Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Jakob and Lars.
“He’s dead. Henrik, he’s dead,” Jakob said. “It’s done. The dawn will take care of the rest.”
His gaze sought proof of the Soul Eater’s demise and found it in the broken body on the pavement. Or what was left of it.
He stopped fighting their grip and let himself be dragged away until he was staring up at the sliver of the night sky between the buildings. A faint green aurora undulated above.
His breathing was a freight train in the night, sawing in and out of burning lungs. His pulse throbbed in his now swollen, shredded knuckles. Warm liquid oozed over his face in too many places to count.
The king nodded, or tried. He wasn’t yet sure of the connection between his sentient self and his physical actions.
It wasn’t until the pain hit that he trusted himself again. Head hanging on his shoulders, he looked down at his torso. Coat destroyed. Shirts and skin beneath hanging in torn strips. Blood dripped from his face, but his hands were useless to wipe it away. More of the crimson covered the skin there, too, as if he’d bathed in blood.
His own and his enemy’s.
Christ, he hadn’t felt a moment of the Soul Eater’s effort to defend itself. He’d been totally unaware.
White-hot fear lanced through him, and a sob ripped up his throat.
This is how it’s going to be. This is what lies before me.
A scream pierced the thick silence. And again.
The sound beckoned the darkness encroaching on Henrik’s psyche. A red cape before a raging bull.
Three Soul Eaters remained out there. Somewhere. And every instinct in his body told him at least one was the source of that human’s alarm.
Driven by the beast within, Henrik shoved Jakob away, flipped off the gritty pavement, and took off in search of his next kill.
Chapter 4
Kaira said her goodbyes to the group of other contestants and crossed the street. The reception had ended and everyone was gathering down the block at a bar to continue the festivities, but she wasn’t up to it. Fever still heated her skin, her hip joints ached and tenderness had settled into her left side. Ever since her encounter with the older man—Jakob, he’d called himself—she’d felt shaky.
Ridiculous, really. Nothing had happened. But her body didn’t seem to be convinced.
She dipped her chin below the chunky scarf and held the collar of her wool dress coat closed at her throat. Should’ve brought a change of clothes, but when she’d left her little, out-of-the-way hotel this afternoon, it hadn’t seemed necessary. Now she was cold and tired and feeling the weight of her illness, and the two-block walk back to the bus stop seemed like two miles. Especially in heels. If it wasn’t so cold, she’d have slipped them off and walked in her bare feet.
Turning the corner, Kaira distracted herself from her aches by replaying the night’s highlights in her mind’s eye. Two of her photographs had already sold. She’d had great conversations with the rest of the judges—everyone seemed universally impressed with her vision for the series and especially with her violet aurora. She could’ve broken out into a dance in the middle of the gallery. And she’d had a promising conversation with a travel editor at a magazine based out of Copenhagen.
All in all, one of the best nights of her life.
A flare of green light momentarily illuminated the street. Above her, the color rippled, like a holographic flag flapping in the wind. Her fingers itched for the feel of her camera.
She crossed the intersection and the small shelter for the bus stop came into view in the distance. At least she could sleep in tomorrow morning and let her body recuperate a bit from all the excitement of the day.
Her scalp prickled and her body broke out in goose bumps. She burrowed into her coat, but the sensations worsened.
Kaira peered over her shoulder.
Two men crossed the intersection behind her.
Just two guys out at the festival. Don’t freak out. She picked up the pace as much as her heels and her joints would allow.
And, still, her internal alarm system rang. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t convince herself it was all just a coincidence. Instinct roared that they were following her, pursuing her.
She stared over her shoulder another moment, her hand already fishing in her purse for her cell phone. She pulled it out and looked ahead—
A hooded man stood five feet in front of her.
Oh, my God. How…?
She froze and screamed. Because it was one of the two men who had just been behind her, following her. Without looking back, she knew it was true.
When her flight or fight instinct kicked in this time, she listened. She bolted to the left. He was on her almost instantly, his touch like ice even through her coat. Kaira screamed, and he slapped a hand roughly over her mouth, busting her bottom lip against a tooth. She twisted and writhed and pulled at his arm around her neck.