Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Although still nervous about my mouse, I smiled. “What makes you say that?”
“As soon as I ordered my men to come, magically he called telling me that he was sending people from Russia too. Then, he fucking demanded that I give him a report of what occurred.”
“David is my number one for a reason.”
I wish he were here.
Sighing again, I pulled out my phone, leaned back in the plush seat, and dialed Maxwell. With each ring, my heart beat faster, anticipating his answer.
Two rings passed.
Then, he picked up.
“Eh, Kaz.” His voice, usually steady and composed, carried an edge of panic that set my nerves on edge. “You need to get back here, man.”
“Why?” I sat up in my seat. “What’s wrong with my mouse?”
“She’s been out for over two hours. I’m getting really nervous here.”
“Out?”
“Delphine gave Em some drink and she just fell out of her chair and went to sleep. Next thing I know, Delphine’s men picked her up and they all went down to the basement. They’ve been drumming and chanting this whole time.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine. “Where are you?”
“On the porch.”
“Why the fuck aren’t you in the basement next to her?”
“Man, I don’t fuck with that basement. I’ve got history with it—”
“You were supposed to be next to her—”
“Look. I’m pretty sure she is safe—”
“Pretty sure?” My grip on the phone tightened.
“It’s not like she’s been screaming or anything like that, but she hasn’t come back up either. And I’m not going down there until you are here—”
“Stop being a fucking coward and go down there—”
“Man, you better hurry the fuck up. I’m not dealing with this voodoo shit by myself.”
“Delphine is your aunt—”
“And Em is your fiancé.”
My grip on the phone tightened some more, any tighter and the device would crack. “I’ll be there soon. We’re already on our way.”
“Peace.”
The line went dead.
I moved the phone from my ear and stared at it.
Fear spun in my mind.
Mysh, you must be okay. You are my everything.
Tisha glanced at me. “Something wrong?”
“That idiot isn’t by her side, and she’s been passed out.”
Tisha frowned. “What is this witch doing to her? A ritual or something?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you trust her?”
“I know she has power. The Butcher and even Baba think it’s a good idea for Emily to be here.”
“Then for now, we will trust that this witch knows what she’s doing.”
I let out a long breath, trying to believe my cousin’s words.
You must be okay, mysh. You must.
I thought about our future, her gracefully strolling down the aisle, radiant in a stunning white gown, clutching a bouquet of flowers. The fabric of her dress flowing like a gentle river, and the flowers in her hands capturing the essence of a blooming spring.
And there I would stand, at the other end of the aisle, my heart pounding with anticipation as I waited to finally make her my wife.
Around us, a pride of lions would roam freely among the guests.
Unbound and majestic.
Symbols of strength and nobility.
We have a lot to do, mysh.
The car drove away from the bustling streets of the French Quarter, and the cityscape gradually gave way to an eerier part of town where boarded-up buildings and graffiti-marked walls towered like ominous creatures of the night.
My heart pounded against my chest. It was a relentless drum echoing my rising anxiety.
Every second felt stretched out.
“This is not a scenic tour!” I yelled at the driver. “Hurry this up! We don’t have all night!”
He cleared his throat. “Yes, sir.”
We picked up speed.
Neighborhoods blurred by. The five black SUVs held their formation behind us.
I bounced my leg, trying to calm myself.
Tisha watched me. “The Lion in love. What a sight.”
“Am I different than I’ve ever been?”
“Tonight, you dove into a pit of alligators for her.”
I gazed out the window. “And I would do even more.”
The car shot down the narrow streets, swerving around slower vehicles and pedestrians who had strayed too far from the sidewalk.
The phone was still in my hand, and I realized my grip had not loosened. I forced myself to put it back in my pocket.
Stop worrying.
I shoved out as much unease as I could.
New images of my mouse entered my mind—her smile, the sound of her laughter, the way her eyes lit up when she looked at me. These memories were a balm to my fraying nerves.
Yet, they also sharpened the knife of worry.
What if something went wrong? What if this healing changed her, took away the very essence of who she is?
I tried to push these thoughts aside, to trust in Delphine’s powers and in the strength of Emily herself.
But love was both a shield and a tormentor. It protected, but it also left me vulnerable and exposed to fears I never knew existed.
Goddamn it. Never again will I leave her side, while we are here.