Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“Callie?” Kristy asks, fingers trembling slightly.
“I’m okay,” I say and protest against Lucas’s arms around me. “I’m okay. There’s something…” I fight off one last bout of dizziness, feeling like I might puke. “There’s something in the woods. Going the opposite direction of Juliet,” I quickly add, knowing Lucas will want to know. “Binx says it’s running away.”
Lucas tips his head, trying to listen. His face is strained with conflicting emotions.
“I’m okay,” I tell him and he finally releases me. With a snarl, he draws his fangs and takes off toward the forest, running after Binx and Scarlet who are hot on the trail of whoever cast the spell.
“Are you really okay?” Kristy asks and I straighten up, pushing my hair over my shoulder.
“Yeah,” I tell her, though I’m suddenly exhausted. Her quick yet simple return to sender spell was enough to break the bonds of the anti-angel spell, but it didn’t necessarily end the spell. “That is not a fun feeling.”
“I can’t imagine.”
“It’s like being ripped apart. The divinity in me is trying to leave but can’t. Thankfully? I’m not sure if that’s a good thing in this case or not. But I’m okay.”
She takes my hand and looks into my eyes. “I’ll still drive.” We run into the house and I grab the first set of keys I can, tossing them to Kristy as we hurry back and get into Lucas’s Range Rover. I grip the edge of the seat as she drives, speeding down the road toward Betty’s house. We’re not far at all, yet it seems like an eternity right now.
We’re not even halfway when a car pulled over on the side of the road flicks its brights on as soon as we drive past…and then flashes its blue and red police lights.
“God dammit,” I grumble, heart beating in my chest. I want to get to my baby and make sure she’s okay. I don’t care what I have to do in order to get to Betty’s house right now. “Just keep driving.”
“Callie,” Kristy says, looking at me for a split second. Kristy is a rule follower and I know, deep down, that not pulling over would be a bad thing. I’ve had enough run-ins with the law over the last few years to make me an unofficial person of interest, and just recently, there’s been a lot I can’t explain.
Like Scarlet…who I can sense is coming closer, along with Binx, Lucas and…and someone else.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I grumble as Kristy pulls over and I look in the review mirror, recognizing Officer Maxwell right away. Out of all the cops in Thorne Hill, he is the one to pull us over. Though, I suppose it makes sense why he was hanging out on my road. I live on the outskirts of town and my road doesn’t see too much traffic. There’s only one reason a cop would be hanging out in that spot.
And it’s to catch me doing something.
“We don’t have time for this.”
“I know,” Kristy agrees and gives me a sympathetic look, knowing how much it’s killing me not to have my daughter in my arms. “Between the two of us we can—” She cuts off with a scream as something zooms past us. For a split second I think it’s a demon, but then I sense his familiar aura.
Lucas.
Instead of stopping at the Range Rover, he goes to the police car and rips the door open. Eyes wide, I turn, taking in the full sight of Lucas—who has a body slumped over one shoulder—yanking Officer Maxwell out of the police cruiser. I scramble to get out of the car as Lucas drops the body onto the ground and slams Officer Maxwell onto the hood of the police car. Lucas tips his head up, showing off his fangs, before bringing them down on Officer Maxwell’s neck.
“Lucas, no!” I shout, but it’s too late.
Chapter
Two
Lucas jerks his head back, eyes meeting mine as a low growl comes from deep inside his chest. Seeing him like this should terrify me, but it doesn’t. Instead, it stirs something deep inside me, something that tells me Lucas and I aren’t all that different—not really.
He’s killed before, taking so many lives it’s become almost monotonous. I tried to tell myself it bothered me from the start, but really, it didn’t. From pretty much the first time we met, I’ve been grateful for his ability to bury a body so deep it won’t be found. I’ve appreciated his strength and loved the darkness inside of him.
Because I have the same darkness in me.
There’s no denying it. There’s no ignoring the pull toward the flames or the desire to sit on the throne and feel the power of a hellfire crown around my head. There’s a part of me that longs—so much—to have the power, to be in control, to know that others fear me. I spent a lot of my childhood being a helpless victim. I am now grown up and powerful and I like who I am. I deserve a fucking crown. Only Lucas understands my dark side.