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)
She was so little. She didn’t understand what had nearly happened to her. She just knew it was scary and bad.
“Stay here, little darling. I’ll be right back. But stay here. Don’t come out.”
Odette just cried harder.
Gideon scowled, lumbering toward her, fists clenched at his sides. “Nothing happened.”
Echo braced, sensing the change.
He charged at her.
She sidestepped him and he fell against the wall in the hallway from the force of his propulsion forward. Slamming Odette’s bedroom door shut so she wouldn’t see, Echo grabbed the wolf and vamp-sped them into the living room.
He tried to fight.
But her fury made her stronger than ever.
She snapped his neck.
Echo wanted to tear out his throat. Was tempted. But a dark, vengeful part of her wanted him to suffer. She called her father.
His fury was palpable.
Members of The Garm arrived to collect the repulsive werewolf. They’d hold him until William could be there to make his end slow and agonizing.
Despite the dawning sunrise, Echo stayed with Odette until she was calm enough to fall asleep. She ordered her nanny, Rosa, a strong but affectionate werewolf, to stay with her every second. They called the school to inform them Odette was sick with flu.
Only the weariness of the daytime allowed Echo to sleep.
When she woke, she checked on Odette who was quieter than usual but comforted by her sister’s presence. She took a long time to sleep. Finally, when she drifted off, Echo made Rosa sleep in the room with her sister before she departed.
Beneath the many floors of The Garm’s headquarters, in a basement Echo had never visited before, she found her father. And Gideon. He was chained up and had clearly been tortured for hours.
“This is the darker side of what we do,” her father explained grimly. “But only to creatures like him.” He studied her carefully. “I know how much you love Odette. I’m surprised you didn’t kill him right there and then.”
“Not in front of her.” Echo’s gaze moved to the werewolf whose body was covered in silver-inflicted wounds. Slashes and gashes, bruises and contusions. His face was a swollen pulp. Worryingly, Echo felt nothing but satisfaction. “And he deserved a slow death. Not a kind one.”
“I was concerned your love for Odette was a weakness.” Her father cupped her face in his palm, his expression soft with pride. “But you have so much control. Control … yet a savage sense of righteousness. I’m proud to call you daughter.”
He hadn’t asked if Odette was all right.
Her father released her but held up a silver stake. “The kill should be yours.”
Remembering Odette’s sobbing terror. Her quietness this evening. Her fear of falling asleep … Echo gave a short swipe of her head. “Inject him with silver. It’ll be a long, slow, painful death. And I want to watch.”
Her father raised an eyebrow but then nodded, a smug smirk curling his lips.
The next night, Echo watched as the werewolf was injected with the silver. She watched as he writhed in agony for hours before his heart gave out, and she felt the humanity bleed from her.
Odette was the last remnants of Echo’s humanness. Of her soul.
That realization filled her with a yawning grief that could never be assuaged, and she knew that somehow, someday, she would have to protect Odette from losing everything Echo had lost.
11
It was much more difficult to disembark the bulk hold than it had been to board, and in the end, Elijah had to use his gifts to make the runway staff’s eyes glaze over them as they walked through. Thankfully, despite her dark, memory-filled dreams, Echo had gotten some sleep during the flight—a much-needed energy boost.
Even better, the plane had arrived on time, so it wasn’t light out.
And now Elijah was sulking because Echo had just stolen a car to get them to the boarding school, which was over an hour’s drive south from the airport.
“I’m not sulking,” Elijah said gruffly as Echo drove. “I don’t sulk.”
“You do a good impression of it.”
“I just don’t see why we couldn’t rent a vehicle. You have plenty of cash in that rucksack. And I’m a millionaire, for Christ’s sake. It feels wrong.”
“That you’re a millionaire? I agree.”
“Don’t bait me,” he growled. “I am so far from the mood to be baited, I cannot tell you.”
“That plane ride made you grumpy.”
“It made you downright annoying.”
Echo tried not to smirk. Needling Elijah was so much more fun than it should be. Glancing at him, she saw he was scowling ferociously out the passenger window. Sighing, as something like guilt flickered through her, Echo said, “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll use the license plate to track down the owner and compensate them for stealing their car.”
There was silence.
And then … “Really?”
An ache flared in Echo’s chest, and she scowled. “You’re too honorable, too nice for this life, Elijah. If you’re going to get through it, you’re going to have to toughen up.”