Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Did berserkers have more than one fated mate? How were Callen and Jamie related?
“Elle is a lovely name,” Gavina offered, hesitant but smiling.
She was the first person to use the nickname, and I appreciated her for it. “Has Mirren been living with you?”
“She has.” Gavina fidgeted with the hem of her dress. “I’ve enjoyed every moment. Well, almost every moment. The cryin’ episodes when Mr. Bird doesn’t show up…” She shuddered.
I’d dealt with many a crying episode in class. “Mr. Bird?”
She laughed and cringed simultaneously. “Any blue jay who visits our feeder.”
The cozy mystery lover in me put a couple of clues together. Gavina seemed to more than tolerate my company. She’d even defended me to the little girl. Which meant she’d never had the displeasure of meeting Isobel. There was a good chance she hadn’t heard any gossip either. That could mean Gavina was kept closeted away, cut off from the rest of the world.
Was she a berserker’s prisoner, same as me? Did she even know about berserkers? Did the child? For that matter, was Mirren a berserker?
“I live here in the city, a few streets over,” she continued, “so Callen comes by before and after work to eat snacks and dinner with us. He’s able to take her to and from school as well.”
Ah. Okay. No wonder he’d been absent from the castle so often. The question was, why did he ever eat breakfast at the castle at all? In hopes of bumping into his new wife?
Why did the thought intrigue me? “What grade is she in?”
The other woman double blinked, as if I’d said something I shouldn’t.
As Isobel, heck, as a stepmother, should I have known the answer? “Callen has shared so little with me,” I explained. An undeniable truth.
“Well. She attends the Academy, so there are no grades, only tracks. Mirren is advanced for her age. She shows an aptitude for the arts, so the bulk of her studies are focused in that direction.”
“Oh yes. The Academy.” A school for the offspring of immortals? “I love focus driven programs for children, encouraging their strengths and talents.” Had always wished to incorporate more of that into my curriculum. Alas. The school system resisted my efforts, focusing more on assessment-based education. “Did you and Sorcha attend the Academy?”
She hooked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Oh, yes. Though I admit I’m envious that your father had you schooled at home.”
Good tidbit. “You didn’t like the Academy?”
Gavina’s gaze darted. “I received a wonderful education, but I think someone with my experiences would’ve done better in a softer environment.”
So badly I wanted to probe. Should I? Getting personal and making a lifelong friend wasn’t my main objective here. “Were you taught by–you know?”
“You know?” she asked, clearly confused.
I had to actually say it out loud? Very well. Leaning toward her, I whispered, “Berserkers.”
Her brow wrinkled. “Bee workers?”
Help me. “Ber-ser-kers,” I said with more emphasis.
“Ohhh. Berserkers,” she echoed without moderating her volume. “You mean the sentinels.” She gazed at me, shy and sympathetic, looking as if she required a hug. “Many of the instructors were sentinels, yes.”
Sentinels, hmm? Kind of sounded like a sports team. “Have you ever seen one lose control?”
The color drained from her cheeks, and she shuddered. “Oh, yes. A gruesome sight I hope to never encounter again.”
Worse than what I could suddenly imagine? Men ripping each other apart with their bare hands. Blood spurting here and there. Gore everywhere. I waited for her to continue, but the woman who’d waxed poetic over peas clammed up.
“How often do sentinels erupt? What sets them off?” Slow down. “I mean, you might know something I don’t.”
“Oh. Well. They usually only erupt, as you call it, when anythin’ they consider theirs is threatened. That’s why times of war are so dangerous.”
Did I dare ask more questions? How far could I push this before someone suspected soul switching? Would anyone suspect soul-switching? How common was the practice, considering the harshness of the consequences?
“I see,” I said, nodding. “Tell me more about you. I’m fascinated.”
A morose exhalation seeped from her. “The women in my mother’s clan are raised so different from those of Clan Bruce. But donna worry,” she rushed to assure me. “With Mirren, I’m adhering strictly to Callen’s customs.”
“That’s, um, good to know.” What customs? How many clans were there? And how did they vary? “I’m sure you’re doing an amazing job with Mirren.”
“I love having her.” Gavina pressed a hand over her heart, so graceful. “She’s a bright light of my life. Being with her helps me feel close to my sister again.”
“That’s wonderful.” A moment of communion passed between us, and oh, how I’d missed this. The love and support of family and friends. “How’s Mirren doing in school?”
“Struggling, honestly,” Gavina said, whispering now. Concern dripped from each word. “She has trouble with reading. Nothing I’ve done has helped.”