Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 109477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
At your leisure, he thought sarcastically, not able to hide the pained tone.
She yanked her gaze away from his lats, then from his rear oblique, and finally from his perfect and round butt. She did love a good rump, but she loved a broad and muscular back more.
That’s fantastic, he drawled. I’m glad to hear it. But will you please stop eye-fucking me and look at the actual wound so I can get a visual?
The lat tried to pull at her attention again, but she resisted, finally zeroing in on the smattering of angry red welts oozing pus onto his skin.
She grimaced. Gross.
Looks like it hurts, she said, her gaze drifting again.
It does. A whole fucking lot. He looked at his shirt. I don’t know if it is better to put this back on to sop up the discharge, or keep the wound free of a sweaty and dirty shirt so the fresh air can help it scab up and heal.
I vote fresh air. Forever.
He turned to give her an annoyed eyebrow arch, but he couldn’t hide the darkly amused expression. He balled up his shirt in a fist and moved out of the way, his weapon posed as a spear as he watched the dark and shadowy openings at their feet.
She turned to the side and slipped through quickly, careful to watch her feet and the tilt of her upper body. Once she was past the trouble area, he held out his shirt.
I’m not carrying that for you, she said in confusion.
No shit. He nudged her with it. Wipe away the discharge.
Ew. I don’t want to.
He huffed in annoyance, but a grin tweaked his lips. You’re going to have to look at it, regardless. Would you rather look at a bunch of pus or a wiped back with only a little? I’m sure the wounds will close quickly enough, though the radiating burn is growing stronger. That’s not ideal.
She did want to look at that incredible expanse of back with the really cool design, but no, not the other stuff.
Fine, she said, taking the shirt. He turned his back to her, and she grimaced again. Her expression surely curdled into a look of disgust as she got the job done, then handed the shirt back.
Throw it on the ground. He walked forward. I can’t hold it, and I don’t want something grabbing at it if I tuck it into my waistband.
The plants pulled back some up ahead, leaving various-sized pockets filled with unnatural black shadow. Her eyes couldn’t pierce the gathered darkness, and so she stopped trying, instead putting out feelers for presences or danger. For paws or claws poking out of those dangerous hiding places.
Tarian seemed to be doing the same. The wounds on his back wept, no longer pus but now blood, the holes not closing even though they were small. Even though his healing should’ve been as fast and efficient as hers. Skin had started to bubble and peel away, the acidic property burning anything in its path. The poison might not kill him, but it was causing a lot of destruction and pain. Good thing it was only on a small portion of his back.
The pain feels like it encompasses a lot more than just that, he murmured.
A small rustling was the only warning they got. Something large shook the plants a moment before an ear-splitting roar echoed around Daisy’s skull. Panic gripped her, fear riding on a manic urge to flee.
Tarian’s hand shot out to grab her arm and keep her put. She shook him off. She knew this was magic. She recognized the signs from encountering the Faegate. This was very similar, if not as potent.
An unnaturally large mouth burst through the plants. Anything in its way magically vanished, allowing it full admittance. Kinda like a tiger and very much not, the thick body came after it. Its trajectory would make it plow into Tarian, forcing him into the plants at his back.
Daisy charged, slamming her shoulder into it with all her might. Its mass matched hers, and it might not have budged if its four feet had been on the ground, but in the air, it didn’t have anything to grip. Its body veered enough that Tarian could step to the other side and pierce the creature with his blade. This time, he didn’t leave it in or reach for hers. He yanked it out and thrust it in again while grabbing the creature with his other hand, curling his fist into its stringy fur. His upper body flexed as he spun the creature into the other wall. If he was trying to impale it on the plants, he had no such luck. The plants disappeared entirely as its body went through. He yanked his hand back when they reappeared as his arm neared.