She nearly choked on her drink. “Of course not, I’m bone dry.” He just chuckled. “Do you think she’s honestly accepted that she’s not your anchor?”
“I doubt it.”
“It seems it’s time for Isla to have her moment,” announced Jolene as the vamp-banshee leaned on the stand. Silence descended, but it was a wary silence.
“Good evening, everyone,” said Isla with a courteous smile. “I have long believed that it should be a basic right for each demon to have a say in their own life, which is why I have fought hard to have this election and enable every demon to have a say in this matter.” She looked at the camera as she continued. “Many of you will already be aware of my opinion that it will benefit our kind to implement a pyramid hierarchy of power within the U.S. Malden will tell you that a hierarchical system will never work.” She chuckled. “But this is the same person that said the Underground would never be a success, and look where we all are now.”
To be fair, that was a good point.
Gratification lit her face. “There is no stronger preternatural species than ours. None. We can pride ourselves on that, and we do. Yet, our kind suffers more deaths than any other species. Why? Because we have no laws, we have nothing at all in place that gives us any protection – not from outsiders, and not from ourselves.
“Lairs target each other in the hope of expanding their power. In doing so, they cause suffering to their own. How is that beneficial for us? How many of you have lost people you cared for? How many of you have suffered because of such greed? I do not feel I can allow that to continue, and I find it difficult to believe that any of you can overlook this.”
If I didn’t know what good a liar she is, I might have bought that devastated look on her face, said Knox. His concern was that many others would buy it.
“It is not simply strays and small lairs that are vulnerable,” she continued. “Each and every one of us are in a weak position when it comes to the matter of our main enemies – dark practitioners. Do we unite against them? No. Primes are so busy keeping power for themselves that they are blind to the truth. We have made ourselves easy prey. Demons are not built to be prey. We are predators through and through. Still, this is what we have done to ourselves. Apart, we are vulnerable. Together, we are strong.”
She focused on the camera. “If I am elected, I will put in place a pyramid hierarchy that is similar to the layout of authority that exists within each lair. A constitution will be formed that stipulates and restricts the power and influence of each level within the hierarchy. Primes will still have power, but they will also have regulations that prevent them from warring with each other. This will protect all of you.”