Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
“I’m afraid that’s the wrong answer.”
And then there was a loud bang. Fear ripped through her, and she bit her lip to stop from crying. She wanted to call for her parents. To beg them to let her out of this hole. To know what was happening up there. If they were all right. But she wouldn’t jeopardize them.
Time moved slow as glue and fast as a rapid river all at the same time. The floorboards were pulled up, and her father’s face was there.
“Come here, my wee darling.”
He hoisted her small form out, and she buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed. “Dada, I was so scared.”
“I know, but you don’t have to be scared any longer. No one is going to come after you now.”
“Hurry, Adair,” Shannon cried. “I already got ahold of Bram to fly us to New York.”
“I’ve got her,” he told his wife.
Kierse shouldn’t have looked back as he carried her out of the room, but she did. It was the first dead body she’d ever seen. Maureen was blank-faced and prone. She’d been rolled out of the way. Her unseeing eyes accusing Kierse of this murder. What her parents had done to protect her.
The memory vanished a moment later.
Kierse had tears in her eyes. They’d killed another wisp, a powerful council woman. They’d done it to protect her, and all this time she’d had it in the back of her mind as a nightmare. And it was. But it was also a blessing. They’d done this to save her.
Graves cleared his throat. “We’ll stop there,” he told her, rising to his feet easily.
“Graves,” she said, looking up at him with tears in her lashes. “Thank you.”
He nodded once. “You were very lucky that your parents loved you so much.”
And she felt lucky when she had never felt lucky before. She still had so many questions—all the why and how and who of the situation—but she couldn’t deny that this felt like a gift, and it was still worthwhile.
“You got through what I planned for today. Faster than I thought,” he admitted.
She picked up the book. “Good. I guess I should proceed to the homework portion of the evening.”
“I had something else in mind.” And for a second, she couldn’t breathe, wondering if she would be able to resist him. He smirked as if he could read her mind in the gutter. “Are you up for a road trip?”
Chapter Thirty
Kierse’s head was buried in the memory fortification book. “This stuff is going to give me a headache.”
“Probably,” he agreed.
She glanced out the window as they crossed over into the Bronx. “I still can’t believe we’re going to Covenant. The last time we were there, you sent Edgar to smash up their equipment.”
“I made a donation to the center afterward,” he said dismissively. “I agree with what they’re doing. We need a hospital for monsters as much as the ones we have for humans. We have ailments that only magic can help or only monster doctors can assess.”
“And Dr. Mafi?” Kierse asked.
“The same.”
“Not pleased to see you. Helping you for…reasons?”
He shrugged. “We’ll ask her when we get there.”
The last time that she had seen Dr. Mafi, they’d been in Third Floor and she’d held them at gunpoint. She was surprised that Graves would ever forgive Mafi, let alone trust her. But perhaps she had proven herself in the end.
They pulled into a back lot behind the hospital. A sliding glass door directed them into a brightly lit lobby, and Graves bypassed the woman at the front in peach scrubs. The Covenant was not just a monster hospital—it was also a coven of witches, who used their powers for healing. Kierse had been appalled when she had first learned that anyone would want to help monsters, but she had come around to the idea that everyone needed assistance.
They passed through a long corridor, stopping in front of a closed office door. He knocked twice, and the door swung open to reveal a beautiful woman in teal scrubs, a matching hijab, and a white coat.
“Hello, Emmaline,” Graves said.
Dr. Mafi blew out a heavy sigh. “I got your message.” Her eyes flicked to Kierse. “In trouble again, I see.”
“And you?” Kierse asked. “Staying out of it yourself?”
Dr. Mafi pointed across the hall. They stepped into an empty patient room, and Mafi closed the door before answering, “I’m only doing this because you killed Louis. My debt was cleared, and now I’m free again.”
“I was glad to do it,” Kierse said.
“Of course, now I owe you one, instead,” Mafi said with a shake of her head. “Not how I wanted that to happen. Well, nothing to be done for it. Why don’t you tell me why you’re here?”
Kierse glanced at Graves. “How much did he tell you?”
“I’d rather hear it in your own words.” Dr. Mafi shot Graves a pointed look. “You can wait in the lobby if you’d prefer.”