Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 119942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
With the stealth she’d learned at an early age, she silently hurried to the other end of the room. She quickly dashed up the wooden steps, wincing when one of the boards creaked ever so slightly. The sound was like a bomb in the silence of the room, but it didn’t appear to have alerted anyone.
When she almost reached the top step, she blinked, totally baffled. Where the fuck was the door? There was barely even a wall. The roof here in the corner of the basement was sloped. There was only a two foot gap between the top stair and the bottom of the slope. There was literally no door. She might have thought the door had been moved underneath the stairs during renovations or something, but she had clearly heard the others descend the rickety steps.
That was when she recalled the whirring sound she’d heard earlier. Okay, if she was an electronic door, where would she be?
Harper skimmed her fingers along the wall, searching for some kind of switch. Her index finger brushed over something hard and circular. Hopeful, Harper pressed it…and the small sloped roof above the steps started to lift. She listened hard for any signs of people approaching, but there was nothing.
Finally, the slope came to an abrupt stop, revealing a doorway. It was only when Harper hurried through the opening that she realized the sloped roof was actually part of a staircase that led to upper floors. The clever bastards had hidden their little temple very well. Clicking another switch, Harper then watched as the small portion of the staircase moved back into position. To look at the staircase as a whole, no one would ever imagine that the bottom section lifted. She couldn’t help but begrudgingly admire the design.
Voices in the distance snapped her out of her musings.
Crap. Strongly suspecting that the front and back entrances to what was clearly a massive house were being guarded, she headed silently up the winding staircase. Reaching the top floor, she listened carefully for signs of company. Satisfied she was still alone, she crossed the landing to a smaller winding staircase that no doubt led to the attic. Hopefully it wasn’t another damn sacrificial chamber.
Thankfully, it turned out to be a storage room. Quietly, she wound her way through the boxes and pieces of furniture, heading for the side window, which was disappointingly small. Not that a little thing like that would stop her. Hey, she’d once gotten in and out of a bank vault – she had this.
The window turned out to be pretty damn stiff, so it was a slight struggle getting it open. If it hadn’t been for her enhanced strength, she might not have managed to open it. She slinked her upper body through the small space, taking in the nighttime view, and was immediately assaulted by the scents of wet grass and dark magick.
Knox, it would appear that I’m in a house in the middle of nofuckingwhere. Great.
I haven’t received the anonymous tip yet telling me where you are. His impatience vibrated against her mind. I’ll be there as soon as I get it.
She could hear muffled voices, but none were close by. Wanting a thorough view of her surroundings and an idea of where each of the practitioners waited, she clambered onto the flat roof. It seemed like it was one of those eco-friendly builds that was all metal panels, timber, and plexiglass. Instinctively, she froze, knowing she wasn’t alone. Then there was mock clapping.
“Clever girl.” Jeanna moved out of the shadows. She looked very different. The elegant look was gone. Her clothing was casual, her hair was now red, and her eyes were a pale blue. She was also holding a black, swirly dagger. “I had a feeling you’d get out – you’re a Wallis, after all. Don’t worry about them down there; they can’t hear us through my shield. But they will see us while I take your life.”
“You stuck around for payback.” Typical of their kind. Harper balled up her hands as her familiar protective power rushed to her fingertips.
“That…and it will be interesting to see if their spell works. They believe they can trap Knox. Truly. Practitioners are covering each corner of the house, forming a cube shape. Once Knox steps inside that psi-cube, walls will slam up…and the cube will get smaller and smaller until it’s the size of a closet.”
Not good at all. Knox, when you get here, don’t come near the house! The practitioners think they can trap you in some kind of psychic cube. Knox? Knox? No answer. Was Jeanna’s shield blocking the message? If so, this was bad. “You’re the one who planted the compulsions.”
Jeanna shrugged one shoulder. “I couldn’t have people pointing the finger at me, could I?”
“And the snakes?”
“One of the practitioners did that, but it was my idea. I was there.” Eyes narrowing, Jeanna asked, “Just how did you survive them?”