Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 125083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Her inner monster eyed him but didn’t move. Not quite hiding from him, but wanting to watch him without being sensed … like a tiger might observe its prey from the underbrush.
“The Bloodrose Priestess, as you requested,” said Maxim.
She felt her eyelid twitch. “Really, Wynter is fine.”
Cain nodded at him. “Thank you, Maxim.”
The aide left the way he’d come, and then she and the Ancient were alone. Apart from the many serpents nearby, that was.
“This place is amazing,” she said.
Cain tilted his head. “Most don’t use the word ‘amazing’ when they describe my garden.”
“Then they’re not really seeing it.” They were probably too distracted by the obvious danger, because many of the snakes here were highly venomous.
He hummed. “How are you liking Devil’s Cradle so far?”
“It has exceeded my expectations.”
He stared at her intently and … Gah, she didn’t like it. Nor did she like the way her skin heated or her hormones were playing fucking hopscotch. Not much rattled Wynter, but this chemistry spooked the shit out of her. It made her feel vulnerable and off-balance.
He sort of … uncurled as he stood, sensuous as the snakes surrounding him, and prowled toward her. She cursed her pulse for quickening, for responding to all that latent strength and contained power. She felt both threatened and turned on at the same time. So much sexual tension thickened the air she was surprised it didn’t hurt to breathe it in.
His nostrils flared as he stood before her. “I like the smell of your magick. Jasmine and black pepper. It hums with chaos. So much potential for destruction.” His gaze flitted over her face, broody and far too perceptive. “You like the taste of all that darkness, don’t you?”
To be truthful, yes, she did. She liked what she could do. She liked how easily she could do it.
“Would you remove death’s mark from your magick if you could?”
She licked the inside of her lower lip. “Anyone would if they could, right?”
His mouth hitched up. “Such an evasive answer. You’re rather fond of giving those.” He paused. “So, you threatened to hex Grouch’s shop?”
Blinking, she almost drew back. “I didn’t threaten him in any way. He accused me of meaning to hex his shop.”
“Hmm, not according to him.”
“He’s really saying that?”
“To all who’ll stand still long enough to listen,” Cain confirmed.
“Knowing it would eventually get back to you, and that you’d summon me to deal with it, right?” Motherfucker.
She was not getting punished for something she didn’t do. But that might well happen, and she might have to grin and bear it, because she couldn’t leave this place yet. The problem was … she didn’t believe the entity inside her would stand for that shit.
Really, she wasn’t so sure that she’d successfully manage it either. It wasn’t in her nature to stand down, admit defeat, or allow herself to be intimidated—hence why she again held his gaze steadily.
“Ah, there’s that hunter stare again,” he said, an almost imperceptible note of amusement in his tone. Like she was a puppy barking at a Rottweiler stupidly thinking she stood a chance against it.
“The what stare?”
He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. It wasn’t a flirtatious move—she sensed that right off. No, there was a challenging glint in his eyes. He was testing her, pushing her, trying to make her uncomfortable.
“When we last spoke, you watched me with the stare of a hunter,” he said. “You saw the level of danger in front of you, but you remained calm. Collected. At ease. You’re doing it again now. And like last time, you’re also ready to lunge at a moment’s notice. Even knowing that I’m far more powerful than you, you’d still strike first if you thought I meant you harm, wouldn’t you?”
“I have no idea why that makes you smile.” And damn if that smile didn’t make her best parts tingle.
“You won’t need to act in your own defense today, little witch. You said you didn’t threaten Grouch. I believe you. After all, you wouldn’t lie to me, would you?” His gaze dipped to her mouth, which promptly dried up.
Why yes, yes, she would lie to him if it was necessary. But she couldn’t admit that, so she gave him a different truth that sort of answered his question. “I own my shit. If I had made any such threat, I wouldn’t have denied it.”
“No?”
“No.”
Cain studied the witch’s face, caught the glimmer of secrets in her eyes. “Hmm, I’m not sure I believe that.” Oh, she might very well be a person who would confess to and take responsibility for her actions, but he didn’t doubt for a moment that she’d bullshit him if she felt the situation warranted it. She was fearless enough to take that risk—he knew that from the glimpse he’d gotten of the core of her being.