Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“She looks so young,” I murmur.
“She is thirty to your thirty and one. Only a year younger than you in our time.”
“I want to leave this place,” I say, turning my back.
Yanique places a hand on my shoulder and gives a gentle squeeze. “Sister, remember what we are here for,” she says softly.
I try to fight back the tears. “He has found his true mate. I am nothing more than a distant memory. I don’t want to see this.”
She turns me to face her and cups my face in her hands as she places her forehead to mine. I’ve done this a million times when she was still very young and frustrated with her training. In this moment, it goes a long way to comfort me as it reminds me of our mother, who did the same for me.
“Whether you want to see this or not is not the reason we are here. You know what we came to do. We must focus on this,” she says.
The tears begin to fall and anger me. I hate crying. There’s never time for tears.
“I don’t know if I can do this. This is my child. That is my love, he is mine.”
She swipes at my tears with her thumbs. “Not anymore. I told you that spell had repercussions. Give me your hands. We must let our sisters know we are ready.”
Quick Thinking
The amulet took me to the village just as the fires were set. It was enough to strike fear in my heart. Those fires could have easily gotten out of control.
Those soldiers were under the bishop’s orders. If he could so thoughtlessly place a village in danger, he would have no problem harming my son to get what he wants. Ben is only ten years old. He’s innocent in all of this.
As true fear and the severity of the situation set in, I followed after the sisters. That was not an easy task. I thought I had taken an arrow through the heart until I realized the amulet shields me from attacks. The arrow passed right through me without doing any harm.
I wasn’t expecting them to enter that cave late last night. It gives off a warning vibe as if no one should trespass or enter without invitation. I haven’t entered. I’ve been watching.
“He will come,” I mutter to myself.
All I need is patience and he will arrive. I am sure of it. His lover is the key to finding the others.
Exhaustion tries to take over as my lids become heavy. I take a seat by a tree and lean back against it. My mind goes to my family. Just a week ago, I had a beautiful wife and three children. Now my wife and one of my daughters are gone and a deranged man has taken my son.
I am left to feel helpless and angry. When this is over, it might be time to move away. I don’t know if I can remain anywhere near the kingdom of Nar.
The ground shakes, waking me. I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep. Looking around for the source of the quaking, my gaze lands on a black horse. My eyes widen as I see the horse’s wings.
I close my eyes and shake my head to clear it. When I look again, there are no wings. Just a huge black horse.
“I think I am losing my mind,” I mutter.
When I take note of the rider, I jump to my feet. Reaching for the amulet, I rub it. Nothing happens.
I start to sweat. I know we will find the others here. All I need to do is get the bishop here. However, I don’t know how to use this thing.
I barely figured out how to travel with it. I frown and rub a little harder. Still, nothing happens.
Lifting it to my mouth, I blow on it and then rub it again. Still nothing. Muttering to myself, I rush toward the cave where the superbeing just disappeared.
My knees are weak. What if this thing has stopped working and he sees me? He is sure to kill me.
I swallow down the lump in my throat and keep pushing forward as I think of my son. It is a struggle to keep up with him. As I rush behind him, I continue to try to work the amulet to call the bishop here.
No matter what I do, nothing happens. I get the feeling I’m racing to my death. Suddenly, the superbeing stops up ahead.
I drop the amulet and allow it to fall back against my chest. It begins to glow with a green light. It feels warm against me.
The superbeing releases a roar that shakes everything around me. I cower where I stand, covering my head as I sit frozen.
“Will you get up? This is pathetic,” that same cold voice I’m beginning to loathe says.