Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
Two dark green horns rose from his head. They curved outward in opposite directions, the surface shiny and the color rather beautiful. Like marble, as Trilla had described them. Small, gray tusks jutted from his lower lip.
Everett found those ridiculously sexy.
Dax stared anxiously at him.
Everett slowly shook his head, though it still felt heavy, still ached. “It worked. You really should have let me see you before. You’re gorgeous in your true form.”
Red crept over Dax’s cheeks, and Everett started to smile, but that smile quickly dropped when the most horrendous odor suddenly filled the room. It was the rancid smell of dead things and decay. His eyes watered, then blurred. He was blinking away the tears when something solid hit his throat and sent him back into the wall. His body slammed hard. He was so disoriented, all he could focus on was the loud yell that came from Dax.
Everett managed to get control of his eyesight and wished he hadn’t. The creature that held his neck was something out of his worst nightmares. Broken and corpse-like with parts of its skin missing and showing bone. Ragged clothes barely covered its form, and where there should have been eyes, there were only empty sockets.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dax leap forward to grab it, but Xavier grabbed his arm to stop him.
“No, it’ll rip out his throat. Let me.”
Utterly frozen in terror, he could only stare into those empty sockets as the surface of his skin began to tingle. The thing holding him snarled with broken lips and turned its head toward Xavier. It let Everett go, and he slid down the wall, watching as the creature began to move toward Xavier.
The whites in Xavier’s eyes bled to black as he pointed his finger at the creature and spoke in that foreign language again.
It screamed, and Everett covered his ears, still unable to look away from the creature. It turned and smashed through the glass wall. Chaos erupted in the outer room as it dashed through the bodyguards. Several tried to catch it, but it turned into a kind of vapor right in front of Everett’s eyes. Then it was just…gone.
“Well, shit,” he croaked out, wincing at the pain in his throat.
Dax knelt in front of him and placed a gentle finger on his neck. “Are you okay?”
He nodded. “What the fuck happened? Where did it come from?”
Dax helped him to his feet, and they both looked to Xavier for answers.
“Our spell must have released it from the nephrite.”
“You mean my inability to see you all was still keeping it there after my blood triggered it?” Everett asked.
“I can only surmise that is the case.” Xavier frowned. “I should have realized that could happen, so I apologize.”
“You couldn’t have known.” Everett looked at all the broken glass on the floor. “I’m sorry about your wall, but I’m really sorry it got away. Where do you think it went?”
Dax answered him. “The draugr is a protector of treasure, so it will be going to whatever that is.”
Truly alarmed, Everett hugged his arms to his chest. “What do we do? We can’t just let it go after someone else. I feel responsible for this since it was my blood that triggered the spell to begin with.”
“There’s nothing you can do, Everett, and it’s definitely not your fault. I transcribed enough of the journal to know what family is holding the treasure. I’ll send Ivor and Emory to protect them. I broke your tie to the draugr, so it has no interest in you now.”
“Why did it attack me like that?”
“Because you were tied to the spell holding it prisoner. It saw you as a threat to its true purpose. But you’re safe now.”
Everett gave him a smile. “Thank you. For getting that thing off me and for the spell, which obviously worked. I guess my grandfather was always right.”
Everett looked through the broken wall, his mouth falling open as he took in Emory’s wings among other things he hadn’t been able to see before. More horns, scaled skin—even tails.
“I can’t believe this,” he breathed. “All this time, you guys have been all around me, and I had no idea. This is incredible.” He looked back at Dax. “I do wish you’d felt comfortable enough to show me your true self before, but I’m happy to see you now. Not sure why you worried. As I said, you’re gorgeous.”
Dax just gave him one of those shy smiles that made Everett all sorts of warm. He eyed the sexy tusks, then reached out to touch one with his finger. It was smooth. The thought that occurred to him then was not one to share with so many others around, but something in his expression must have given him away because Dax tilted his head back and laughed.