Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“Come on.” Esther nudged me forward, her familiarity with the place evident as she navigated through the streets as my tour guide. It quickly became clear who were tourists and who were locals. All the natives dressed in similar clothing to mine, making them easy to pick out, and the tourists? Well, they dressed as I once would have.
Nicolette noticed me taking them all in and nodded as if answering a silent question. “The women of lower station show wear colors that don’t sand out, representing modesty, humility, and simplicity.”
My brows rose, and I slowed as Esther moved closer so two women wearing taupe could pass.
“Huh,” I hummed. I couldn’t recall seeing anything close to that shade inside the closet. It seemed whoever had established their way of life had truly thought of everything.
We continued walking. Esther and Nicolette alternated in their explanations, pointing out various stores and happily giving me more information about the Isle. The town was a beautiful amalgamation of gothic old-world charm and contemporary flair.
Benches and ornate streetlamps lined the streets. Every shop was in pristine condition. There were far too many for me to remember the names of, but I absorbed as much information as I could, funneling it away for later.
The more I heard, the better my understanding became.
Stygian Isle was a world all its own.
I knew from the night I was branded that beyond the town were roads that split off and went elsewhere, one being their sacred Chapel.
Alexander had meat delivered from a butcher. The fertility concoction was crafted from things grown here. That meant an area of the Isle was sequestered for agricultural purposes, which required land. As did the different areas of housing.
If none of that was enough to convince me this place was even larger than I thought, what I saw with my own two eyes did.
Aside from the various shops and eateries that peppered the streets, there was Medbay, a state-of-the-art medical facility that almost looked out of place. Esther explained it attracted wealthy families from afar, promising treatments that were both revolutionary and discreet.
“If it’s so discreet, how do they know about it?” I asked.
She gave me a blank look as if the answer should’ve been obvious. “Do you not believe that there are affluent people with ties to the Impío?”
I did believe that, actually. When I considered the men who owned and ran Millennium, I believed it even more. After all, the Erebus family had secrets of their own. And I knew that thanks to Anya, who’d tried to find out all she could about them. We’d met two of the brothers only once, and that’d been enough for her to become scarily obsessed.
“Hey, are you okay?” Nicolette asked, gently nudging my shoulder.
Esther looked on with concern.
I forced a smile for their benefit and nodded. “Yeah, just taking it all in.”
“It’s a lot, but you’ll get used to it. Look over there, what do you think of that?” She pointed out a regal building deemed Stygian Theater, a blend of vintage charm and modern opulence, offering ‘performances that mesmerize’—Nicolette’s added words.
What I didn’t see was the lighthouse. We had to be more inland. To escape this place and somehow hitch a ride on a boat, I needed to find the coastal point, right? I needed a damn map.
“Would you like to pop in anywhere for a better look?” Esther asked, interrupting my plotting. “If anything catches your eye, just point it out and it’s yours.”
I made a show of surveying the street we were on and rested my gaze on a looming structure a few blocks ahead of us.
“You let people go in there?” I pointed to the cathedral standing tall and grand.
There were tourists milling all around it. Some held cameras, others were carrying notebooks. Esther gently grasped my elbow to keep me moving and leaned closer to reply. “It’s merely a decoy, the original Stygian turned museum, and it serves as a brilliant ruse. It allows the tourists to leave with tales that are far from the Isle's truths, while sating their curiosity.”
“And it works?”
“Sometimes it really is as simple as people seeing what they expect to see,” she replied with a shrug. “The faux Chapel, this town.” She gestured around us. “It all serves a purpose. Strategic distraction. And a money pit.”
Huh. I guess that was smart. We meandered over the crosswalk, and I couldn't help but notice a road that looked as if it belonged in a gothic version of Las Vegas.
I turned to Esther and Nicolette. "Casinos too?”
Esther laughed. “Yes, and our Pleasure House.”
"The Pleasure House?" I echoed, a hint of surprise in my voice. "Is that like the Isle's version of a strip club?" The idea seemed so out of place in this meticulously maintained, almost surreal world.
Nicolette's answer came with a knowing smile. "You're on the right track, but it's more intimate than that." Her words hinted at secrets and stories untold, further piquing my interest.