Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 144404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Casey seemed to consider me for a moment. “Is that what you think?”
“It’s what I know.” He’d run with the academics. He hadn’t even given us a chance. “If you’d done the least bit of work to find me...” I sometimes wondered if I would have run with him. Maybe. I was weak back then. I’d clung to him, though I’d hated myself for the weakness. I couldn’t let him see that. “You would have seen that everything would have been okay.”
Casey’s eyes narrowed, and he stalked toward me. “I was there when Justin was murdered by a witch. She was about to kill me when Henri showed up. He knew I wouldn’t leave without you. He also knew how much time you’d spent with Myrddin. Do you think I had a choice? He hauled me from the building. Likely only moments before we both would have died. They weren’t asking if we wanted to bend a knee to Myrddin. They slaughtered us.”
More lies. I knew what had happened. The vampires had fought. They’d attempted to kill all the witches. Well, the ones who couldn’t give up power and work together. “There are many vampires working with us.”
“How many academics, Liv?”
Not a single one. The academics were known for clinging to power, for working behind the scenes to lift themselves up. They weren’t as strong as the warrior class, but no warrior could match their machinations. Still, I knew what happened. “They weren’t going to kill you.”
“Like they weren’t going to kill Justin?”
I didn’t even understand why we were having this argument. “He must have fought.”
“It was daylight.” He said each word with conviction. “He was dead to the world. He was a warrior and they slaughtered him as he lay in bed. He was no threat. But he had been turned by the king. Most of the young vampires had. Sasha and I are the last of the king’s vampires. Sasha because he wasn’t at the Council House and me because Henri cared enough to risk his life to save mine.”
His words slashed at my brain, making it ache. “No. It wasn’t. It was night. I know it was night.”
Wasn’t it? How else could the vampires have attacked? They attacked us first. They attacked when Myrddin announced he would need to take the crown for a brief period of time.
Except Myrddin had known Donovan wouldn’t be back for years, if ever, since he’d been the one who’d laid the trap. I hadn’t known that piece of information that day.
A low throb started in the back of my head.
“It was day, Liv.” Casey’s voice had gone quiet, and he was closer now.
There was a careful quality to his tone, as though he was worried I would attack. Or flee since I couldn’t attack him. Kelsey had taken all my power and left me vulnerable.
“I remember. It was night. Myrddin called a meeting with the most powerful supernatural forces to discuss the fact that the king was missing and someone had to lead our world.”
“The king was missing because Myrddin laid a trap for his closest advisors and it went wrong,” Casey pointed out. “There was no meeting called. There was only an attack from the witches. Baby, why would I lie? What would the point be now?”
My eyes were beginning to ache, and I could feel the pressure starting to build.
“You’re trying to trick me.” I didn’t like how close he was to me. It had been years since we’d been this close. So close he could touch me. If I reached out, I could brush my hand over his cheek, feel the smooth, slightly cool skin there.
I slept hot. Always. I kicked the covers off even in the winter. But not when he’d been in bed with me. I would wrap myself around him, and it was like he absorbed all that heat, giving it a place to go so it bothered me no more.
He was so close that I had to tilt my head up to look into his eyes. I could feel a bit of his power start to flow. Persuasion. I should fight, but it felt good. It stopped my head from aching, stopped all those questions from swirling.
“I have no reason to trick you.” He was staring down at me with those glorious eyes of his. They were bleeding out, the irises taking over the whole orb. It was something that happened when he was horny or hungry.
Or emotional.
An emotional Casey could be a vulnerable Casey. The idea floated through my brain. If Casey still wanted me, he might be persuadable. He did have a reason to trick me. He was working with Kelsey and the rebels, and they needed my magic. It made sense to send Casey. I’d been vulnerable to him once, so I might be again.