Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Aumae snapped her head to the side as if she’d been slapped. When a red mark appeared on her cheek, I realized she had been slapped. That pissed me off, and I snapped inside. My fury built inside of me like a volcano, boiling and churning upward until I reared back in the air and sent two bursts of energy at my father.
Kellan followed with his own bursts of energy, as did Damien.
My father was slammed back, past his followers. Kellan went with him, and I caught a flash from his hand. He meant to use the dagger on my father. My gut sparked, and I knew it was a bad idea if Kellan stabbed him. I didn’t know why, but I flew after them. When my father tumbled to the ground, still dazed from the onslaught, Kellan landed on top of him and raised his hand.
“No!” I caught his hand and clawed, trying to unleash the dagger.
“What are you doing?”
“Trust me,” I panted. “This is not a good idea.”
“He’s going to kill everyone, Shay.” Kellan took my hand and shoved me backward.
“Kellan!”
He turned back, but my father was on his feet again. Laughing. “You think that little thing will kill me?”
Kellan fell silent.
I stood, cautious. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m a first lineage messenger. Those things give us strength. They don’t harm us.”
I hadn’t wanted to look at my father. The power in him was enormous, and it drew me in, captivating me. I’d fought against it, not wanting to feel connected to him. Perhaps that had been my fear—that I’d want to be with him and somehow I’d be brainwashed into forgetting everyone else. Aumae, Damien, even Gus, especially Kellan. I couldn’t forget them, and when he first spoke my name, I knew that was what he wanted. But now I looked at him. His eyes were intelligent, old, and they spoke of memories. However, when I looked into them, I knew one other thing. Those memories weren’t from my blood.
“You’re not my father.”
Kellan was tense beside me.
Something was coming, something was going to happen, but I didn’t know what. I just knew it was bad, very bad, and I had no way of stopping it. And then the messenger’s laughter faded, and he nodded. “You’re right. I’m not your father. But I am supposed to bring you to him.”
He grabbed my hand—Kellan yelled—and we were gone in the next instant.
My feet hit the floor, and I rolled with it, coming back up to stand in one smooth motion. I looked around, but Kellan wasn’t there. His shout echoed in my ears and it was like he was still there. I could still feel him. No. I was alone. Breathing hard, the sounds almost drowning out Kellan’s voice, I hunched forward. My knees were bent. My arms out. I was ready to battle, but I swung my head around and no one was there.
I was in a dark room.
The wood floors creaked under my weight.
Edging forward, they protested loudly, but I kept moving forward ninja-style.
“You think to sneak up on me?”
A loud voice boomed through the house. I gritted my teeth. A piece of hair fell over my forehead, blocking my vision and I swiped at it. “Come on. When you bring a girl to an old house, sneaking’s not the first thing that comes to mind.”
I had no idea why I said it, but it was out there. My heart was still pounding against my chest, and I waited for his response.
There was none.
I kept moving, going from room to room. I was on the second floor and all the rooms were empty. Coming to what must’ve been a bathroom, the back wall was completely blown out. It looked like a grenade had been thrown in the room. Black smudges plastered the wall, and half of the sink was gone. I stepped down, and sucked in my breath. The hole was there where the toilet should’ve gone.
I tiptoed to a stair rail. Oh no. Not the second floor. I was on the hundredth floor. Okay. That was me being sarcastic, but seriously. I tried to count the floors. Six, seven. I was on the eighth floor, and I twisted my head to look...and it kept on going.
I grumbled under my breath, “Couldn’t keep it simple, Dad? Had to bring me to the building that never ends?”
“Why? So your boyfriend could swoosh in, grab you, and you’d both be gone again?”
His voice was clearer. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I didn’t move, still hunched over the stair rail, but my hands let go, and I started looking out from the corner of my eye. It was just darkness. The walls were white with black streaks from explosions. The floors had been stripped down to their oak finishing. Moonlight filtered in from somewhere. I could see enough to move around, but mostly, everything was shadowed. Still, the hairs on my neck were telling me my asshole father was close.