Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
“And you can see me?” I asked.
“Yes. And whoever comes here.”
“My daughters?”
“Yes, and the woman of disguises.”
“The who?”
“You’re always talking to her.”
I opened my mouth and couldn’t get any sensible words out.
The mermaids giggled.
“So, I’m dead, but not really.” He pointed to the mermaids. “And they’re dead too, but not really.”
“How. . .how can that be?”
He gave me an odd look. “Because nothing ever dies.”
The mermaids giggled some more. The snow under them rippled and then waved. Those beautiful creatures laughed again and then sank into the rippling snow like it was an ocean, deep and limitless. Their tails disappeared along with them.
“I must go.” Santa looked over his shoulder. “My vixens like to run, and me, I love to chase.”
I ran over to their cell. “But—”
All three reappeared on the other side of the cell.
They’d left.
Off in the distance, the mermaids’ giggles filled the air. They’d escaped with no problem, right along with Santa. While my bars had held them, the earth would not. Snow and winter soil bent to their will and allowed them to do anything.
Shivers ran through me. They had power. And maybe I had power too. I’d created them or according to Santa, gave them the body to take over at night.
Santa didn’t seem that bad. He could barely see me. And he talked about others. Who? More spirits, probably.
My hands shook.
There were spirits all around me and they didn’t like my elves or the guitar. That didn’t sound like evil beings. Just a bunch of bougie, uppity art critics.
A deep voice sounded behind me. “Faith.”
My whole body jumped. It was Remy and he was close. He had to be directly behind me. Nowhere near the place where I’d made his cell. He’d come alive and I had no idea what to do.
Chapter 9
Faith
I
spun around, slowly drinking him in. Unfortunately for my body and senses, I had to get used to him all over again and take tiny sips of this surreal moment. I had to be careful. Not take in too much too fast. Just. Little. Careful swallows of his unnatural loveliness.
My words barely left my lips. “You broke free?”
“I did.” There he was, standing in the full moon’s streaming light. All ice, frozen and stiff, except for those full lips that moved. More sparks burst near his shoulders. “The magic is not high like it was last night. It took longer to come to you.”
And then he glowed in the space, the same haunting blue light that filled the yard. The color of ancient ice and liquid dreams.
His voice slipped along my skin. “What will you do tomorrow?”
“What?”
“Will you build another jail or will you run?” This chiseled ice man came close. So close. Then, he slowly walked around me. “Will you melt me down tonight or will you let me surround you in this cold and twisted love?”
I should’ve asked more important questions, but one stuck on the tip of my tongue. “Why is the love so cold and twisted?”
He stopped in front of me and leaned my way. One inch closer and he could slip his cold, full lips against mine.
Would he melt if our kiss were hot?
And I knew it would be hot. Scorching even. Burning me from the inside and sweltering my soul. Because what else could happen between us, in this unimagined moment where magic mingled with reality and love was only limited by our minds?
“You already answered your question.” He captured my mouth. Even so close, I hadn’t been prepared. I hadn’t been ready for that outpouring of energy, rushing from his lips and surging through every inch of me.
His tongue toyed with mine.
With a hungry exhale, he leaned back and whispered, “Yes. You answered your own question.”
“I did not.”
“You wanted to know why our love would be so cold and twisted. Your thoughts answered your questions.”
“You can read my mind?”
“I want to kiss you all over.”
I stepped back.
He didn’t follow. “What will you do tonight? Run or let me catch you?”
“Running sounds like a good idea.”
“It wouldn’t be hard to find you. You ache for love so badly, it leaves a trail.”
“A trail?”
“Your scent is an alpha wolf howling at a full moon. Intense and singing. So hungry and dancing in the moonlight.”
My blood quickened. “I don’t understand anything you’re saying.”
His frosty surface cracked around him. Cold muscle liquefied into smooth, pale flesh. His chest melted and then hardened. His sapphire eyes appeared more real and human. Life poured into those diamond pupils. My heart boomed in my ears. The flame torch dropped from my hand.
“Why do you keep coming alive?” I should’ve run away, but I had to figure this out. “What do you want?”
“You?”
“What do you mean, you want me?” Our dream flashed in my head. “Do you mean you want my body?”