Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Adeth reaches out to me and when her hand settles over my stomach, there’s a weird tugging sensation.
Before I can take another breath, it turns into gut-wrenching agony, tearing a scream from me. It feels as if she’s twisting my insides, trying to rip them through my skin.
I start to gag, making it so much worse as my body convulses.
The pain becomes all-consuming until it’s all I can think of, while sweat beads on my skin as every muscle in my body strains.
Suddenly, she stops and grabs hold of my face. Her nails dig into my cheek until they tear through my skin, and I’m too weak to try to yank away.
“I’ll return, and you will tell me everything. This, I promise you, Alchera.”
She disappears, and I feel relief wash over me, but it’s only for a split second.
I can still feel her nails cutting into my cheek as Ares begins to advance on me. He draws his arm back, and I close my eyes.
I can’t deal with this anymore.
All the pain is getting the better of me, and I’m sure I’m dying.
Raighne was wrong. There are more ways to kill an immortalis.
Ares’ fist slams hard into my gut until it hurts too much to breathe. My body swings from the impact, but it doesn’t stop him. He grabs my hair, and I have no time to recover before the next blow comes.
Excruciating pain becomes the sum of my being, and it feels as if every agonizing breath might be my last.
But, the relief of death doesn’t come, only a new level of pain when the whip cracks over my already raw and bloody flesh.
When Raighne whispers inside me, I sob out loud. I want to thank Awo that it will be Raighne’s voice I hear one last time before I die.
“Alchera, hold on for me. Please don’t give up. We’re coming for you. I will find you!”
I know I should keep him away, but hearing his voice feels like heaven calling to me in the middle of hell.
“I can’t.” The words slip through because I’m too weak.
Adeth immediately reappears and grabs me by the neck. “You tell that guardian of yours that if he comes near you, Ares will rip your soul from your body. Tell him!” She spits the words at me as her eyes change to a bitter, angry orange color. “Now!”
“I heard her. Just hold on for me.”
“He heard you,” I gasp, my voice hoarse from all the screaming.
I don’t understand how it’s possible I’m still conscious, let alone alive.
Adeth steps back and takes a good, long look at me, then a glass of water appears in her hand.
I’m thirsty and will do almost anything for water, but when she holds the glass to my mouth, I let my head roll to the side.
Exhausted, I mutter, “I’d rather die of thirst.”
“You need to drink,” Adeth murmurs, almost sounding motherly. “You’ll be of no use to me dead.”
When she presses the glass to my mouth, a few drops spill onto my feverish lips. Sadly, it’s all the encouragement I need. I get two greedy gulps down before she snatches it away.
“Ah-ah-ah, not too fast. You can have more in a minute.” The glass disappears, and I feel a sudden pang of loss. “You don’t look too good. Maybe you’ll speak now. We don’t want any more misunderstandings, do we?”
Shit.
“Who are the chosen ones?”
Consumed by pain, I whisper, “I don’t know.”
She lets out a bark of laughter. “Foolish girl. You will tell me.”
Little black and red spots begin to spark in front of my eyes.
“Go to hell!” I spit at her.
I try to smile just before the darkness I’ve been praying for comes.
Chapter 18
Raighne
I’m losing my mind.
The longer I’m away from Alchera, the more I feel our bond weakening. After she tried to sever it, it took everything I had to break through the barrier she put up between us.
I’ve worked my ass off to sense where she’s being held, and now we’re wasting time arguing about who’s going to free her.
“I’ll go,” my father says, and it has everyone looking at him.
“You’re the King's guardian,” Janak argues.
“She’s my charge,” the words rumble from me.
“I’m the only one who has faced Adeth and survived,” Dad mutters. “This time, Ares will be there as well.”
He’s right.
“Then we both go,” I say because there’s no way I’m staying behind.
“Who will guard the King?” Janak asks, his tone tense with worry.
We look at him, and Dad says, “You.” He steps closer to our elder. “I only trust you.”
Janak sucks in a deep breath, then nods. “Fine.” He looks to where the rest of our group is gathering and waves a hand in the air. “Luna, Lucius, come.”
The twins are exhausted after traveling non-stop to get to the village.
When they join us, he orders, “You’ll stay by King Eryon’s side at all times.”