Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
She didn't offer any retort, instead electing to look out the window as we continued to toward her family’s estate.
Even I wasn't privy to the exact coordinates of the island. The Zorin family had kept their private island situated just to the east of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea a complete secret from even the Royal Court. They had that much wealth and power and had used an entire coven of witches to ward the place from unwanted visitors.
“Do you think your brother Edward will be there?” I asked as we started our descent.
“I hope so,” she said. “It certainly would help make this mission a quick one, if he were.” She sighed. “But Warrick said he only sporadically used the island home for his endeavors, so I can't guarantee anything other than getting us in undetected.”
I studied the lines of her delicate face, the soft skin stretched over an angular jawline. “You know that if he is there, and he is the threat, I'll have to kill him.”
“I'm helping you so that you don't have to kill him,” she said. “The king has prison cells for a reason.”
“It's good to know where your loyalties lie,” I said, unable to hide the disdain from my tone, even in this mental form of communication. “If Warrick is right, your brother Edward picked up right where your father left off. No doubt half, if not all, the deaths from their little lists they've been gathering are on his hands. And yet you want to protect him?”
“I have no loyalty to Edward,” she said. “But killing him would start an even bigger internal battle that the king most certainly doesn't need. It would also give away the advantage we have, which is an amenity. Gathering information without them knowing and relaying it to your hunter brothers and the Onyx Assassins is a much more advantageous strategic move than just ripping out throats with your claws. Gods, you would think someone as ancient as you would understand that.”
The wheels of the plane hit the runway, jolting us slightly. My panther form brushed against her as the plane balanced out.
I quickly leveled out, giving myself a shake that started at my head and ended at the tip of my tail. I didn't quite know if I trusted what she was saying was true, but if it was, she was far more clever than I'd ever given her credit for.
And that was a little more terrifying than thinking she was just some spoiled traitor’s daughter waiting for the best time to betray us all.
After a quick limo ride from the private airport, we passed beneath an opened spot in the wards that had been lifted for her and her pet, walking toward the massive Zorin estate. I felt the intense magic of the wards snap into place after we’d cleared the edge of the island. The weight of the power was almost suffocating.
For the first time, I could sense the severity of the mission. Could feel the danger with every step we took closer to the estate.
And I suddenly wondered if I would make it out alive.
CHAPTER 4
Cassandra
Ilingered outside the doorway of my family’s island estate, a cold, familiar fear streaking across my skin and threatening to paralyze my muscles. A thousand memories burst behind my eyes, filling my mind with every hurt, every grievance, every terror. My instincts begged me to run in the opposite direction. To save myself from what, no doubt, would be like pouring salt on an open wound.
Why did I agree to this?
Why did I agree to waltz back into the very source of all my pain?
I swore to myself so long ago that I’d never come back here, and yet here I was, doing my best to somehow cling to whatever mask Talon had spoken of before. The one I used in the courts.
But this would not be a room full of noble vampires that were easily distracted by an elegant smile and a clever dip of the head. This was my family. And while the nickname Talon had given me irked me to no end, they were the very things he claimed I was.
Vipers. Silent, sneaky, and venomous.
Talon stood at my side as stoically as Shadow would’ve. The male had replicated her form so intently that it would be impossible for anyone else to tell the difference. Even I’d found it incredibly unnerving on our flight over here, looking at the creature that I’ve loved for so long and yet knowing that Shadow was anywhere but next to me. Add it to the list of mind fucks that were no doubt about to happen on this trip.
I finally raised my hand to the golden knocker on the set of double doors at the entryway of my family’s home, but there was no need, as they were now swinging open. My mother's talem, Joffrey, bowed at the waist, dressed in his usual immaculate black and white tux as he motioned us inside.