Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Not that I haven’t crossed worse lines.
The group of hunters shows up all at once. In addition to Ryder and Christine, there are two others I don’t recognize—but they definitely seem to know who I am. Of course, they do.
I have no idea how much they’ve been told about why I suddenly moved in with a bunch of vampires, but I’m sure they’re aware. It’s been all over the news. Leo gave them a heads-up as well so they wouldn’t be completely blindsided walking into a house with five vampires in it.
And with the rumors that Antonio is also a vampire…yeah. That’s a lot to process.
We all move into the large dining room and gather around the table. I pour myself a cup of coffee and add a disgusting amount of creamer to it.
“I see you still take your coffee the same way,” Ryder says with a smile. It’s casual. Too casual.
And I don’t think he’s trying to make small talk but is wanting Xavier to know we have history. Only, he’s not the only one who picks up on it and suddenly, I kind of feel bad for Christine.
“Vivian Russo has something we need,” Xavier starts. “And we have no time to waste retrieving it. She’s not working alone, and anyone who is seen aiding her, is to be brought to me.”
The hunters bristle, not wanting to take orders from a vampire.
“We don’t know who she’s working with,” Antonio says, pushing his shoulders back. He’s the most senior hunter here and, naturally, would take on the role of our leader. “Nor do we know what anyone helping her has been told.”
“They still made the decision to try and help her free a demon.”
“They might not know that,” Antonio counters, shifting his gaze to me as the tension between the two of them increases.
“So you know that, uh, weird fire-slash-earthquake that happened in Charlotte?” I quickly interject. “That was because of Marcus Henry and my parents.” It kills me to say that word, but it’s how everyone sees us. “You’re all here because you’ve been realizing certain things don’t add up. They don’t. At all. And I know you’ve all wondered how the hell did a witch really end up in the Order? Was I taken in out of the kindness of Vivian’s heart?” I pause, taking in a breath as I look at everyone’s face. “I wasn’t. What’s happening has been planned for years and I’ve only just discovered the truth myself.”
“What are you getting at?” Christine asks and I’m glad I don’t have the ability to sense her emotions or intentions right now because I’m pretty sure she’d want to stab me because even Zeke could notice the way Ryder is looking at me.
“I wasn’t rescued as a baby. My family was murdered by Vivian and Marco Russo and I was kidnapped.”
“Why would they do that?” one of the other hunters ask.
“Because my family, the Blackwoods, used their powers to kill or trap powerful demons. Only someone of that same bloodline can free those demons.” I smile awkwardly. “And the Order has had a demon on a leash for years now. Somehow, they figured out that you need a key engraved with the demon’s sigil to open the door to the prison, and in order to activate the key, you need Blackwood blood. Marcus intended to crack the door just enough to syphon more power without the demon escaping. We think Vivian is trying to bust it out.”
“I just have to play devil’s advocate here,” the other hunter starts. “Is there a chance the Order is trying to keep this demon behind bars?”
“Not a chance,” Antonio answers and I catch Christine looking at the scars on his wrists.
“Why would Vivian and Marco free a demon?” Ryder asks, but not in a challenging way. He’s genuinely curious.
“We’re not sure,” Xavier replies. “But we are assuming it is because she thinks she’ll have some sort of control over it.”
“Okay,” Ryder says, nodding. “Let’s not be hasty here.”
“Funny,” Devon says with a snort of laughter. “But yeah, definitely don’t jump to conclusions and shoot first and ask questions later.”
Ryder leans forward. “I’m not the one—”
“We are not doing this now,” Xavier interrupts, calm, cool but in control and damn, that man can command a room. I didn’t even notice his fangs coming down, and he doesn’t flash them when he talks the way some vampires do, but instead lets you catch a glimpse of them, reminding everyone that he is the apex predator here.
I take in a shaky breath and Xavier puts his hand on top of mine, curling his long, cool fingers around mine. I turn, looking up into his eyes, and feel my body relax just a bit.
“I was able to cast a locator spell to find her location,” I tell everyone. “We tracked her to the Seely Castle and then I lost the trail because she did something to block my magic. We need to come up with something to draw her out.”