Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 147891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Still, it must be done. Monarchs don’t get days off to mope around and grieve. I’d love to be locked away in this room another day with my mate, forgetting about the world and all the anarchy and destruction it brings, but I can’t.
I take one last pull from the bloom, stab it out on the ashtray, then step into the bedroom again, shutting the balcony door behind me.
Willow remains asleep, her dark locs strewn over the pillow, half of her face buried into it. She sleeps soundlessly, peacefully. It’s good she can now that Decius is gone. No longer will he haunt her dreams.
I don’t bother to wake her. I did last night, interrupting her sleep to bury myself inside her another time. I wanted to stop my mind from racing, and she was so tired, but she sleepily opened herself up to me. As soon as I was inside her, all the questions and tension melted away. The way she makes me feel is worth more than words. I crave her even now, but I bet she’s feeling raw now, and it’s best I let her rest.
I make way to my closet, taking down a fresh set of clothes and a hat. I take a quick shower, rake some pomade through my hair, and dress for the day.
Before I go, I scribble a note on a notepad, fold it, and place it on Willow’s side of the bed. I stifle a laugh. Willow’s side of the bed. That’s got a ring to it. I like it. I’ll share everything with her, so long as I get to keep her.
I give her one last look over my shoulder before leaving the room and shutting the door quietly. As I walk out, I spot Rowan leaving his chambers from the other side of the castle. He’s tucking a gun into one of the holsters at his waist as he rounds the curve of the banister.
“Caz, brother!” He raises his hands in the air and starts to hug me but stops just as quickly. “Good to see you’re up and at it.”
I clap him on the shoulder. I don’t care about the burn. “It’s gotta be done. Listen, Willow told me about what happened in Rukane Forest. She said you saved her several times from those shadows, risked your life for her, even. Thank you for that, Rowan. I know you didn’t have to.”
Rowan dons a proud smile, raising his chin. “Oh, it was nothing. You should’ve seen me though, Caz! I had my gun and was blasting those fuckers to smithereens with the Luxor bullets! They didn’t even see it coming!”
I laugh. “Yeah, I bet. Which gun did you take? I noticed a laser on one of them.”
“Oi, that’s my GX-36. You know I love it.”
I continue a smile as we near the bottom of the staircase. I spot Killian walking around one of the corners with a bowl of cold oats.
“It’s about time you two came down.” He slurps a large chunk of wet oats into his mouth. “Simpson says you have some things to sign off on, and I was thinking, Caz, about the mining for rubies thing. There might be a way we can mine for them for the Rippie debt without putting anyone’s life on the line.”
“Well go on then. Let’s hear it.” I stop at the bottom of the staircase as Killian places his half-empty bowl on a nearby table.
“I wanted you to hear from me first that Whisper Grove is waking up from some sort of spell. Pretty sure it has something to do with Decius. Last night, one of them stopped by Blackwater Tavern looking for you. He said his name was Conan and that he’s been in Whisper Grove for nearly four hundred years. Apparently, he couldn’t remember what happened before Decius arrived until last night. This Conan person was Whisper Grove’s tribe leader up until Decius took over and altered their memories to make them believe he was their rightful leader. Turns out he’s been controlling them for centuries, Caz.”
“Four hundred years?” My eyes round. “That’s way before our time.”
Killian nods. “Right.”
“That would explain the attack against Beatrix and why that barman Alexi was there,” I add. “Decius must’ve been controlling them.”
“Exactly. Anyway, This Conan man is desperate right now. Their fields are dying at rapid speed, they have no electricity, their horses are suddenly sick, and it turns out they have no rubies or gold. All of what they’ve had the last four-hundred years was some sort of illusion. The truth is they weren’t living. They were just existing while Decius hid in plain sight. It was a cover up of sorts.”
“Shit.” I lower my gaze a bit, letting all of this new information sink in. “How couldn’t The Council see this?” Or perhaps they did but decided to ignore it. Ignorant fucks.