Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 111353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
“You,” he stressed. “Your mother says that even though your magic hasn’t awakened yet, the secret of the All Hallows is in your blood. Trouble is, it’s been in the blood of all Avos witches for the last three hundred years, and you all clearly had no idea.” The devil plucked a piece of paper from his pocket and flicked it at me.
It gently floated down onto the arm of Dora’s chair.
“Your mother says the key to unlocking the power has to be in the original spell. All that ‘stealing what was given and shackling yourself to his manhood’ bullshit. So get to it.”
I stared at him. “Excuse me...? Get to it? Get to what?”
“Find out what the clues are and awaken the power of the All Hallows. And when you do”—those terrible eyes cleaved me in two—“give that power to me.”
I still felt that strange, quieting calmness fighting to smother my rage. “Let me guess the rest. I give you this power, and you’ll give me my sister back?”
“See?” His smile held no mirth or warmth. “I knew you were the smart one.”
“But you’re not.”
His strong, handsome jaw crumpled like toilet paper. “What the fuck did you just say?”
Right then, I was thankful for this dreamy tranquility. It was the only reason I could look into the murderous eyes of Satan himself without soiling myself. “Seems to me we’re in the same place that we were before. The place where I possess something that you can’t get without my cooperation. So this is what I want: I want my sister back alive.
“With her soul back in her body and her whole future ahead of her again. Undo what you and that woman have done!” I shrieked. “Bring her back, and then you can have all the fictitious powers you want!”
He beheld me dispassionately. He almost looked bored. “You seem to think you stumped me, but, darling, with the power of the All Hallows at my fingertips, I can bring a thousand Adoras back to life—soul, mortality, and all.
“You have a deal, sweet Charlie.” Lucifer, the decorations, and the room all started fading. “I’ll even send you a little incentive... in all good faith...”
“Wait!” The scene slipped away, allowing the darkness to creep back in. “Wait!”
I shot up screaming, and jolted Tristan out of his chair.
“Charlie? Are you okay?” He rushed over to take my hand and place it on the glass of water waiting on my nightstand.
Wait? My nightstand?
I blinked through the gloom, surprised to find myself back in my plain, boring dorm room in Abaddon Academy. The only thing missing was Sabrina... and the one thing added was the large, looming presence in the corner—watching us with those ruby-red eyes.
“D-Dora,” I burst out. “Lucifer has Dora! He and my m—m—that woman! They have my sister in a horrible cellar down in the—”
“There’s no one there,” Tristan broke in. “If you’re talking about the room we pulled you out of, I went back down there and busted the fucking door open to find the fucker who dared to snatch you, and all I did was walk into a dark, empty room that reeked of dark magic.” He tossed Ronin a disgusted sneer and got one right back. “It stank worse than shit, but it was empty. If your sister was there, she’s not there anymore.”
“Ugh,” I groaned, tears stinging my eyes. I dropped my head in my hands and something crumpled in my palm. Drawing back, my eyes fell on the same scrap of paper from my dream.
The hallow of the air gives an aigrette light and fair.
From the hallow of the sea, steal what he has given thee.
For the hallow of the fire, light the pyre—burn the sire.
Among the hallow of the wood, join thy shackles to his manhood.
“It wasn’t a dream,” I whispered, closing the paper in my grip. “It was a deal.”
“What was?” Tristan asked.
I flicked up to him, and those gorgeous golden eyes. Even with the weight of everything crashing on me, I couldn’t help but think he was breathtakingly beautiful. His long, wild wavy hair was windswept instead of untamed. His rough and scarred body was inviting, instead of intimidating. His soft smile was... it just was. Every part of Tristan drew me in like a warm hug.
But him...
I peered at Ronin out of the corner of my eye. “Ronin, thank you for getting me out of there. You’ve probably got a lot to do, so please don’t feel like you need to stay.”
A slow smirk stretched his lips. “A very polite brush-off, but since when does a servant send their master away?” He closed the distance, moving soundlessly through the shadows. Something in his large, shining eyes made me flinch before his fingers brushed my cheek. “And what a pretty little servant you are...”