Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 112416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 562(@200wpm)___ 450(@250wpm)___ 375(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 562(@200wpm)___ 450(@250wpm)___ 375(@300wpm)
“My lovely Mitso is trained in many forms of combat and is quite lethal with anything possessing a sharp edge. He doesn’t mind poisons either.”
“The slow, organ-melting ones are the best,” Adrian whispered with a giggle.
“It’s how we first met, actually. Someone had attempted to kill me, but Mitso leaped in, knives flashing with that adorable laugh, and gutted the man like a trout. He covered his body in my would-be attacker’s blood and presented himself to me like that, promising to kill anyone who dared to cross me.” Haru lifted his free hand and cupped the bottom of Adrian’s hard jaw, tipping his face so that their noses brushed. “How could I not fall in love? My bloodthirsty little minx.”
From the corner of Haru’s eye, he saw Ruben shudder and pale. Yes, that was a much better attitude. He needed to fear Adrian. The man at his side was far more than a simple piece of arm candy. He was deadly, and Haru loved it.
Ruben didn’t engage in much more conversation after that, preferring to face forward and tap away on his tablet. The town of Milway wasn’t much to see. It reminded Haru of Voxmore with its quaint shops and narrow streets. Yet, there weren’t many people walking about as they passed through. However, that was likely because of the storm that was brewing up from nothing.
When they arrived at the train station, it had been a pleasant summer day with bright-blue skies and rising temperatures. Yet, within minutes of getting into the car, massive dark clouds poured across the sky, blotting out the sun. Harsh, icy winds hammered the sides of the vehicle as if trying to shove it across the road. There was even the persistent tap tap tap of freezing rain pelting the car.
Adrian frowned and leaned to stare out the window on his right and then across Haru to gaze out the other window. They’d left Milway behind and hurried down a clean stretch of highway where towering trees crowded close. All signs of civilization disappeared, and the early afternoon melted into near nightfall with only their headlights to pierce the gloom.
“This storm came on fast,” Adrian murmured, speaking just above a whisper, likely so Haru could hear him above the howl of the wind. His voice dropped even lower as he put added emphasis on “Too fast.”
Haru’s eyes darted to the black skies and flashes of lightning that were growing in intensity and frequency. The farther they traveled in this direction, the more the storm worsened. It gave him hope that they were about to locate the missing prince of Caspagir, but if he was conjuring up this storm through his connection to the god Kaes, it was likely that something bad was happening.
“How much farther to our destination?” Haru demanded.
“Another twenty to thirty minutes, sir,” the driver replied through what sounded like clenched teeth. As he spoke, Haru could feel the vehicle slow while the wind and rain lashed the car, creating a gray wall in front of them that the headlights could not pierce. Over thirty minutes was now more likely, but there was nothing they could do about it. The driver could not go any faster without risking their lives, and he didn’t want to endanger Adrian more than necessary.
The minutes ticked by, and Haru watched as Adrian turned a small throwing knife around with his deft fingers. When they were only a few miles from the facility, the storm began to quiet and roll away. The flashes of lightning grew less frequent, and the deafening boom of thunder turned to low grumbles.
“What the hell!” Ruben bellowed as they came upon a long, gray, two-story building with slender windows set back against a dark, thick forest. Black smoke billowed out from one corner while trees surrounding the buildings were burning, possibly from lightning strikes. There were other scorch marks on the building and in the pavement of the parking lot. It looked as if the epicenter of the storm had been this building, and it had paid the price.
“Who are those people? They don’t appear to be employees,” Adrian pointed at ragged, thin people slipping from the building and running into the forest. A mixture of relief and terror was etched on their faces.
“Test subjects,” Ruben growled. His meaty fist balled up, his knuckles cracking. “Clearly, the storm knocked out the power, and the guards were careless in their duty, allowing people to escape.”
“We need to get inside and assess the damage. Discover what is left of your efforts.” Haru had barely spoken when he threw open the door and clambered out with Adrian close on his heels. Ruben gasped and sputtered, but the sounds were lost to the wind and the last of the rumbles of thunder.
“If Shey’s not alive, I swear to fuck I’m killing everyone here,” Adrian snarled under his breath.