Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 109294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
I listened to everything she said.
“She’s different… I’m different.”
I watched the flames light up her skin and give her a dreamlike glow. “There’s something I need to tell you.” It had left my mind because it didn’t seem important at the time. I’d told her she was free, but she’d said she would rather be a prisoner with me. The news had faded into the background, but now I had to tell her.
She turned to look at me, her eyes now sharp and absorbed.
“Fender asked Melanie to marry him. Her answer was yes, but only if he released you.”
Her eyes instantly hardened into a look of anger.
“She also asked him to stop running the camp in the way he does in exchange for her answer, but he said no. He would only let you go.”
She shook her head slightly, her reaction so subtle but her distress so obvious. “I don’t want my freedom, so she doesn’t have to marry him.”
I suspected that wouldn’t change anything.
“I need to see her.”
“Fender’s at the camp.”
“Even better.”
I wasn’t sure how Fender would feel about Raven and Melanie spending time together in his absence, but if he really intended to marry Melanie and have Raven be free, then he must know that the situation was unavoidable.
“Magnus, please.”
I nodded. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”
I spoke to him over the satellite phone.
“What?” Fender knew I wouldn’t call unless it was an urgent matter.
It wasn’t urgent, which would probably piss him off. “Raven wants to see her sister.”
He was silent.
“I already know how you feel about Raven, but that is something you’re going to have to disregard. If you want to spend your life with Melanie, Raven is going to be a piece of that. Fight it, and you’ll make your wife unhappy. So, I’m going to take Raven over there to spend time with her sister. I’m not really asking, just telling.”
He was quiet for a long time, processing all the different things he could say in response. When none of those answers were good enough, he decided to hang up instead.
I put the phone down.
Raven looked at me, searching my expression. “What did he say?”
“It’s fine.”
We pulled up to Fender’s estate and headed to the door. Gilbert greeted us and invited us inside. Fender must have informed the staff that our visit was permitted because there was no resistance at any of the checkpoints. “May I get you something to drink?” His English was getting much better, probably because that was how he had to converse with Melanie.
“Wine is fine,” I said. “Whatever you have open.”
Gilbert nodded. “I’ll let Mademoiselle know you’re here.” He headed upstairs to the second floor.
I moved farther into the house and entered the sitting room. The energy of the house was different when Fender wasn’t around. A lot calmer, more peaceful. When I looked outside, I saw the gardeners attending to the massive acres of perfectly sculpted landscape, trimming the bushes, watering the flowers, continuing to make it look like a picture in a storybook.
Raven sat across from me, wearing a pink dress, with her brown hair over her shoulder. She sat upright with perfect posture, but she fidgeted like she was nervous, afraid of the conversation she was about to have.
Melanie came downstairs moments later, her eyes on her sister, her affection knowing no bounds. She sat on the couch beside Raven then wrapped her arms around her.
Raven held her sister with the same depth of emotion, squeezing her tight.
The embrace continued for minutes.
Melanie pulled away and looked at her sister like she couldn’t believe she was there. “You look good.”
“But never as good as you.” Raven gave her a slight smile showing she wasn’t being disingenuous.
Melanie turned to me. “Could you give us privacy, please?”
I rose to excuse myself.
“He’s fine. I’m just gonna tell him everything we’re about to say anyway.”
Melanie stared at her sister.
I lowered myself back to the couch.
Melanie didn’t argue with her sister, but she did look surprised.
Gilbert came in a moment later and placed the glasses of wine on the coffee table. He also brought a cheeseboard with a sliced baguette for us to enjoy. He silently excused himself and left.
“Magnus told me that you agreed to marry Fender in exchange for my freedom.” Whenever Raven talked to her sister, she had a different tone, a note of authority. Instead of being sisters, it was more like mother-daughter. Raven always filled the role of caretaker without thinking twice about it. “I really appreciate that, I do.”
Melanie dropped her gaze and stared at her hands in her lap. “I tried to get him to free the girls, but he wouldn’t. At least he gave me you.”
Raven gave a slight nod. “I’m glad you tried. But I suspect his mind is so corroded and he doesn’t understand how terrible he really is. He’s lost all humanity…”