Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 157(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 157(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
“Oh! I know!” Bel exclaimed, his hands suddenly flapped in front of him as if they had a mind of their own. “Sky, could you change Nolan into an animal so I could record it? You don’t need to make him a pig. It could be any animal just so long as it was large enough to pick up on the video.”
Nolan’s head stopped. Okay, that was not okay. He wasn’t ready to be any animal. Yes, he was getting adjusted to all the magic and crazy, but it was too soon to start performing magic on him.
There must have been something in his expression because Bel backpedaled. “Well, if it hurts, I certainly wouldn’t ask you. Damon didn’t seem to be in any pain, though.”
Sky chuckled but quickly covered it with a cough. Nolan glared at him. No, he wasn’t fast enough with that so-called cough.
The traitor cleared his throat and bumped Nolan with his elbow. “Actually, I can’t change Nolan into an animal at all. Different kind of magic than Red, and it’s one of the areas where we don’t overlap. I’m a necromancer, and Red’s an earth witch.”
Bel’s shoulder slumped. “That’s a shame. But I understand. Fox is an earth witch as well, right?”
“Yes.”
“Would you be willing to stay and chat for a bit about your style of magic? You’re the first necromancer I’ve met. We have plenty of food and beer, if you’re hungry.”
Food, beer, interesting conversation? That all sounded good to him, but Nolan hesitated to chime in. This wasn’t at all what Sky had in mind when it came to their date. There was no doubt that the witch wanted them to have some quality alone time. He wanted that too.
But, on the other hand, were there going to be a lot of chances to chat with a very chill and sweet vampire?
“Nolan? Do you mind if we linger for a little while? Probably until Damon’s out of the shower, at least. I’m reluctant to leave until I know what Red’s next step is.”
Before he could even reply, his stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl. With everything going on, he hadn’t even noticed that he’d grown hungry.
He laughed and shrugged. “I’m good to stay. I want to learn more about witches, vampires, and shifters too. Plus, food.”
The vampire clapped his hands together. “Excellent. I brought plenty.” He waved for them to accompany him toward the house where the bonfire was still burning. “It’s taken a few full moons to learn how much to bring. The wolves will eat their fill of the deer, stumble to the bonfire, shift, relax, and be hungry all over again. Shifting burns an extraordinary amount of calories. I’m still taking measurements, but it looks as if they burn three times the average on nights of a full moon hunt.”
“Bel, if you don’t mind me asking, are you a scientist?” Nolan inquired.
He didn’t think it was possible, but the vampire lit up even more. “Yes, I am. I’ve loved science my entire life. Even prior to becoming a vampire. It’s one of the true benefits of immortality—so much time to study all the things. Are you a scientist too?”
Nolan quickly held up both hands. “No, not at all. A writer. But that tends to mean that I’ve studied a lot of different things for my books, and I’m always looking for new inspiration.”
At the bonfire, Bel showed them where some long tables had been set up while they were gone, and they were covered in aluminum trays and plastic bowls. There were three coolers filled with ice and drinks. There had to be enough food for at least a hundred people.
Sky stopped and stared toward the woods for a second and then looked back at the food. “How many shifters are here?”
“I think twenty showed up to help Moon this month,” Bel replied as he moved down the tables, making sure that everything was still covered and tidy.
“And they’ll eat all of this?” Sky gaped.
“Most. There might be a few leftovers, but someone will take them home and the food will be gone before lunch.”
Nolan grabbed a plate and loaded up on some fried chicken, biscuits, salad, and a variety of other things. It might not have been the Italian food Sky had planned, but it was solid comfort food. He shared a grin with Sky, who loaded up his plate just as heavily. Who would dare to pass up a free meal?
With their plates, they settled into lawn chairs next to the vampire and lost themselves to at least an hour of conversation about the habits of vampires, the various magic styles of witches, and the unique quirks that came with living with a pair of shifters. Nolan might not have had much to contribute to the conversation, but he absorbed everything, tucking it away for a later date. He was most definitely writing something paranormal when his calendar allowed it.