Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Now that I’m in my body, I can feel the dark energy more. No wonder that kid got creeped out. “This is a disaster waiting to happen.”
“I will not argue with you on that.” Easton shakes his head. “You know where the thing is?”
“I do.” I wave my hand, signaling him to come with me. “Shit, wrong aisle,” I say, realizing I went one too far. We pass by that ugly ring with the green gemstone and then go down the right aisle. “I feel like I need to replace this with a bag of sand,” I say, stopping as I reach for the scarab stone.
“Okay, Indiana Jones,” Easton quips and picks up the stone. We both wait a beat, but when nothing happens, he hands it to me and I shove it in my purse. “Let’s get out of here.” We speed through the warehouse, Easton enters the code to re-lock the door and we emerge back into the night, shutting the door behind us.
“Holy fuck, you pulled it off,” Easton says, looking at me with a smile on his face. “I’ll be honest and say I didn’t think we’d—”
He cuts off when the metal gate squeaks open. “Hey!” one of the Order members shouts. “What are you doing here?”
Chapter
Thirteen
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
“Hey,” Easton says, holding out his hands. The older of the two boys is holding a gun, and it’s pointed right at us. “Thank god you’re here.” His face goes slack, and he widens his eyes, trying to look scared. “This is going to sound crazy, but we saw a shadow come out of the building and then heard screams.” His eyes go to Binx and suddenly I know exactly what he’s thinking.
I loop my arm through Easton’s and do my best to play damsel in distress. It’s not a role I’m used to playing, thankfully. “Is it going to come back?”
Binx slinks off into the overgrown flower bed and then shadows forward, moving right in front of us. I do my best to scream, but it comes out fake and strangled and definitely wouldn’t get me a role in a horror movie.
“Let’s get out of here,” Easton yells and pulls me forward. The two young Order members go on the defense, both raising weapons and whirling around, trying to find the supposed monster. Easton and I keep running until we’ve crossed the street and gone down a block.
“Okay, I have to admit that was kinda fun,” Easton says with a laugh, pulling his truck keys from his pocket. “I’ll take any chance I get to best the fucking Order of the Mystic Realm.”
“Right?” I shake my head. “There is way too much darkness going on inside that building.”
“You’re telling me.” He fires up the engine and looks around. “Do we need to wait for your cat?”
“Nah. He’ll meet me back at the house.”
“He’ll be okay, right? I mean, they can’t catch him?”
“You can’t hurt a familiar with weapons. You need magic.” I press a smile. “It’s kinda cute to know you worry about Binx.”
“I’m not worried. I’m curious.”
“Well, either way, I can sense him and he’s having fun.”
Easton starts down the street and I pull the scarab out of my purse. It doesn’t feel cursed. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like anything at all other than a rock.
“If that thing is cursed, should you be holding it like that?” Easton eyes it for half a second before looking back at the road.
“If it was actually cursed, no. But this…it’s not cursed.”
“Didn’t it bring bad luck, like really fucking bad luck, to those who possessed it before?”
“Yeah, but the thing about curses is they can be tailored. Like the warding around my house. It doesn’t prevent people from coming to my door. It only prevents those with the intention of harming me from coming to the door. It was a complicated spell to cast, but curses can be worked the same way.”
“So, you’re saying you’re special and won’t get cursed?”
“No, not special. I just know the actual purpose of this thing and fully believe in it.” I hold up the stone. “This is a one-way phone call to the Underworld. Believing in its power is a sign of respect. At least I’m hoping so.”
“You’re not sure?” he asks incredulously, looking at me again.
“Hey, forgive me for not dealing with cursed artifacts that belong in museums, okay? I’m winging it here and just trying to keep it together.”
A few seconds of silence tick by. “You’re doing a good job,” Easton finally says, his words sounding forced.
“Thanks. It certainly doesn’t feel like it.” I close my eyes and inhale, giving myself a few seconds to gather and then keep my composure. “It feels like I’m wasting time and I’m running out of options.”
“You’re holding an option now,” he says and leaves it at that. Neither of us want to get into again, and he knows I’m going to do whatever it takes to save Lucas. “How long before they notice this is gone?” I ask after a few more minutes of silence.