Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
“Okay, since I can’t do anything else, I’ll play along. Who … who was Eirik?”
“He was the leader of The Garm. I’ll get to that in a minute because it’s pretty important. Eirik and Jerrik were made vampires millennia ago when the gate was open, and Jerrik loved the fae. He had a mating bond with a fae princess. Eirik, on the other hand, despised the fae for what they were doing to humans. So when Aine’s seer foretold the coming war with humans and Aine decided to close the gate permanently, Eirik was pretty happy.
“But that’s not all she did. Before she closed the gate, she sent back all the humans and supernaturals to Earth, even those who’d mated to the fae. They’d discovered a werewolf bite could kill a fae if they weren’t mated. Another reason to dispel them from their world, considering they would end their true immortality. But being the twisted cow Aine was, she cast a spell that she knew would keep ambitious supernaturals warring with one another over the centuries, for a shot at true immortality. The spell brought to fruition seven children, born to human parents, but fae. Seven fae children with fae gifts and fae immortality … and more importantly with the ability to open the gate.
“Whoever used the children’s blood to open the gate would be welcomed into Faerie where they could live forever.”
“And what fairy tale did you read this in, love?” Elijah drawled, sounding a little drunk with weakness.
“I didn’t read about it. I was told the story from a primary source—Eirik himself. So adamant that the gate remained closed, Eirik formed a group over the centuries called The Garm. They purport to be protectors. Their sole purpose is to hunt down the fae children and kill them before they can be used to open the gate. Eirik so believed in this that he murdered his own brother Jerrik, because Jerrik was determined to protect the children so he could use them to return to his love.”
Elijah narrowed his eyes. “Why are you telling me all this?”
“The Garm have killed many innocents over the centuries. But now they know … the children were born twenty-six years ago, all to human parents. They’ve killed three of the seven already. And I know this for a fact because my adoptive father, William Payne, was Eirik’s second-in-command until Eirik was killed last year. Now William is the leader of The Garm, and I’m one of his soldiers.”
She tasted the coppery tang of fear, and her stomach flipped as Elijah said hoarsely, “You think I’m fae, so you’re going to kill me.”
“No.” Echo leaned over him, so close their faces almost touched, but she wanted him to see the sincerity in her eyes. “The fae cannot die on Faerie. But here on Earth, they can be injured or killed by pure iron. William gave me the handcuffs you’re wearing and sent me here to uncover whether you are fae. The fact that the iron affects you proves it. But I’m not here to hand you over to William. I’m here to convince you to help me, and in exchange, I’ll help keep you alive.”
“You’re crazy,” he muttered.
“I recently discovered I am nothing but a tool of vengeance for William. That everything I’ve ever been told are lies. I need your help to protect someone from him, and then I need your help to bring him down. And in doing so bring down The Garm, which would keep you and the other fae-borne safe from them.”
Elijah chuckled, shaking his head. “I can’t believe this.”
“In return, I will take you to a known fae-borne. She’s a psychic. And rumor has it she knows everything about you all. She can give you the answers you need and teach you how to use and control your gifts.”
“I don’t need a mentor.” He strained against the cuffs. “I need you to let me go. And if you do so of your own free will, I will forget about this and leave without meting out retribution. I think that’s a fair deal, considering the circumstances, love. I’d take it.”
Growing exponentially frustrated by his stubborn refusal to believe, Echo had to take a couple of deep breaths. “Elijah, you are in danger. Not just from The Garm. There are others. A coven, a powerful coven, who, if they discover you are fae, will take you away from everything you love and kill you to open the gate. They’ll kill your friends, your family, if they stand in the way.”
“It can’t be that hard to whittle a stake,” Elijah murmured. “And I’m good at everything. I could probably whittle ten stakes in ten seconds. That would be a gruesome end, but I can’t say it would be an undeserving one. I wonder if there’s a timber yard nearby …”