Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Her actions have consequences, but we’ll talk about her escape at home. The subject still makes me too volatile.
“Fine,” she mumbles under her breath.
“Come again?” I bring my ear to her delectable mouth. “I’m not sure I heard you.”
“I promise to stay where I belong,” she bites out a little louder. “Happy?”
“Very.” I flash her a dark smile. “But don’t think for a moment that will exempt you from your punishment.”
The blush vanishes from her cheeks, leaving them ashen. “Punishment?”
“We’ll worry about that later. Now hold on tightly, my sweet.”
“What about the Phaelix?” she asks, looking around. “They’re pretty much trapped in here.”
The violence that churns inside me carries on my voice. “Don’t worry about them.” Turning to the same woman I addressed the last time, the one who seemed to have understood me, I say in a tone that’s not entirely hospitable, “Come.”
You’d think they’d jump at the chance to leave with us. Instead, the flaxen-haired woman grabs the ones next to her and hangs back.
“It’s all right, Sandy,” Elsie calls to her. “Aruan is going to help you. We’ll get you back to Earth.”
At that, the woman relaxes her tight hold on her friends a tad. After a hesitant beat, she takes a step forward.
I head for the portal. “You have one beat to make up your minds. Once I’ve gone through, the portal will close behind me.”
“He’s going to destroy the island,” Elsie says, struggling in my arms. “Please, Sandy. Bring the others. Quickly.”
Seemingly coming to a decision, Sandy takes the hands of the women closest to her and pulls them to the platform. When she’s helped everyone up, they run toward us. Stopping in front of me, they avert their gazes, not daring to meet mine.
“Go on,” I order in a clipped tone. “I’ll follow when everyone has gone through safely.”
The humans shoot questioning glances at Sandy.
“You heard Elsie,” Sandy says. “If we stay here, we’re dead.”
The island is fast disintegrating. Long cracks run through the ground, and the mountain is shaking. Phaelix hang like green fungus on the sides of the cliff, using any pair of legs dangling above them to pull themselves higher with no regard for the others they pull off, who plunge to their deaths on beach.
Sandy is the last woman to leave. When she’s entered the portal, I pull up a fraction of my power when all I want to do is to let it run wild. But I don’t know what will happen if I do, so I contend myself with only using a small portion of my talents.
Just before I leave with Elsie, I enjoy a moment of uninhibited freedom as I unchain my power and unleash my rage. The mountain blows in a massive spray of fire and sparks, burying the slave traders and their buyers under rivers of glowing red lava.
Chapter 5
Aruan
The moment I enter my mother’s quarters with Elsie in my arms, my father’s ire rains down on me.
Red-faced, he waves a hand at the trembling humans who are doing their best to make themselves small behind a table. “What in the name of dragons is the meaning of this?”
They’re all wearing simple robes, except for the man who’s dressed in pants and a tunic, which either my mother or father could’ve fabricated to cover their nakedness. I do the same for Elsie even though I’m shielding her from any invasive stares in my arms. It’s easy enough to disintegrate the cloth that covers the table and reassemble it in a soft, warm gown straight on her body.
Elsie gives a start as she takes in the dress she’s suddenly wearing, but with the palpable strained atmosphere in the room, she doesn’t make a squeak.
I look around. “Where’s mother and Gaia?”
“Your mother is consulting her secretary,” my father says. “Despite my order to rest.” He extends his arm toward the man and women again. “All because of this. Of them. I sent Gaia to fetch my advisor. We need to figure out a strategy.”
My tone is dry. “Thank you for asking about the welfare of my mate.”
He barely glances at Elsie. “I can see that she’s safe.”
“Your concern is heartwarming,” I mutter.
“Your careless action breaks the first and foremost commandment of the scrolls,” he says in a harsher tone. “How am I to appease the followers? How am I supposed to justify their future ruler, who should be setting an example, breaking the rules?”
“You know I’m not a believer.”
“That’s beside the point. What matters is that most of the people and the royals are. What in Zerra were you thinking, bringing them here?”
“Would you rather I left them to die?”
“You should’ve left them somewhere else until we’ve figured out a way to deal with the problem, not flaunted them under the noses of every Alit in Lona.”
“It’s my fault,” Elsie says. “Don’t blame Aruan. I told him I wouldn’t return unless he brought them with us.”