Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
A muscle jumped in Jasher’s jaw. “Don’t worry. I don’t need it.”
“Good, because she’s already promised it to us,” Patch said.
“No one is turning her in.” A succinct warning. “I’ll be speaking with him first.”
Still protecting me. I petted his back in thanks. “I want you guys to turn me in. You deserve a reward, too. Maybe something for your brothers.” And there it was, the perfect opening to bring up the man who died beneath the chapel. Whether or not the victim was his brother, he’d want to check. He should check, just in case.
“We’ll do it my way or not at all.”
Uh-oh. He’d used his no arguments tone.
Nervous perspiration dampened my palms. How much would he hate me for waiting so long to confess? “I need to speak with you the next time we’re alone.” Forget the consequences. Better to do the right thing. “It’s about something that happened the day I got here.”
He helped me over a fallen tree, frowned, and gave me a stiff nod.
There. Now I couldn’t not confess.
As we motored around smaller pits of quicksand pits, a pleasant heat uncoiled in the center of my chest, drawing me in another direction. I rubbed my sternum, confused.
When we cleared the grime, Jasher led us to the left, following Dead Man’s Pass. But the tug. It strengthened exponentially, urging me to go right.
“This way,” I said, waving him to the opposite route. “Please.”
He glanced at my hand, and I realized I was twisting the ring. The forever key. Something else we needed to discuss.
“You are sure?” he asked, brow arched.
“I am.”
With a nod, he headed in the direction of my choosing. I stayed close with Patch and Leona lagging behind a bit.
“Isn’t the City of Lux that way?” The redhead pointed to the course Jasher originally wished to travel.
“If my internal compass is correct, yes!” Leona dragged her feet, as if they’d gotten too heavy to lift. “We shouldn’t detour.”
In no scenario did I think mentioning the forever key was a wise move. Then, I didn’t need to answer. Between one step and the next, an invisible curtain fell from the atmosphere, and a breathtaking oasis came into view. The tugging in my chest ceased. I’d reached the desired destination.
I gawked, marveling as I spun. This was the stuff of dreams and legends. Gemstones lined the bottom of pale pink waters: pools circled by flat, jagged stones. Lush, dewy plants dotted with sweet-smelling lavender flowers flourished through cracks. Palm-like trees heavy with huge green leaves and azure fruit cast shade upon a small beach with golden sand as soft as velvet. Toward the back, forming a half-moon partition, massive boulders of limestone had been hollowed out, turning each into a cabana. Murals decorated the walls between them.
Dazed, I tripped forward. I recognized my mother’s work.
“What is this place?” Patch spun, taking everything in.
Leona did the same. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Jasher caught my arm, stopping me. “I’ve passed through this forest thousands of times, and I’ve never come upon this haven. Nor has anyone mentioned it. This is some kind of trap. It must be.”
“It’s not.” I knew that I knew that I knew. “I’m not sure why it’s remained hidden from you until now, but I do comprehend we’re safe here. My mother painted those.” I motioned to the murals with a tilt of my chin.
He released me, and I crossed to the cabanas to study the images up close, depositing my hat on a stone along the way. Wow! Such incredible detail. Scene by scene, they revealed a story. One of the fairytale stories she’d told me as a child. A kingdom ravaged by terrible storms that rained balls of fire. Monstra utterly destroyed villages, feasting on the charred remains. A handsome, strong king took action, entering the battle while beaming rays of light. He wore a golden crown and purple robe.
The biggest of the monstra closed in on him and spewed flames, but the heat did no harm. Other monstra joined their comrade, surrounding the king, laughing as they stabbed him with their razor-sharp wings. Crimson blood poured from his wounds when he collapsed, wetting the ground.
They’d killed him. The monstra killed King Ahav, the man most likely responsible for half of my DNA.
I sniffled and swiped at my damp eyes. The urge to peer into the eyes of his killer and do something bombarded me.
In the last scene, he disintegrated, his ash floating through the air, snuffing out their flames. The storm ended, and the monstra vanished.
A hot tear trickled down my cheek. Had my mother witnessed the death of her husband before making her escape? I remembered her tinge of sadness as she’d woven the tale, but I’d assumed she was in character. Here, now, I felt the dear woman’s pain in every stroke of the brush.