Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
I shot her an arch look. “Thanks, Captain Obvious. You don’t look so bad yourself.”
She peered down at herself. “I keep forgetting I look like this.” She seemed to shudder, a faraway expression on her face.
“Maybe there’s a way to change that. Being a ghost must come with some powers. You just need to figure out how to use them.”
“Hmm, you have a point. It would be nice to get out of these clothes. I’ve been wearing the same thing for days.”
“Good idea. I’ll work on getting to the bottom of who killed you, and you can focus on how to look more fashionable as a ghost.”
“Oh, shut up. You’d hate to be stuck in this uniform, too. At least you can get up and change out of that awful jumpsuit.”
“Actually, I can’t,” I said as I stood from the bed and approached the sink. “My change of clothing got lost while I was fighting off a gang of bloodthirsty vampires.”
“There was a gang of them?” Belinda asked, looking genuinely shocked. “How are you even still alive right now?”
“Stubbornness,” I quipped.
Belinda almost seemed impressed, her voice quieter when she said, “It really is true what they say about dhampirs.”
“What? That we’re amazing lovers?” I waggled my brows at her, and she rolled her eyes.
“No, that you’re the best fighters.”
I chuckled at my joke, and it hurt my head. Ouch. I suspected I really did look as terrible as Belinda said I did, but there was no mirror to check. The best I could do was peer at my grainy reflection in the rusted metallic surface of the tap.
As far as I could make out, I didn’t have any facial injuries, but I did look gaunt, with grey bags under my eyes, thanks to all the blood I’d lost. Any benefit I’d gained from feeding from Peter was gone. My heart clenched at the thought of him, the countless miles that separated us. For a second, I imagined I was home with him, wrapped up in bed, not a single worry to plague us.
But no, I couldn’t let comforting thoughts like that invade my mind. If I did, I’d end up heartsick for home when I needed to keep my head in the game. I twisted the tap, and a few pathetic spurts of brown water plopped out, then some squealing pipe noises, then nothing. Great, so I didn’t even have running water to clean myself up. Not that it would’ve made much of a difference since I had no clean clothes to change into. I turned off the tap and emitted an exhausted sigh.
“Are you scared?” Belinda asked quietly as she glanced about the cell. “I mean, this place is pretty bleak.”
I exhaled, glancing at her as I answered. “Yes, but I try not to let it rule me.”
Suddenly, I sensed movement and turned to find a very tall, very slim woman standing by the bars of my cell. She had greasy brown hair and skin so pale it was almost see-through. Her bright green eyes gave her away as an elf, and I briefly wondered what she’d done to end up there. She was so slight I couldn’t imagine her being able to harm someone even if she wanted to.
“I talk to myself, too, sometimes,” she said in a quiet, airy voice.
“I’m not talking to myself,” I told her with a frown as I approached the barred door and slid it open.
“Who are you talking to, then?” she asked, peering about my cell and finding no one else present.
“The ghost of the girl they say I killed,” I replied evenly, and she blinked, probably not having expected such an honest answer.
Belinda threw her translucent hands up in the air. “Now, why would you go and tell her that?”
“You can converse with ghosts?” the elf went on, her green eyes alight with intrigue.
“Apparently.”
“I have an aunt who sees ghosts. The poor woman is plagued by them visiting her day and night to complain and talk about their problems.”
I shot Belinda an amused look.
“Hey, it’s not like I have anyone else to talk to,” she protested. “Believe me, if I had a choice, I’d rather spend time with anyone else.”
“You really know how to flatter,” I deadpanned and looked to the elf lady who stood by my cell. She seemed amused by my one-sided conversation. Then her attention went to my attire, the bite marks, and blood stains. Her gaze rose to my matted hair, and she almost seemed sympathetic.
“Gosh, Mack and her vampires really did a number on you. I was taking a nap when you arrived, so I didn’t see it, but I heard you gave them a run for their money.”
“I got lucky that it was still light out. If it had been dark, they would’ve wiped the floor with me.”