Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 107652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“We all know she’s banging him,” Lydia snipped. “Keeping him all to herself because she’s greedy and won’t share.”
“Pity.” Evelyn clucked her tongue, both coming closer. “The more the merrier.”
Fear flung me out of bed. I wobbled on two feet, cursing the lack of bodily protection from my powder blue pyjamas. Shaking my head a little, I balled my hands, begging my system not to forsake me. “Why are you here so early?” I scowled. “Actually, why are you here at all?”
“It’s ten a.m., you lazy slob.” Evelyn’s teeth flashed in a smile. “And can’t we visit our favourite Cinderkeep sister?”
“I’m not your sister.”
“You’re right. You’re not.” Lydia shot forward, her peach dress flaring around her knees. “Where is it? Give it to us and we’ll leave.”
“Give you what?”
Evelyn sighed and tapped her foot. “Don’t play stupid. Give it to us.”
Anxiety scratched down my spine. “I can’t give you what I don’t—”
“His blood, you little seductress.” Lydia held out her hand. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with him. Whatever you’re letting him do to you means you get special privileges. So...gimme.”
My heart thudded hard enough to bruise. “I don’t...I don’t have any more.”
“Oh, come on.” Evelyn rolled her eyes, her black hair glossy even in the dull day. “Don’t make this hard. Just give us his blood and we’ll leave.”
“Where are you keeping it?” Lydia asked, her gaze flashing around my pavilion. “Tell us right now.”
“I already told you,” I snapped, my temper helping chase away some of my anxiety. “He hasn’t given me any—”
“Liar.” Evelyn shot toward me. Her hand cracked across my face so hard, my head snapped sideways.
Tears stung my vision.
Did...did she really just slap me?
Cupping my stinging cheek, I blinked back the pain.
My first instinct was to fight back but...I wasn’t an idiot. “I’m not lying.”
“Find it, Lydia,” Evelyn commanded, stalking away from me to join her as Lydia shot toward the sideboard and wrenched open all the drawers. Ripping them off their railings, she tipped them upside down, sending papers, pens, and all the folded cranes I’d made—when I’d been bored on those first few days of captivity—flying.
“Can’t we just talk about this?” I asked, wincing as yet more stuff joined the mess on the floor. “You don’t have to get crazy.”
They ignored me.
Kicking aside the mess, they scanned the chaos for another vial like the one Lucien had given me. When they found nothing, they took their destruction into the kitchen.
The cutlery drawer was flung aside, the pantry ransacked, and fridge left open.
Bottles clattered, glasses shattered. At least they didn’t ruin any wine—seeing as I’d already drunk the meagre supplies that’d arrived a few days earlier.
The soft hiss of fabric shredded as Lydia attacked my wardrobe.
“Will you stop?” I crossed my arms, ordering my legs to stay stable even as a migraine slowly built behind my eyes. “You can clearly see I don’t have anything.”
“That’s going to be a problem if it’s true,” Evelyn muttered as she ripped out a cushion’s stuffing and shook the case. “You better hope we find something.”
“Last chance, little whore.” Lydia smirked like a deranged villain. “Where are you hiding it?”
“I told you; I’m not hiding anything. I honestly don’t have any more.” Forcing my tongue to work, I rushed, “I’m not one of you, remember? I’m not here to do whatever it is that you are. I’m not lying or trying to win over you. All I want to do is rest and stay out of trouble until I can somehow find a way home.”
“We can send you home.” Lydia grinned. “Today if you don’t behave.”
I gulped.
Out the corner of my eye, a black shadow appeared in the courtyard. Through the open door, Whisper froze. One paw above the earth as if he was about to take another step, his golden eyes meeting mine.
Neither girl saw him behind them.
His teeth flashed as he lowered himself into a pounce.
I shuddered at the thought of watching these women be torn apart.
I wouldn’t be able to stay living in this pavilion if everything was covered in gristle and blood.
I shook my head subtly, hoping he’d get the message. Don’t.
I hoped he’d sense my inner voice and saved the massacre for when Lydia and Evelyn had left. If I was honest, I was surprised they were still alive after Lucien’s systematic deletion of all the assassins in Cinderkeep. They were probably the last ones alive, and despite my dislike of them, I’d known them long enough to actually care if they got dismembered.
“You should go,” I whispered to the two wannabe thieves. “Before it’s too late.”
Evelyn gawked at me. “Did you just threaten us?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
“Fuck it,” Lydia cut in. “It’s not here.” Balling her hands, she stalked toward me. “Maybe you’re hiding it on your body, huh?”
Whisper’s haunches bristled. He took a silent step forward, the girls oblivious as his lips peeled back, revealing dangerously sharp teeth.