Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 109477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
He halted, and Daisy stabbed her now-sword through the space between his arm and body. The blade pierced the creature. She pulled it out and did it again. And again until it stopped struggling.
All that muscle is very useful, she thought, panting with effort and adrenaline.
If my back didn’t hurt so much, I’d make a lewd joke about what this muscle could do in a bedroom.
It’s probably for the best. She stepped back to give him space. I’d then make a small-dick joke at your expense. This way you get to keep a little dignity.
I’m ecstatic. He wiped his forearm across his forehead, catching his breath.
She caught sight of his chest. It held a much simpler and smaller design that was no less beautiful and interesting. It draped around his neck and down like a metallic black necklace. It cinched near the neck, coming to a point, then looped down as far as the bottom of his pecs, like a breastplate. The middle portion was hollow, giving him something like man-cleavage. Within the thick band that might make up the chain of the necklace curled an intricate design with twists and swirls. Equally as beautiful—or maybe more so—was his fucking chest. Holy hell. She’d thought she’d been a back girl. Maybe a butt girl if the right one came along.
No, she was a chest girl.
Perfectly sculpted pecs curved atop his defined abs, leading down to delicious obliques that flared before dipping into his trousers. A dusting of dark hair ran from his belly button and down the flat lower portion of his stomach. The man was a specimen. She didn’t even care that he heard those thoughts—he deserved the ego for all this. He deserved the praise. He’d earned it.
Staring is rude. His tone was fully amused, and his pecs popped.
She watched like a sex-starved woman. Drool escaped from the corner of her mouth, and she wiped it away in embarrassment. Speaking of losing one’s dignity…
She didn’t just jerk her gaze away, knowing it would wander back—no, she jerked her whole head away. She looked at the other side of the tunnel and then straight in front, desperately ignoring the new type of adrenaline gushing through her body. The intense arousal. The need to touch. Her desire for him was getting stronger the more she learned about him. His struggles and her compassion for his situation were fraying her resolve. She could feel it. She didn’t know how to stop it.
Let’s get through this and you can touch all you want, he said, starting forward again.
Obviously she wouldn’t, but…she might dream about it. Hopefully she would dream about it.
They encountered another small creature. This time it let Tarian pass, and then Daisy before it swiped from behind. She took the strike, staying in one place, and then she turned and jabbed it. Like Tarian, she dragged it out and made sure to end it. She didn’t need the thing crawling up behind her.
If the Celestials don’t want to take innocent lives, why would they force these creatures in here to be killed? she asked as they continued. Also, why leave these openings? Why allow people—or fae, whatever—the option of getting through?
These creatures are twisted beyond what the wylds should produce. They need to be exterminated to maintain the balance. This purpose fulfills that need while also making it harder for the unloved—what they call the illegitimate or criminal—to breach the fae or human realms. As to why they allow it… He paused. They didn’t used to, I’ve heard. They shouldn’t now. But the fringe needs the power and magic of the Celestials who guard it, and with a larger number of Celestials not doing their duty, the magic erodes. The power diminishes. These obstacles are put in place as a patch, I think. They can make the crossing more difficult, even though they can’t entirely fix the issue. With each passing of the sun, it gets easier still—until this last passing, obviously.
Do you know why so few are coming to guard the gate?
Unrest in their court, I believe. Differing opinions on where the guardians are best utilized, as well as dissent within the ranks. Though I don’t know for certain. The Celestials, at their core, are an army. They can be mobilized against a foe. Within fae courts, that foe is often one of their own. Ripping away power is never pretty, and the resulting fallout is grimmer still. The Diamond Throne is bleeding. The effects are visible all over the land. The fringe is but one example, sadly. Faerie is in trouble, and the Diamond Kingdom, the supposedly overarching ruling force, is the cause.
Which is why you want a fresh start, no matter who you step on to get it.
He half turned, his gaze slamming into hers. His face was as grim as his tone had been, his eyes troubled but resolute. Yes.