Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 131875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
If she had her magic, she could use air to buffer her fall as she dropped to the ground. But she didn’t have that any longer. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as the drain of that encompassed her. She had too much to do, too many people relying on her. She didn’t have time for this. She waited just long enough for her heart rate to return to normal, and the feeling to pass before continuing.
She kicked her sandals off of her feet and waited for the soft thud of them hitting the hard-packed earth below. Then, with an exhale, she climbed out of the window. She dangled from her hands, scrambling with her feet until she found a place for them to rest. Because the buildings were made from some kind of crushed seashell materials, they weren’t smooth and flat as she’d expected. She’d run her hand against them once or twice as she passed, just to verify. There were definitely foot- and handholds. Not that she could see them, but that wasn’t the worst thing either. Dragon training had been harder than this.
Releasing the window was the hardest part. She scrambled for a hand hold. Then, slightly lower, she found another. She bent her knees and let her arms stretch long, bracing herself with her legs. The flow of her dress got in her way, but there was nothing she could do about it now. The next handhold was easier to find. They’d clearly smoothed out near the window more than on the side of the building. She dropped lower and lower until she was fully past the second-floor landing and moving on to the first floor. Another handhold and then another until she could brace her feet on the windowsill for the inn floor below her.
She took another breath and then shimmied down to window level. The inn was dark within. Even the regulars of Her Lady’s Ruby were gone for the night. No one would be there to witness as she jumped down to the ground floor. She winced as her knees buckled, and she fell forward onto all fours. She groaned as she righted herself, ignoring the bleeding scrapes on her hands and feet from the climb down.
She located her shoes, slid them onto her raw feet, and then set off into the city. She encountered no one in the sleeping city. Flavia had given her a full tour of the city that day that she insisted Kerrigan be seen as they took Nella to be sold. And Kerrigan wasn’t in the business of leaving anyone behind. There had been nothing Kerrigan could do for the girl at the time. But now, there was something Kerrigan could do.
She had never been the kind of person who could leave others suffering while she got ahead. Half of what had gotten her into trouble with the Society was her determination to help all the other humans and half-Fae who weren’t being represented in the government. She could have taken her cake and eaten it, too, but she hadn’t been able to. A fate which had inevitably sealed her current situation.
She scowled at the remembrance of that terrible day. It was supposed to be her triumph. She and Fordham had officially been courting. March was out of the picture, thanks to Fordham being a king and all. She’d been appointed on the Society council. And then it all fell to shit.
Bastian was the leader of the Red Masks. Her mentor and friend—it was all a lie. He’d been using her from the start for his campaign against half-Fae. Helly was dead. Kerrigan’s world was in shambles. She’d only survived by sacrificing her entire life to find help here in Domara.
Which meant that her first priority had to be finding her mother and getting home.
Yet here she was, going after Nella.
Couldn’t take the activist out of the girl.
Nella’s new home was near the docks, but in a more upscale neighborhood. Much nicer than where she had been staying with Flavia. The houses towered over the city and announced their wealth for all to behold. There were also more people on the streets here. Kerrigan stayed in the shadows, avoiding anyone that came near her. She might look like a Doma, but word had spread about her and she didn’t want to be caught.
There was one close call where a gentleman almost ran into her hiding spot, but he was inebriated enough that he didn’t even seem to notice and went about his way.
Kerrigan reached Nella’s new home after a brisk walk. She slid around the side of the white columned mansion until she reached the back gate of the estate. The gate was guarded by a snoozing man with a dark tan complexion. Kerrigan braced herself and then stepped into the meager candlelight.