Total pages in book: 401
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Eather throbbed in my chest as a sudden sense of awareness rose. Instinctually, I glanced at the night sky, seeing nothing but dark clouds.
But I felt something.
Craning my neck, I caught sight of the shape above. My eyes narrowed—
Large wings sliced through the thick clouds like a blade through smoke, scattering the shadows across the night sky. The draken came straight at us like an unleashed arrow, beams of silver moonlight reflecting off his purplish-black scales.
Feeling a surge of panic press down on me, I tightened my grip on Setti’s reins. Not even a heartbeat later, screams erupted as Reaver dove low.
A gust of wind roared down the road, lifting the edges of my cloak as the draken’s wings skimmed the roofs on either side of us.
Emil’s head jerked up. “What the—?” He cursed as Reaver’s spiked fucking tail whipped through the air inches above our heads, nearly causing Hisa to topple off her horse.
“Asshole,” I muttered. Setti snorted with irritation, shaking his mane.
A loud, rough sound like laughter came from the draken as he suddenly veered upward, sending the mortals fleeing into their homes.
Emil slowly turned his head toward me, his brows raised. “I think I just saw my life flash before my eyes.”
That fucking draken.
Rubbing Setti’s neck to calm him, I watched Reaver extend his wings and disappear back into the clouds.
“That was…fun.” Hisa straightened in her saddle, her face pale. She cleared her throat. “I’ll ride ahead and let the others know you will be there soon.”
Emil’s gaze followed her. “I have to admit,” he said, one side of his lips curling up, “if I were a draken, I’d be doing that shit all the time, too.”
“No part of me is surprised to hear that,” I replied dryly, glancing at the homes we passed.
Night had long since fallen, but it wasn’t that late. Still, no sounds of music or conversations drifted from the open windows, covered porches, or elaborate courtyard gardens. With the pleasant weather, this area of Carsodonia should be alive with activity, even with all the businesses and establishments closed due to the curfew. Except for those who had been out on their verandas, I saw no one else.
Everything that had happened in recent days likely played a role, but it wasn’t like the mortals were forbidden to be outside at night. They could do as they pleased as long as they remained on their property.
The city was quiet.
But it wouldn’t—couldn’t—stay that way for much longer.
As much as I hated to acknowledge it, things needed to start happening if Poppy didn’t wake soon. We needed to find Kolis. Lift the curfew. Deal with the Ascended locked in their homes. And those were only a few of the decisions I’d have to make—choices I didn’t feel right making without Poppy.
My grip tightened on Setti’s reins. She would wake soon.
She had to.
CHAPTER 2
CASTEEL
“You want to tell me what I’m about to ride into?” I asked Emil.
“Something very odd.”
His tone drew my attention. It was off. “How many dead do we have on our hands?”
“Right now?” Guiding his horse closer to mine as the street narrowed, he exhaled deeply. “About a dozen. Six in one home. Three in another.” He paused. “Four in a third. But there could be more. I left with Hisa while they checked the last known Ascended’s residences.”
I took that information in. For there to be anything left of the Ascended to count meant whoever had done this hadn’t used bloodstone.
When an Ascended was taken out with that, it left absolutely nothing behind. But that wasn’t the only way to kill an Ascended. Destroying the heart, removing their head, and throwing their asses out into the sun would take care of them, too. But those methods left something behind, even if it was just a patch of scorched ground and charred bone.
I glanced at Emil. He was entirely too quiet. “You know,” I said, scratching at the stubble on my chin, “I think this is the longest I’ve gone without threatening you.”
Emil’s head cocked as he squinted at the night sky. “Is it?”
It was. Which was a good indicator of exactly how uneasy Emil was about what he was leading me to.
“Cas?”
I glanced back at him, my brows raised.
“I don’t think I’ve told you this,” he began, his amber gaze sliding to mine, “but Poppy looks just as ravishing in armor as she does in her sleeping gown.”
“Fucking gods,” I muttered. “You really don’t have any sense of self-preservation, do you?”
He chuckled. “According to Netta, no.”
My brows rose at the mention of Kieran’s sister. “Kieran is going to neuter you.”
“Nah.” He grinned. “That would upset Netta.”
Lips twitching, I shook my head and stroked my hand down Setti’s black mane. The damn horse snorted through his nostrils and flicked his head. Clearly, he was still annoyed with the lack of attention I’d given him over the last week or so.