Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
“Wait,” she said. “I can…I can try.”
“You fucking read her right now?” Lorcan asked with disgust in his voice.
“I don’t want any sanctimonious bullshit from you,” Graves said, coming to his feet and getting into Lorcan’s face. “You have not a leg to stand on.”
“Graves, please,” she whispered. “Try again.”
He looked at her, and for the first time of their acquaintance, he looked fearful of reading her.
“Please,” she repeated.
He clenched his jaw and came to sit next to her. “I can never resist you.”
So she focused her attention on her magic. Actively using it right now felt like lifting a car over her head. But if she didn’t, she was so drained she wouldn’t be able to leave this tower. Or walk at all. If Graves could help, then she needed to try.
With concerted effort, she actively turned her absorption on, and when Graves touched her next, he projected an image into her mind.
“Focus here,” he said.
It was not as easy as with Lorcan. The bond worked despite the amulet. Drawing Graves’s endless powers toward her while the amulet was being used was nearly as hard as portaling. Except it was better than being dead, so she forced it through as she watched the image in her mind like a movie.
It was the wildflower field she had entered with Lorcan during the spell. Only this time she was seeing it through Graves’s eyes. The smell a balm to him. A group of friends—Druids and High Priestesses—careened through the bloom before him. He was always a step back, watching, observing, but not engaging. He picked up a purple bloom and brought it to his nose.
A figure appeared next to him, and she saw Lorcan smiling down at him. “Brannon, don’t lag behind! The festival is about to begin.”
The magic pushed through her as she watched them interact as friends—brothers—as she’d never seen before. This one moment contained in time. This was what he saw of Lorcan when he looked up on him. This was how he remembered him.
“There,” Graves said, releasing her. “That’s better.”
“You have so much,” she said, taking a deep breath.
“It’s my time of year,” he said simply.
Kierse glanced around the room. “Wait, where is the ledger?”
“This?” Lorcan asked. He drew the notebook out of his suit. “It was on the ground when I found you.”
Graves snatched it out of his hand, sliding it into the pocket of his suit. “That’s what we came for. We should go. Now.”
“Fine,” Kierse said as she wobbled a moment on her feet.
The door to the office room crashed open, and Amberdash stood like a cloaked shadow sucking up the darkness. Kierse froze into a statue, and Graves and Lorcan exchanged a look. She’d seen that on them only once before in Edinburgh when they seemed to be able to anticipate each other’s moves.
“Unfortunately,” Amberdash said, “we don’t allow party crashers.”
Graves straightened to his considerable height. “I was just leaving.”
“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen.”
Amberdash looked past Graves and Lorcan to where Kierse still wobbled. He knew that she’d used magic to escape, but the look said he wasn’t sure how it was possible. But she’d seen that look a thousand times. She’d given it to every new object of value she’d stolen for him.
Oh, how much more valuable she had just become.
“Guards, escort the warlock to the party for me. He’s so eager to hear what I have to say that I think it’s only fair that we tell him.”
Chapter Thirty
Two enormous trolls barely managed to push their bulk through the doors before they reached for Graves. He evaded one, but the other grasped his arm. Magic erupted out of him, pushing the troll from his side. Graves grunted as he used the power. The amulet pushing his magic down, down, down.
Graves held his hand up as the trolls came for him again. “I can walk.”
Amberdash waved the trolls off. “Take him to the balcony, Ithra.”
“Come, Hunder,” Ithra barked, pushing Graves forward.
Graves brushed off his suit. Then, as he headed to the door, he threw his shoulder into Lorcan.
Lorcan’s gaze was furious. “Watch where you’re going.”
Graves’s eyes were murderous as he passed, and then he was through the door. The trolls were on either side of him, and he walked with his head held high as if he was casually taking a stroll rather than getting escorted into the midst of his enemies.
Amberdash snapped his fingers at another troll. “Watch these two. We wouldn’t want them sneaking out before the show.”
Kierse glanced backward and found a troll the size of a mountain keeping her and Lorcan from running off. Not that she planned to leave Graves alone.
“Amberdash,” Kierse called as she pushed past Lorcan to rush after them. “What are you doing?”
“I made my specifications clear.” Amberdash glided forward with an ominous train of darkness behind him. “This invitation is for one person only. No transfers. No plus-ones. He broke my rules.”