Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 138274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
“And you never tell them when they can’t change anything?”
As his brows dropped low, the symbols in the Old Language around his left temple distorted, although the warning remained legible—and she had to agree with what he’d said. The glimpses into the future that they were privy to meant they were walking a dangerous line. Mortals were not supposed to dabble in fate. They were only supposed to walk forward in it, the course carved by individual decisions forging a path that, if you were lucky, maybe allowed you to see a couple of feet in front of you.
The longer course of a life was to stay veiled, the unknown and unknowable… like death: A law of nature that stalked you, and hopefully was kind with a quick-and-easy when it finally caught up and claimed you.
In the silence that stretched out, part of her wanted to know what her uncle was remembering, so she could learn firsthand exactly what lines he’d drawn and when. Except she had enough of her own problems, and besides, she wasn’t a war-hardened Brother. If Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, looked like he was revisiting traumatic events, she couldn’t imagine how she would handle the trip.
“You need to tell me what you saw,” he said eventually.
Bitty glanced at the computer screens, all of which had the filters that required a person to sit directly in front of them to view whatever was being projected.
“You know all kinds of private things,” she said as she hesitated. “And you keep them that way.”
“It’s a vault up here.” He tapped the side of his head, by the tattoos. “Provided it’s not illegal or goes against the stated rules and regulations of the throne. And even then, there are gray areas.”
“I haven’t told my father or mom about any of this. I didn’t want them to think I was dangerous and send me away.”
And that was another truth she hadn’t wanted to even put into words: She’d always worried they’d renounce the adoption. They’d never given her any reason to doubt their love, but she was an “other” to them. What if they decided she was too much trouble or too complicating?
“You’re not dangerous, sweetheart. And like I said, none of this is your doing. Now, talk to me. What did you see that brought you here.”
She pictured the image of L.W.’s autocratic, arresting face, bathed in dark-blue light.
“It has to do with Little Wrath.” What a stupid soubriquet. The male was “little” like a tank compared to a golf cart. “And that’s why I want to be… careful. He’s more important than other people—”
“You need to tell me exactly what you were shown,” Vishous said in a sharp tone.
Gone was the reassuring uncle, in his place was the Black Dagger Brother who was one of the King’s private guard. And she should have expected the shift.
“He has a secret,” she blurted, her internal pressure releasing in a flow of words. “It’s something he keeps close to his chest with his friends. And there’s been some kind of theft. He doesn’t know it yet. When he finds out, he’s going to be very angry, and it takes him to a dark place…”
“What kind of a dark place.”
She touched the center of her chest. “It’s inside of him. A dark place in his soul, and he will endanger us all.”
Vishous muttered something. “Did you talk to him about this?”
“Not really? It just kind of happened. I mumbled words to him, and I mean, I don’t really know him. We grew up in parallel, you know? Not in each other’s lives. I’ve always thought he was kind of apart from everybody.”
“Yeah, he got that from his sire,” came the dry response.
“So I don’t know what to do. I thought because you have experience with visions, you could tell me how I should… I don’t know. And then, really, because it’s him, this is not something I feel like I should handle myself.”
Vishous tapped his hand-rolled, this time because he needed to if he didn’t want to ash on his keyboard. “You did the right thing coming to me.”
“I don’t want him to get in trouble.”
“He isn’t.”
Overhead, cool air drifted down from a vent, and she realized how hot the towers under the desk had to be. It must be like having space heaters blowing on your ankles, she thought as she glanced down at the Brother’s shitkickers.
As everything got really quiet between them, the fact that Vishous was just sitting in his ergonomic black leather chair, not even smoking, probably wasn’t a good sign.
“Does this make any sense to you?” she asked.
He opened his mouth as if to answer, but then he frowned and glanced at his monitors. Sitting forward over his keyboards, he moved a mouse around and clicked it a couple of times.