Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 84072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
The witch rolled her eyes. “As I’ve told you a million times, Benjamin’s too distracted by his little Luna to notice, which I should remind you was the whole point behind getting her here. Besides, the rest of the creatures you refer to are too pissed at him for being an idiot who can’t even break his own silly love curse that nobody will even notice they’re missing.”
Jasper’s palms began to sweat.
How to play this?
His daughter came first, always.
He needed the Sea Witch’s blood for the money to come in for more studies, but he also needed it to keep his daughter alive.
Even if she could only stay in a comatose state, she breathed on her own, and one day he’d cure her.
One day he’d cure the world.
Starting with breeding the weakness out of the humans and creating a race that could be controlled through their blood, through the serum.
Expression blank, he nodded at the witch. “The children have been helpful in donating their blood. One of them specifically offers some promise.”
“Oh?” Her eyebrows arched. “Why is that?”
Good, she was interested. He still wasn’t sure what court, but he should at least help with the results she wanted.
“A boy.” He shrugged. “Fae, from a strong bloodline by the looks of it. When he’s happy his blood turns silver.”
“A possible Winter.” She clapped her hands in the water. “How delicious!”
“You can’t eat him,” Jasper snapped. “I know you like your snacks, but I need his blood, so get that look off your face.”
She pouted. “I only eat the weak ones with no purpose anymore, you know that, and they taste so good when you—”
“Stop.” He held up his hand. “If you tell me, then I know exactly what you’re doing, and I’m a terrible liar. I’ll proceed with him during the taffy festival. Nobody will ever know he’s missing.”
“Perfect.” She licked her lips like she couldn’t wait and then reached for a book. “It seems it’s time for me to read to the stupid children.”
“It keeps them happy, and we need them happy to use their blood for the serums. They’re worthless if they’re afraid and loveless,” Jasper pointed out.
She preened. “That’s why I get dressed up every day and bring them treats. It’s why I share my hugs, my kisses, my fucking soul with those bastards because when the time comes for them to pay me back, they do it with full smiles on their faces as they march toward their eventual death.”
Jasper almost choked. “You’re a monster.”
Her eyes widened as she let out a cold chuckle. “Why thank you, I do try.”
The water rippled, and then she was gone, leaving the glass empty, and Jasper petrified that one day… she’d turn on him.
That was why he’d broken his oath to Benjamin.
It was why he continued something so illegal in both realms that he wouldn’t even be allowed to die for it—but instead would be cursed forever.
He would do anything for her though.
Anything.
Even go against everything he’d ever known and work with the one woman who had the power to destroy the world.
A monster?
She was much more.
She was Satan.
Hades.
Goddess of the underworld.
Death itself.
And one day—he would kill her.
And smile the entire time.
Chapter Seventeen
Benjamin
She moved around the room effortlessly, shifting a stack of books from the chair to the floor so I could sit, shoving her suitcase to the side wall and thrusting some discarded clothes inside it, her cheeks heating like she was embarrassed that I had just seen a pair of dark lacy underwear.
I got up from my seat when I heard Hath stomping up the stairs, most likely trying to give me a warning before she burst into the room, guns blazing.
Her hatred was well-earned, but it wasn’t like I did any of this on purpose. I had no control once I saw Luna.
None whatsoever.
Her broken arm was proof of that, wasn’t it?
A hard knock sounded at the door.
I pulled it open, arching a brow at Hath, whose fangs had descended past her two blunt front teeth. Eyes wild, she stared at me, then gave her head a shake. “Old habits.”
“I know old well,” I said dryly. “She’s safe, Hath.”
“For now,” she spat in a low whisper. “Try not to break any more bones under my roof, Benjamin.”
“I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
She snorted. “Yes, because that’s always worked so well in the past. Self-control is not one of your gifts.”
I couldn’t argue that, but she didn’t know what it was like to smell Luna, to know that she was the one for me and always would be, but never being able to tell her I loved her. Feeling nothing but pain for even thinking about it. It was duller now that she was here, and I knew it would disappear altogether if I took her, claimed her.
But doing that would start a fire in my soul that ached every time we were apart. Being away from her would be physically painful, a horrible sort of torture that made sure we were constantly together.