Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
A muscle in Miles’ jaw twitched. He took a moment to compose himself. He was still shaken by the vines, I could see it in the way he held his hands tight together. “That’s the thing, we don’t know much about them. I’m being stalked by someone. They keep escalating in their messages to me. I thought I’d lost them by moving but they somehow found me. I want to get to them before they get to me. Maybe even if I just know their identity, I can take that to the cops or I can send them a message myself instead.”
Hunter’s lips quirked to the side. He tapped his hands, clicking his black painted nails against the varnished wood. “Do you know if this person has ever physically touched you? Do you suspect this being a scorned lover? Maybe a close and now obsessed friend? I’m asking because without some kind of link—if we don’t know exactly who we’re searching for—my scrying becomes as reliable as the cell service around my house.”
Miles shook his head and simply said, “No idea.”
“Give me your hands.”
Miles extended his hands and gave them to Hunter. “Let me see…” He closed his eyes and stayed rock still for what must have been a full minute. Miles readjusted and wiggled a bit but held Hunter’s hands. I glanced out the windows, expecting the vines to bust through the glass at any moment. My attention was drawn back to them when a green light began to glow underneath Hunter’s skin, expanding down his forearms, through his hands, glowing bright around Miles. The light seemed to jump through Hunter’s hands and into Miles. It inched upward, over his knuckles, down the back of his hand, toward his wrists—and then it snapped back like a rubber band. Hunter was flung backward and nearly toppled the huge chair.
His eyes were wide. All I could see in them was pure confusion. He looked down at his own hands, then back at Miles.
“This person is closer than you think. There is some kind of block on you. I don’t know what it is, I’ve never sensed something like it before, but it prevented me from going any further. I couldn’t pull any threads.” He shook his head and appeared apologetic. “I’m sorry, but I do not think I can help you.”
My heart dropped. It’d been on a fucking rollercoaster ever since we got here.
And now it was all for nothing?
“How can he get rid of the block?” I asked. Whatever he’d have to do, I knew I’d help him with it.
“I do not know, I can’t even figure out what kind of block this is. My sense is that some sort of black magic is involved here. It could be what triggered my watcher vines.”
“Black magic…”
I knew very little of the forbidden school of magic. Most druids practiced life magic, and then there was black magic, which was what defilers practiced. If anyone was found to be using black magic—which typically involved sacrifices and blood rituals—then they’d be taken to the Hunters Guild and dealt with there.
The idea of a defiler having their sights set on Miles made my skin crawl.
“Let me do some research on this. Maybe I can find something that might help. It will take me some time, though. Until then, be wary. Don’t let too many people close to you. Black magic typically requires close contact to enact.”
I let out a breath I’d been holding for too long. “Thank you, Hunter.”
“Yes, thank you,” Miles said. “I’m sorry for the chaos earlier, but I do appreciate any help I can get.”
He pushed off the couch and stood. There were rips and tears in his shirt but none across his skin.
“Is there anything else?” Hunter asked looking between us as he got up.
“Uhh.” I opened my mouth before I was truly prepared to ask my question. In reality, there had been another reason I’d come along with Miles on this information-seeking mission. I had toyed with the idea of bringing up my cousin. Hunter would have absolutely no trouble finding Benji. I’d be able to reach out to him by the end of the day and finally see if I could rekindle one of the most important familial bonds in my life.
But what if my father poisoned the well even more since we’d stopped talking? What if Benji didn’t want to rekindle?
“What is it?” Hunter asked, looking intently at me with those unsettling blue eyes of his. Miles was also staring at me, his thick brows coming together.
“I, uh, what do you know about fated mates?”
Not exactly the question I’d been meaning to ask, but one that’d been on my mind a lot recently.
Hunter’s eyebrows rose for a moment before settling back down. He cocked his head. “I think they are the world’s way of making sure two souls never go wanting their other half. It is something that shifters have a very easy time picking up in each other but us humans—even the magically inclined druids—have a harder time differentiating. But we don’t need the world-pausing scent or the mind-melting touch sensations to know when we’re with our match. A lot of that is discerned through the butterflies people feel and the giddy emotions they get when speaking to someone.” His lips curled into a smile. “Anything else?”