Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 145721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“She mostly focuses on wishes of the . . . sexual nature. The wish powder isn’t dangerous. It’s not like a drug, even though it has effects like getting high. You can’t overdose on sexual desire.”
“So, she grants sexual wishes. Isn’t that . . . assault?”
Her stomach clenched at that word. It certainly sounded like it could get problematic fast. As with most things.
“Not at all. She is very specific in what she will grant. You can’t just ask for anything that will harm someone else and she’ll do it. The wishes don’t work like that.”
“Okay. I don’t know how the magic works. If I’m going to meet her, I want to feel prepared.”
“There are rules to her magic. Everyone who attends the party does so with their consent, and wishes can only be fulfilled by a willing participant. If a person wants a certain sexual act, then someone who wants to do that act would fulfill that wish. It’s not a free-for-all.”
It took her considerable training not to break eye contact. “Got it. So, I won’t be in any trouble. And if I just don’t wish anything, then nothing will happen.”
His eyes flickered to her mouth and then away. “You will be immune to her magic. You will have nothing to worry about.”
“As long as it’s not past the limits of my powers,” she argued.
“I’ll be there,” he assured her.
“And her husband?”
Graves clenched his fist for a beat at that question before saying, “Montrell has several smaller base powers. Mostly, perfect recall.”
“So, he’s not as powerful as you?”
Graves huffed, his ego filling the cabin. “No one is as powerful as I am.”
The words weren’t boastful; they were fact.
She glanced down at the book still in her lap. “How much do you know about what we’re stealing?”
“A great deal. We’re collecting a packet of letters. I have blueprints of the house, and I can show you where I expect the letters to be located.”
That sounded more than satisfactory. She’d gone off of less and succeeded. She just hoped it was as easy as Graves made it seem. She would be stealing from monsters again, and the last time hadn’t exactly gone to plan. If this didn’t work, she’d be subject to the Monster Treaty. Graves might be all-powerful, but that wouldn’t stop the Catos from killing her.
“What is in these letters?” she asked. “Will they help us get to the spear?”
“Once we complete the mission, I’ll have a much better understanding of how to proceed with the spear.”
“Okay,” she answered. Something about what he said sounded off, but at the same time, it made perfect sense to test her. If that helped them get to the spear, all the better. “Show me the maps.”
By the time they were high over the world below, she was engrossed in the new information. It put her at ease, but it didn’t make her completely forget her fears—or the persistent thought at the back of her mind that she was walking into enemy territory in a gown as thin as vellum with two predators at her front and one at her back.
Chapter Twenty
Two hours and one jittery-as-hell landing later, they touched down in Chicago on the western banks of Lake Michigan. Graves had spent the flight reading a fiction novel. Kierse had the book he’d given her in her lap. Now that they were on the ground and driving north in another SUV, adrenaline pumped through her veins.
It was another twenty minutes before they pulled off onto a long, wooded lane. They wound ever upward until an enormous glass house appeared on the ridge. It was mesmerizing and completely impractical. She’d known what it was going to look like, thanks to prep for the job, but it didn’t compare to the magnitude of seeing the house in person.
On top of that hill, the mansion appeared to be twice as large as Graves’s house, with a perfect view into many of the living spaces. She could see people milling around inside, dancing, consorting. If she didn’t know about the obscured paneling in many of the rooms, she would have wondered about privacy. But only the living spaces were completely open for anyone to see, which was good for what she was about to do.
The SUV parked in the large circular drive. Graves exited first and then held his hand out for her to follow. He tugged her in close. His hand slid to her waist. Alluring and possessive.
She shivered as his lips dipped to her earlobe. “Remember your role.”
She hadn’t forgotten. “I know.”
Graves said nothing else as they reached the door. There was nothing more to say. Not with eyes and ears likely tracking their every move.
A man greeted them at the door before they had a chance to knock. “Invitation, please.”
Graves slid it out of his pocket and passed it to the man.