Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 139178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
* * *
* * *
As for Vivek, the instant Elena told him, he promised to send through any hint of a threat against the baby should it ever come across his radar. It was, Elena knew, a potent emotional declaration from him—as was the hug in which he enfolded her.
Unlike with the others, she’d told him alone; while she had a good relationship with Katrina, Vivek’s lover was a remote being who trusted a strictly limited number of people—but she also wouldn’t be offended that Elena had told Vivek on his own. Kat understood that Vivek’d had a life before her, as she’d had a life before him.
“Could you have ever imagined this, V?” she said to him as they stood on the Spire balcony directly outside Vivek’s workspace, her wings brushing companionably against the dark brown of his tailor-made suit.
The heart of Illium’s territory spread out in front of them in an undulating wave of green rooftops over which flew angels, and winding pathways on which walked mortals and vampires.
The vehicles had their own low flight paths between both, their motion silent.
“I tried not to imagine anything but the Cellars when I was down there.” Vivek braced his arms on the balcony railing. “It was too painful.”
Because he was hunter-born, had always been meant to be outside, hunting vampires, rather than being confined to the dark and skyless world of the Cellars. Many people would’ve gone insane; it was a measure of Vivek’s courage that he’d found a way to survive.
“I miss my mortal friends to this day,” Vivek said as the wind pushed back the dark strands of his hair, his profile sharply handsome. “I appreciate and love the ones I’ve made since, but Demarco, Neve, Ransom, so many of the others, I still turn around and expect them to be there, shooting the shit.”
Vivek had been one of Demarco’s pallbearers, the other spots taken up by their fellow hunter’s children and grandchildren.
As for Ransom…that loss twisted Elena up to this day, but he’d lived a glorious life with his cherished Nyree, had continued to tease his wife for kisses long after they were both in their nineties. “Yeah,” was all she could bear to say.
Vivek closed his hand over hers on the balcony, his skin cool enough that she knew he hadn’t fed yet—but his touch was comfort nonetheless. “How’s Harrison?”
Vivek had known Beth both before and after his vampirism, had met Harrison through her.
“It’s as if he’s in a waiting room, patiently ready for his appointment with death.” His quiet agony tore at her. “I talked to Nisia before we left New York, asked where she was in her assessment, and she said he still has a number of counseling sessions to go. But as of right now…she’s not getting through.”
Vivek squeezed her hand. “I had a friend get like that, just done with immortality. He vanished into the High Tatras eighty years ago, and all I can hope is that he found a way to do it quick. Starvation wasn’t an option, not with his level of power. He’d just lie there, a desiccated corpse, for eons.”
“Nisia’s told Harrison that if he still wants to end his life after the counseling sessions, then she’ll make it quick and painless.” Throat tight, she stared out at the green of Illium’s lands. “I’m glad Bethie isn’t here to see him like this.”
“I used to be jealous of him and pissed at him at the same time.” Vivek’s smile was sad. “Your sister was a smoke show who adored him, and he’d made a mess of it by getting Made when she couldn’t be.”
Elena scowled. “Hey, no talking about my baby sister like that.”
A soft laugh. “Don’t worry. I was the perfect gentleman with Beth. So was he, Ellie. From what I saw, he was a good husband and father.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “I hope whatever decision he comes to, it’s one that brings him peace.”
They were standing there in contemplative silence, two longtime friends who didn’t always need to speak to communicate, when Vivek’s wrist device flashed.
Lifting it to his mouth, he answered the call. “Hello, my love. I’m with Ellie.”
Katrina’s response wasn’t audible, so he had to be wearing an earpiece Elena couldn’t see. Like all vampiric and angelic accoutrements, it had to be external—internal tech just got spit out by their bodies.
Whatever Kat said, it made him smile. “No, she and Raphael just dropped by to share a little piece of news. Truly little. About the size of a banana, per my quick search earlier.”
Grinning, Elena nudged him with her elbow. “Stop teasing her.”
“Hold on, Kat, I’ll put you on speaker so Ellie can talk to you.”
“Is Vivek playing with me, or are you with child, Elena?” Katrina asked in that warm but not familiar way she had of speaking to those she liked but who were not her intimates.