Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 104141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
“You will win because you are the Dragon and you have your mother’s blood running through your veins. You come from a bloodline of supernatural hunters. Your brother and father are mere mortals next to you. And. . .you have a spirit beast hovering over your enemies. A dragon-shadow. You don’t see him, but he’s there and. . .ritual or not he’s weakening your enemies.”
“Tora. . .I'm going to carry those words with me. I’m going to think of them as I kill every man and rip his heart out."
“Good.” I sneered. “And burn them alive too. Where’s Totoro?”
“She’s being brought to me.”
“Perfect. And don’t forget that Reo will guide you. Hiro will have your back. The Claws and Fangs are loyal and strong.” A tear left my eye. “Tell them I love them and that I want them to be safe. Okay?”
“I’ll tell all of them.”
“Good.”
He went silent again.
We both knew he needed to get off this phone, but neither one of us wanted this conversation to end.
He spoke, “This morning. . .”
I swallowed.
“I haven’t. . .had one like that before. . .holding you. . .talking. . .laughing. . .kissing. . .”
I wiped my tears.
“We should have made love. I thought I had more time.”
“It’s okay. We’ll make love later.”
“We will.” But his words didn’t have the same confidence as always. These were laced with fearful doubt.
I frowned. “I will see you again.”
“You will because. . .I’m not afraid of dying. I’ve never been. Death seems. . .almost comforting in some way.”
I widened my eyes.
“But I am afraid of not seeing you again and because of that. . .I will fucking survive.”
I had to hold in a sob.
"One more thing, Tora.”
I wiped away more tears. “Yes, baby.”
“In the nightstand on the right side of the bed and in the bottom drawer. . .there's a letter in a sealed envelope.”
I tensed.
“If I don't. . .make it by morning. . .read it.”
More tears spilled from my eyes.
“If I survive, Tora, then we'll burn the letter together in the morning."
My bottom lip quivered. “Then, I plan to burn it.”
“Tora. . .”
“Yes, baby.”
“Say my name one more time before we hang up. Not Dragon. Not baby. My name."
"Kenji."
He let out a long heavy exhale that vibrated through the phone and slipped over me.
And I wondered why he wanted me to say his real name instead of title or a term of endearment. Was it the idea that he wanted to be reminded of being a man? Was it because his mother probably only referred to him by his name?
Or was it something else deeper within his heart?
Or was it truly the idea that all knew him as the Dragon, but I had fallen in love with Kenji and merely accepted the Dragon?
Next, he whispered, “Thank you, Tora.”
Click.
I stared at the phone in my hand and shivered at the silence on the other end where his voice had just been.
My thumb was still pressing the screen as if I could hold him there.
Fuck. . .what’s going to happen now?
Epilogue
Evacuation
Nyomi
We moved fast through the mansion. Phones buzzed, telling me that Reo had delivered the message.
Once we got back on the elevator, Yoichi pulled out his device, checked the screen, and then, without a word, he handed it to me.
I took it.
The text was from Reo.
Yoichi give this to the Heart.
Kiko killed Dr. Goda, took his phone, and made a call to the Fox.
The doctor's phone was on the satellite network’s emergency medical line, not our protected channel which probably gave the Fox's hackers enough time to triangulate the island.
We’re certain that they have our coordinates.
The battle is tonight.
Please, stay with Yoichi and do what he says.
I love you, Nyomi.
Reo.
I read it twice.
Then I read it a third time.
That bitch.
Rage surged in my chest.
Goddamn it! And I told Kenji not to kill her!
The elevator hummed around us.
I handed Yoichi back his phone without looking up.
What the fuck?!
Her actions caused Reo to reroute every life on this island into a different ending.
I'd had so many chances to end her. I’d held Kenji back twice. I could have even had the Claws kill her last night when she tried to crash the party.
But I’d thought of her twins and treated her belly like a force field. I had let her live because I thought a woman like me did not order pregnant women killed. I had mistakenly thought that line was something worth keeping, and I had told myself keeping it was strength.
But it wasn’t strength. Not in this world. It was a fucking huge mistake and now possibly the island’s death sentence.
I was still learning.
I had been moving through Kenji’s world like rules of decency still applied. I believed that there were lines a person didn't cross and motherhood was sacred even when the mother was a snake.