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)
Maeve curses beneath her breath, snatches her hands away from my shoulders, and yells, “Get us to Beatrix’s house right now! Killian, Rowan! Grab Caz’s body and let’s move!”
I’m not sure how I’m escorted out of the palace and inside the SUV with everyone else. I think Juniper, one of Caz’s cousins, helps me. It’s all a blur, really, as the tires of the SUV rip over the roads and through the forests. We rush along the tall bridge with glistening waters beneath, Rowan driving faster than he’s ever gone, and I know I’ve lost it because I’m not afraid about the bridge. The first time we went across it, I feared for my life. It was as tall as a giant, with rocky waters beneath that could likely kill you on impact. Now, I don’t care if we fly over at this point. We all may as well die without Caz because, whether he realizes it or not, he’s the core. He’s part of the reason his cousins and even Maeve have purpose and respect in Vakeeli. He’s the reason I want to live again. Without him, I’m back to square one.
My eyes drop to Caz as his head rests on my lap. His body is comparable to a slab of ice but having him near and leaving the confines of that room in Alora’s palace has calmed my breathing. His skin is pallid, dark circles forming around his eyes. The circles deepen by the second, morphing his face into a hollow version of itself. I stroke wisps of hair off his forehead as Rowan parks the car in front of Beatrix’s cabin.
Maeve is out of the vehicle in a flash. Killian snatches my back door open, and I lay Caz’s head down gently before climbing out. I stumble a bit when I’m on flat ground, and Juniper rushes my way, holding my elbow and keeping me steady.
Grabbing Caz beneath the armpits, Killian tows Caz’s body out of the truck. His feet thunk on the ground as Killian grunts and clutches him beneath his armpits. Rowan lifts Caz’s feet and he and Killian carry his body toward the stoop. Caz’s cousins and right-hand men know how to handle him.
Maeve is already at Beatrix’s door with a gun, and she swiftly kicks the door in.
“Maeve!” Alora, the queen of Vanora, yells behind me.
“BEATRIX!” Rage brews in Maeve’s voice—a rage like nothing I’ve ever heard. I suck in a breath as Alora scurries past me to reach the porch. Juniper curses and chases them, and I follow.
The inside of Beatrix’s home is dark and vacant. No candles flickering, no incense burning. The back door of her house is wide open, and a few windows in the kitchen are smashed, the moon gleaming on the sharp, jagged glass. It’s not as warm as when I first visited.
As I round the corner of the short hallway, I see Juniper and Alora are standing in a bedroom, shoulders tense and hands in front of them as they stare at Maeve. Maeve has her gun pointed at Beatrix’s face, while Beatrix sits on a lumpy bed that looks smaller than a twin with eyes full of fear.
“Please—w-what is going on?” Beatrix exclaims.
“Tell us what the hell is happening to Caspian or I’m shooting you in your bloody face!” Maeve barks at her, shoving the gun forward in warning.
“Yes, I—I can explain! Please!” Beatrix pleads, throwing her hands up.
Maeve’s thumb presses down on the gun’s hammer spur. “Speak quickly! I’m growing impatient!”
“It—it’s Decius!” Beatrix confesses.
“Decius?” Alora and Maeve ask at the same time.
“Yes! He’s returned!” Beatrix wails. “He made me lure you all here during that attack, but he told me it had to be after he saw Caz.” She shakes her head, hands trembling as she holds them in front of her. “I knew he was still out there. There were rumors amongst the other Mythics about him taking form as one of us, and when you came to me, I could feel the Cold Tether, and if I could feel it, I’m sure Decius could too. I tried getting Caz and Willow away from each other so it would weaken him—deter him, even—but it didn’t work. They fell in love, and now he’s much stronger!”
“What does he look like?” Maeve demands. “Do you know? How can we find him and make him end this?”
“He…he…um…he has snowy hair. Blends in with the Whisper Grove community. He’s older, but his face is deceiving. He appears merry and calm, but he’s not. Beneath the exterior, he’s rotten, and after encountering him, I’m certain he has all of Whisper Grove under some sort of spell.”
Beatrix’s explanation sends a shock through me. “Wait a minute.” I step next to Maeve, who side-eyes me before pointing her focus to Beatrix again. “Does the guy you’re talking about go by the name of Manx?”