Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“Does the forest have magical properties?”
The mage had the perfect tone, curious and interested. He’d already established his interest in plants. It would stand to reason that he would ask questions about the forest.
“To me it does. I love plants and spend a great deal of time transplanting anything medicinal and finding out as much as I can about them. I’ve brought quite a collection here, as did others before me. Some plants are very poisonous, and I want to be able to ensure the children don’t go near them.”
For some reason, her answer seemed to irritate Drakos. The mage waved one hand in the air toward Silke in an animated gesture, at the same time exhaling outward, sending tiny invisible hooks, hundreds of them, through his mouth as he exhaled. His hand pushed the hooks toward her even as the fingers of his other hand tapped out a dark spell.
It was easy enough for Benedek to see the hooks. He was invisible, and anything in that realm was like glaring lights to him. Unfortunately, at the moment he was molecules, easy for the hooks to pass through to get to his woman. He took a chance by pushing air around her, erecting a barrier the mage would be unable to see.
He’s trying to entrap you. I’ve surrounded you with an air barrier he can’t get through, but he felt the disturbance.
The mage was looking carefully around him and then his suspicious gaze jumped to Silke. “You want to tell me the truth about your adoptive mother. Is she a slayer?”
“No, she’s not. She’s a healer. Most likely a witte wieven. In case you are unfamiliar with that term, she is considered a wise woman walking among us. To me, she is my mother and an infinite source of education on plants and healing. The villagers revere her, and most won’t speak of her to outsiders. I’m certain you and Castello have already run into their silence.”
Benedek noted she slid the backpack open and it now lay on the side of her chair at her fingertips. She would not have disclosed any information to the mage unless she planned to attack him.
Drakos didn’t notice the change in Silke or the position of her backpack. Triumph slipped into the coolness of his eyes. He believed his hooks had found her and she was answering his questions because she was under his spell. Benedek could feel the power in the mage, yet he was so used to having an easy time because he dealt mainly with humans, he didn’t see that Silke was a threat to him. Even after he’d felt the disturbance in the air when Benedek had used a Carpathian gift, the mage, although suspicious for a moment, dismissed the warning.
Castello, the demon, was also used to dealing with humans. He had never encountered shields in humans preventing him from recruiting or getting the answers he wanted. Both men had been in the world of humans for so long that they’d grown complacent.
Do not attack him without giving me the word that you are going to. I’m between you.
I know exactly where you are.
He had to smile at her snippy tone. His woman didn’t like it when he underestimated her.
“Invite me into your home to meet your mother.”
Silke raised her eyebrow. “What part of ‘her immune system is too fragile to be around outsiders’ didn’t you understand? You seem to be an intelligent man.”
Her tone was mild. Her statement was not. The mage’s eyes flickered with rage. “What part of ‘I’m trying to save that woman from Castello’ did you not understand?”
“Is there some reason you think I’m an idiot?” Silke asked. “You aren’t here to help my mother or any of the villagers. You’re not an investigator trying to stop a cult leader, either. You’re playing both sides of the field, working with Lilith for your own gain and with Castello to see what information he can get for you.”
Drakos didn’t seem to comprehend what that soothing, mild tone said to him for a moment, and then he leapt to his feet, taking two steps out away from the chairs so he was facing Silke directly. She had mirrored his response by rising exactly when he did, but her steps took her to the side and facing him, giving Benedek a direct, unimpeded line to the mage. She had the container of sacred water in one hand, and when the mage raised both hands, she flung the entire contents over him.
Benedek stepped into him, slamming his fist into the mage’s chest as smoke rose from a hundred holes piercing Drakos’ body. At the same time, Silke took advantage of Drakos’ shock and pain, racing around behind him, her small crystal sword elongating, becoming a cold iron blade dripping with sacred water. No demon, mage or vampire from the underworld could withstand sacred water. Drakos was no exception. She swung the sword at his neck as Benedek extracted the heart. Neither gave the mage a chance to recover from the shock of the water piercing his body.