Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 115860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Whose side is Shock really on?
“Hello, Sydney.” His voice holds all the warmth of a glacier.
“You treacherous bastard!”
Mathias laughs. “Clearly, you’ve fooled the Doomsday Brethren.”
Shock nods. “How can I help you, my liege?”
My liege? Every time Shock opens his mouth to Bram, he’s challenging and disrespectful. That’s a definite sign that he’s not on our side.
“Read this stupid chit’s mind. What does she know about the Doomsday Diary? Where did she get it?”
I try Sabelle’s mental defenses, but even my dull thoughts of computer maintenance and a dreary lullaby can’t stop him.
“A gift from a friend,” Shock reports. “She’s unsure where the friend got it.”
“What else?” Mathias scowls.
“She was told it grants sexual fantasies. No further instructions.”
“Did she use it?”
“No,” I lie.
“Twice,” Shock corrects. “It worked both times.”
“Is she a witch?”
Shock tromps through my mind, as subtle as an elephant. I scream in pain.
“No.”
Mathias focuses on me, the same way a snake sizes up its prey before swallowing it whole. “The book is attached to you because you used it?”
Suddenly, Shock is in my head again, crashing through my skull as if he’s looking for answers with a machete. I cry out.
“She doesn’t know.”
Mathias waves him away. “That’s all. Round up the Anarki. We’re expecting company soon. You’ll greet them, I hope.”
Shock grins maliciously. “With pleasure.”
As he strides out, long leather duster trailing behind him, Mathias snatches the Doomsday Diary and dashes to the door. The moment he crosses the threshold, he curses. It reappears in my lap.
His gaze, rimmed with murderous red, locks onto me. “It’s because you’re female. Damn Morgana. A woman gave you this book?”
I want to tell him to go to hell, but he’ll only kill me for it. I have to stay alive long enough to help any of the Doomsday Brethren who come.
“Yes.”
“Human?”
“Yes.” I think.
“Puzzling…” Mathias snaps his fingers
Moments later, a scantily clad woman with jet-black hair appears, wearing a skimpy blue bra that nearly exposes her nipples and matching transparent knickers. “Sir?”
He drops an open-mouthed kiss on her neck, his thumb idly taunting her nipple. She keens and writhes under his touch. Surely he’s forcing her response by magical means, because the wizard makes my skin crawl. It’s all I can do not to vomit.
“Rhea, grab that book from the human.”
She slinks over, tugging at the diary. I cling to it, knowing I’ll lose control of this situation if I let go.
“Give it to her,” Mathias orders.
“Sod off.”
“You’ll pay for that.”
Another flick of his hand, and agony rips through me. Bloody hell, I’m going to die at the hands of this madman.
I double over, releasing the book.
“Take the book to my bedroom, sweet,” he tells Rhea. “I’ll join you there.”
Terror claws at me. I’m running out of time and options. God, Caden, where are you?
Rhea struts toward the door on four-inch stilettos, as if she was born in them, then leaves the room with her head held high—taking the book with her.
It doesn’t reappear on my lap.
My stomach sinks. I’ve lost magickind’s greatest weapon and put it in the hands of a madman who will likely use it to kill me and all the Doomsday Brethren, including Caden. My reckless need to tell the story and my voracious curiosity to help the amazing world of magic has been my downfall. Why didn’t I listen?
It’s my last thought before darkness overtakes me.
Caden
After free-falling through black weightless space, I slam to the ground in a cold field. Fresh snow has fallen, and it seeps under my clothes. Every exhalation mists the chilly air. The crisp smells remind me of the north country. I have no idea how far I’ve traveled, but I reach inside and search for Sydney. My senses tell me I’m close.
Her earlier panic has given way to muffled unease. I pray she’s used her cleverness to somehow sidestep imminent danger and buy me time. If anyone can, it’s her.
Sydney’s presence guides me closer, closer with each step through the dark. I’m thankful for the moonlight reflecting off the snow for lighting my way.
Beyond spindly trees, a huge estate rises in the distance. More Italian Renaissance than Middle Ages, the beautiful limestone structure glows. She’s in there, my Sydney. I feel it, just like I know if I trek too close to the perimeter, I’ll set off magical traps.
I must tread carefully. I’m a trained Marine, capable of finding and disabling security. But Mathias’s protections will be vastly different than anything I encountered in the Middle East. Still, nothing is impenetrable. Thinking with my magical senses will be critical.
Magic buzzes through my system, races through my veins. My legs are wobbly after the teleportation, and my energy level won’t last. But I have to stick it out. Failure isn’t an option.
I skirt the perimeter of the building, looking for traps and holes in the security. I encounter a wall, presumably for humans since it does nothing more than put off a “keep out” vibe. It includes a mild electrical surge—enough to deter a normal human.