Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
He raced across the street and disappeared. People probably wouldn’t think it was anything more than a trick of their eyes.
“Hopefully he got it,” Nessa said, dragging her mark a little bit into the light so he could see her face. He gasped, grabbing at his throat, bleeding all over. “If you make a sound”—she put the tip of her knife at his eye—“I’ll make sure you never see again. Do you understand me?”
His mouth gaped, and fear was in his eyes.
“Or would you prefer this tactic?” She moved so that she could slide the knife down his stomach, leaving a trail of blood, before stopping at his crotch. “How about I take these? You don’t really need them, do you?”
His whimper said it all.
She got into his face again. “If you touch that gargoyle with the pink and blue hair, or any of the Ivy House crew, ever again, I’ll come back to see you, and next time it’ll be in the comfort of your own home. If you tell them who did this to you?” She pressed the tip of her blade against his crotch a little harder, waiting for the whimper again. “I’ll do worse than that. Do you understand?”
He didn’t say anything, was still clutching at his throat.
She pushed the knife in a little harder. “Do you understand?”
“Y-yes,” he rasped, very dramatically. That was probably good. It would stick in his brain a little better.
She pushed at his chest to help herself stand, staring down at him for a moment to get the point across. It was an important part of the process, the intimidation situation. Sebastian was just finishing his own speech, using magic to dispense pain and fear until he stood in much the same way.
“Good?” she asked him.
“Yeah. Let’s get out of here before someone comes along.”
They walked back the way they’d come, turned at the back of a business, scaled one fence, then another, and checked both ways. No one there. Once everything had calmed down, she would say something to Austin about the lack of patrol in this area. It was a lovely, sleepy little town, perfect for a rogue mage to wander through unnoticed.
“I’m going to head to Ivy House,” Sebastian murmured when they’d reached the main drag. “I need to make a bunch of potions and talk things through. Maybe Ivy House can throw a spell book or an idea at me or something. Are you okay to get home?”
She gave him a flat stare.
“I know, dumb question. Text me when you get there. Run if someone tries to question you. You don’t want to get caught breaking rules in a place like this. These people don’t take bribes.”
She squeezed his arm. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to figure this out. Just worry about you and Jessie. I’ll worry about me.”
“Okay. Love you. Call me when you get home.”
“Love you—I’ll do that or text. We’ll see which directive I remember.”
“Smartass.”
They parted ways, going in opposite directions. She crossed to the side with the trees, then decided she’d better make sure the basajaun wasn’t doing something crazy.
Jogging, thanking herself for wearing the right shoes, she threaded through the trees, listening. All was silent. How far would he have carried them?
She moved a little farther, then kinda side to side. Nothing.
A hand grabbed her throat and reeled her in. Her back hit a hard body.
She didn’t bother screaming, just slashed, slashed, slashed with her knife until the arm fell away and she could step free, ready to run or fight, depending on the situation.
“Nessa, my goodness, that was very well done.” Phil grinned at her in the moonlight, blood now freely running through various patches of his hair.
“Oh! Oh my—I’m so sorry, are you okay?” She stepped forward and reached out with her other hand. “Sorry, but you grabbed my throat and— Are you going to attack me now?”
“Of course not, no.” He put out his hand to direct her to the right. “You almost stepped on our friends.”
She glanced at her feet, seeing a couple of legs sticking out of the bushes.
“Dang it, you didn’t kill them, did you?” She bent to check, but he grabbed her arm.
“No, but I scared two of them so badly that I think they fainted. The third tried to attack me, so I broke his legs. Not too badly, do not worry. He will walk again eventually.”
She wilted. “Okay,” she said weakly. “Well, if you’re go—”
“I grabbed your throat because I know human women do not understand when you accidentally grab their breasts. Your waist is much too low, and I feared I might make a mistake.”
“Right. Okay, if you’re—”
“Grabbing your face seemed a little unorthodox, but gently grabbing the neck seemed like a good option. Very fast reactions with that knife! I am impressed. You are worthy of Ivy House.”