Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 125083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Anabel slapped the cloth on the table. “I didn’t do anything!”
Xavier put away yet another plate. “Relax, I believe you. Now if you were Del, I’d have a different opinion, because she’s a fucking shit stirrer who could rile up even a nun. A shark would be no problem for her. She’d welcome the challenge.”
Delilah glanced at him. “Coming from a fellow shit stirrer, that was an excellent compliment.”
Anabel scowled at her. “He wasn’t complimenting you; he was pointing out that you’re wacked.”
“Aw, don’t be jealous that he likes me better. Everyone likes me better.” Delilah shrugged. “You’re just too neurotic for most people’s tastes, sweetie. But don’t beat yourself up about it; it’s not your fault. Actually, scrap that, it’s totally your fault, since you insist on using yourself as a test trial subject. I’m curious, did you do that during every life you led? Because it would explain a few things. Like why you’d stupidly taunt a shark.”
“I did not taunt him.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Hattie cut in, “How old were you when it happened, Anabel?”
“Eighteen.” The blonde sighed. “I always die young, and I always die hard. My hope is that I’ll one day live to be a ripe old age but, given our present circumstances, I don’t believe that’ll happen in this lifetime.”
Delilah gave her a soft smile. “We’ll miss you when you’re gone, if that helps.”
Anabel fired her a glare. “It doesn’t.”
“Stop giving me hate eyes. You adore me really.”
A snort. “What’s there to adore?”
“Ooh, now that was bitchy. Is this how you behaved toward that poor shark?”
Anabel lunged at Delilah, but Xavier slid between them and ushered the blonde backwards as she growled, “Just let me kill her, no one will care.”
Wynter arched a brow at a grinning Delilah. “This makes you happy? Really?”
“Really,” Delilah confirmed.
God, the woman was a trial. “There are so many things wrong with you I don’t know where to begin.”
“Yeah, I hear that often,” said Delilah, sounding awful smug about it.
Done washing the dishes, Wynter wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. “Apologize to Anabel.”
Rolling her eyes, Delilah turned to the blonde. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings.”
Anabel set her fists on her hips. “Are you actually sorry, though? Ever? About anything?”
“It’s rare, but it happens,” said Delilah. “An empty apology still has meaning, though, right?”
“No,” barked Anabel. “No, it really doesn’t.”
“Why not? It’s the thought that counts. Isn’t that how the saying goes?”
Wynter groaned. “I swear, you two could argue about anything. Like literally anything.”
Anabel frowned. “We’re not that bad.”
“You both fought over a cushion this morning. A cushion.” It had been exhausting watching them quibble like children. “There are two other fucking identical cushions in the same damn room.”
“Well, I had it first,” claimed Delilah … which Anabel quickly denied, and so they began to argue yet again.
Wynter was about to break it up, but then an alarm began blaring loudly from outside. Everyone went quiet.
She’d been warned about the potential of an alarm going off sometime soon. According to Cain, there were plenty of scouts roaming the border to keep a lookout for the Aeons. Apparently, they were finally here. Or, at the very least, they were heading in the direction of the town.
Her gut rolling, Wynter swept her gaze along her crew, taking in their now-grim expressions. “You all sure you want to be part of this?”
“We’re sure,” said Anabel.
“There’s no way you’re going into any kind of battle without us,” Delilah declared.
Xavier nodded. “We went over this earlier.”
“Three times,” Hattie chipped in.
Wynter raised her hands. “I was just checking.”
“Are you planning to release your monster at any point?” Delilah asked her.
Wynter shook her head. “No. It doesn’t distinguish friend from foe, and it wouldn’t stay with you four to fight at your side. I’m not down with that. We’re a team.”
“We’re a coven,” Delilah corrected. “The Bloodrose coven. And you’re our—”
“Don’t make me hurt you right now.”
“So touchy.”
“Whatever. Now let’s get moving.”
*
No sooner had Cain heard the alarm than he and the other Ancients, as pre-agreed, met in the manor’s large foyer as they waited for Maxim to appear and relay the scouts’ report. Around them, townspeople made their way to the exit, but no one stopped to ask anyone for guidance. They didn’t need to. The aides had already relayed the Ancients’ plans well in advance, so everyone knew what they should be doing and where they were supposed to be.
It took no longer than a minute for Maxim to appear at Cain’s side, his face solemn.
Cain flicked a brow. “Well?”
“A very large army was teleported to a spot just beyond the southern end of the prairie land,” replied Maxim. “It took several teleportation trips before all the troops were gathered. Enough troops to successfully take us out. They are on their way here, led by a small party. A woman appears to be fronting it.” He rattled off a description of her.