Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Ella held up two fingers to her guards, indicating that they’d be on the move again in a matter of minutes. Nodding curtly, they took positions close by and let their sharp gazes wander their surroundings.
Ella did the same, humming to herself as people walked around her, heading in various directions. A lot of them were walking to and from eateries. One person caught her attention—firstly because they were familiar, secondly because they were staring at her.
The blonde from the Red Rooms who, according to Viper, didn’t like the word ‘no’.
Ella’s demon narrowed its eyes, disliking the woman on principle. She could have been the sweetest creature to have ever walked the Earth and the demon still wouldn’t have liked her because she apparently had a thing for Viper.
She also apparently thought it a good idea to approach Ella, because she did exactly that. The blonde didn’t speak, just stared. Hard. It wasn’t an attempt at intimidation. No, she looked at Ella the way you would at a math equation that made no sense to you.
Both Ella and her demon stared right back at her. Descendant, the entity sensed. She probably belonged to Maddox’s lair, then.
A male psyche touched hers. Need us to deal with her? asked Kasper.
Ella responded, I doubt it’ll come to that. I’ll let you know if I need backup. “Can I help you with something?” she asked the blonde.
The woman blinked twice. Poking her tongue into the inside of her cheek, she leaned forward and said, “I know.”
Ella’s insides seized. “Sorry?”
“I know something’s going on between you and Viper,” the woman elaborated, her voice not loud enough to carry to others.
Personally, Ella doubted that the woman ‘knew’ anything. The descendant was more than likely just guessing, throwing out the comment to test Ella’s reaction.
Though she and Viper spent a lot of time together, it was only in the confines of their own homes. Ella never drove to and from his compound, just as he never drove to and from her apartment complex. They traveled together using teleportation, and no one ever saw. Other than for his brothers, of course. They’d never tell anyone about it.
“I don’t need you to confirm or deny it,” the blonde added. “And I’m not looking to cause trouble for you or to spread your secret around.”
Again, doubtful. The descendant would have no reason to protect Ella’s privacy.
“I just wanted to warn you, one woman to another, that you are wasting your time with Viper,” the blonde explained, her voice laced with a candid sympathy.
Oh, so this was her game. She was going to pressure Ella to steer clear of Viper, acting as though she was doing it in the name of sisterhood.
“He’ll never commit to a demon. There are too many things he’d be unable to share with you. And before you ask how I could know that, given I’m not part of his club”—a gentle smile curved the descendant’s mouth that carried a hint of condescension—“I just know.”
“If you feel the need to chase away any women you think might be involved with him, you very obviously are looking to land him. Which begs the question: why would you bother to try when you believe he’d never commit to a demon?”
“He’d make an exception for a descendant. We have similar secrets.”
So she was eluding to things that were connected to his angelic nature, then.
“I understand him in ways you never will. Ways only my kind and his own could understand.”
“How marvelous for you. Thanks for sharing what is totally irrelevant information. I’ll, uh, see you around, I guess. I mean, you are around a lot.”
The blonde’s eyes narrowed at the taunt.
“Okay, I’m done,” announced Mia as she sidled up to Ella. She did a slight double-take at the sight of the descendant, who appeared equally surprised to see her.
Worried the blonde might blurt out something she shouldn’t, Ella quickly guided her sister away.
“You know her?” Mia asked.
Ella gave a small, flippant shrug. “I don’t know her name or anything, but I know her face.” Change the subject, change the subject. “Anyway, what did Leif want?”
Mia heaved a sigh. “Apparently, Joe is having ‘a bad time’ and Leif feels it would be good for me to go visit him. I got the feeling from some of the stuff Leif said that he’s not aware of how Joe’s been acting toward me lately. He seemed to think I’d be like, ‘yeah, sure, I’ll track him down right now.’”
Maybe it made her a little insensitive, but Ella wasn’t feeling too bad for her sister’s anchor—he’d behaved like an ass recently. Still, she’d support Mia in whatever she wanted to do. “Are you going to check on him?”
“I don’t think he’d want to see me. And, if I’m honest, I don’t really want to see him. There’s too much tension and bad vibes between us at the moment. Giving each other space makes more sense.”