Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 110809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
The vampire holding me jerks me against him and I feel his muscles flex as his wings push against the air, but he’s not fast enough. Valen wrenches me from the vampire, his arms going around me, and then we’re plummeting to the dark street.
I scream, my throat going raw at the sheer terror ripping from my lungs as we drop.
We land hard, my entire body jarred with the impact. The scream finally dies, and I open my eyes. Valen has me in his arms, his feet on the ground. Cracks radiate from the pavement.
“Are you all right?” He sets me down and runs his hands along my body, feeling and probing. “Does it hurt? Is anything broken?”
It takes a moment for my voice to come back. “I think—” I swallow to help the scratchiness in my throat. “I think I’m okay.”
“Are you certain, my Blood?”
“Um.” I shake out my arms. “Yeah.”
“I was just having a little fu—”
Valen disappears again, too fast for my eye to track. I spin when I hear a wrecking ball. Dust plumes from the side of one of the buildings across the street.
I back away until I bump into the curb and almost fall on my ass.
Valen’s voice comes from the wreckage. He’s speaking in a foreign language, but I get the gist quite well without understanding the words. He’s going to kill the vampire with the wings.
The other vampire argues back, then both of them walk out of the dust toward me.
I stumble backwards, unsure of what’s going on.
“It’s all right,” Valen calls.
“Is it?” I stare at the other vampire, his wings folded behind him. Tall with black hair and deep brown skin, he’s huge, and he’s coming straight for me.
Valen’s at my side in a single moment, his arm going around my waist. The other vampire stops and bows low, his black wings webbed like a bat’s and each tipped with a single claw.
“Corvidion?” I ask, breath trembling.
“This is Coal,” Valen glowers at the other vampire. “He’s your transport to the ship.”
I look up at Valen. “When you said I was going to fly from DC, you meant—” I snap my gaze back to Coal. “You meant fly as in he’s going to fly me?”
“I’m sorry about before.” Coal points to the sky, his eyes a deep amber. “I didn’t realize you were Valen’s—”
“Don’t utter it.” Valen’s gone tense.
“Right.” Coal bows again. “My apologies, mistress.”
“It’s Georgia.” I scoot closer to Valen. “And it’s okay, I think. Just maybe give me some warning next time you want me to use my frequent flyer miles?”
“Of course.” He grins and looks at Valen. “I like this one.”
A low growl ripples from Valen. “She’s mine.”
“Not challenging it.” Coal holds up his hands, palms toward us. “Go easy, V.”
“Can we get off the street?” I scan the dark sky, wondering what else might be waiting for us.
“Yes.” Valen takes my hand and leads me toward the White House.
Coal keeps pace, and they converse in the foreign language again.
I jump at every shadow, every moment spiking the tension that has me speed walking.
We’re almost to the White House entry gate when movement catches my eye. Someone’s inside the guard shack. Crap, if it’s the guy from last time, there’s no way he’s letting us in.
I pull on Valen’s hand, about to explain, when someone steps from the shack. A woman, her red hair in a high ponytail, her fangs long and glinting.
“Portia.” Coal stops just ahead of us. “Fancy seeing you here. Last I heard you were sucking Gregor’s cock like a babe at breast.”
“Very amusing,” she sneers, her gaze flitting to me. “I’m here for this hidden treasure, now come to light.”
“You can’t have her.” Valen pulls me behind him. I peek around his arm to watch.
“I’m afraid it’s not a request.” She pouts, her red lips gleaming, her hip thrown out in an alluring pose. “I simply must have your little pet.”
“I simply must punch you in the tit,” I whisper.
Coal shoots me a grin over his shoulder. Damn, the vampire hearing is legit.
“Have you forgotten what happened the last time we met in battle?” Valen taunts and pulls a silver blade from inside his jacket.
Where the hell did that come from? I don’t know, but I’m glad he has it.
“Coal,” Valen says calmly.
Then all hell breaks loose. Coal has the red-haired vampire in the air, and Valen is rushing me forward to the White House gate. It’s locked.
“Wait, there’s probably a button!” I dash into the guard house as Coal slams into the fence. He’s up again quickly, but there are deep gouges in his wings, all of them oozing that horrible green goo. She must be Blood Tantun. Poison.
I look around, slapping a couple of clipboards to the ground before turning and looking at a small bank of monitors. “Where’s the button? There has to be a damn button!”