Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
“I feel better,” I chuckle.
I glance over the group until my eyes land on Lydia, who doesn’t seem as terrified anymore where she’s sitting beside Sarah.
“Did they explain everything to you?” I ask Lydia.
She nods, then lets out a nervous chuckle. “I’m still wrapping my mind around everything. It’s all a little overwhelming, and if I didn’t see you appear out of thin air, I wouldn’t believe any of it.”
My attention is pulled away from Lydia when Riccardo steps closer to me. With remorse tightening his features, he says, “I didn’t mean to shoot you. I’m so sorry.”
I shrug and offer him a smile. “I’m okay. How are you holding up?”
“Confused as fuck, but I’m hanging in there,” he answers honestly with a thick Italian accent.
I glance at the group again, then say, “I just need to get two more chosen ones then we can return to Vaalbara.”
“I was thinking everyone can stay here while you collect the last two instead of me shimmering everyone all over the world. I’ll be able to move faster, and it won’t tire me out as much,” Ares says from where he’s sitting on the floor near the sliding doors with his forearms resting on his knees.
“I don’t like the idea of the group separating,” Griffith mutters.
“It might be better for everyone to stay here instead of taking them into a disaster scene,” Finian says, surprising me because he’s been quiet since his father joined us.
I look at my late father’s guardian. “Griffith, you, Brenna, and Finian can guard the chosen ones and get to Vaalbara via the waterfall if all hell breaks loose while Ares, Raighne, and I search for the final two.”
“As much as I hate the idea of splitting the group, Alchera’s right,” Raighne says from beside me. “But we can talk about this after she’s had some sleep.”
He takes hold of my hand, and considering the conversation done with, he pulls me down the hallway and into the bedroom.
I wait for Raighne to lie down before I make myself comfortable, lying half on top of him. Burying my face in the crook of his neck, I take a deep breath of his scent while my eyes drift shut.
He brushes his hand up and down my back, and within minutes, a deep breath escapes me as I drift off to sleep.
Chapter 31
Alchera
It feels like I’ve barely closed my eyes when I startle awake, my body jerking.
It’s only for a split second, then my vision blurs.
A thick smoke engulfs me, and I instantly start coughing. My eyes sting as I glance around me, taking in the burning trees and orange light glowing around me.
Jesus, have I stepped into an inferno?
I cover my mouth with my hands and blink like crazy, tears streaking down my cheeks while I struggle to make sense of where I am.
I hear people shout, and my head snaps in their direction. I watch as a group hurries to push boats into a wide river.
“Silvana, come!” a woman shouts.
“I’m not leaving my research behind.”
I look at the woman called Silvana, who’s rushing between a desk and a cabinet in a large tent.
It feels as if I glide toward Silvana, where she’s shoving a laptop and hard drives into a bag.
“Your research is worth nothing if you die out here,” the other woman screams. “We have to go.”
“I’m right behind you,” Silvana shouts, but then there’s a loud crack, and a burning tree falls at the entrance of the tent, setting the fabric on fire.
I snap out of it, and before I know what I’m doing, I dart off the bed and yank the door open.
“Ares!” I call out as I run down the hallway.
Before I can make it past the bathroom, I slam into a wall of muscle as Ares appears out of thin air and catches me by my shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
A second later, Raighne’s arm wraps around my middle, and I’m tugged back against his chest.
“I had a vision. She’s in danger,” I say, grabbing hold of Ares’ forearm. “Take me to her.”
His eyes lock with mine, and I feel his breeze sweep through my mind before we shimmer away in the blink of an eye.
When we appear in the tent, Silvana is lying on the ground with smoke billowing all around us and flames devouring the fabric of the tent and furniture.
I pull free from Raighne, and crouching beside my chosen one, I lift her head to my chest while trying to see if she’s still breathing.
I can barely take a breath myself, the heat quickly making my clothes stick to my skin.
“We don’t have time,” Raighne says while coughing as he places a hand on my shoulder.
Ares moves closer, and with a hand on Raighne and me, he shimmers us back to Ireland.
When we appear in the living room, some of the chosen ones startle. I struggle to get a breath of fresh air past the burning in my throat and croak, “Lydia, check…on Silvana. I don’t know…if she’s breathing.”