Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Mind whirling, Neeka blew her reflection a kiss and entered the spray of water. Though she meant to get in and out, the wet heat felt too amazing to ditch. As she scrubbed from top to bottom—thrice!—her bad mood evaporated, clarity whooshing to the rescue.
What was she doing, pouting? Had he broken her brain with his kiss before putting her life in danger? Yes. But she’d expected too much too fast from him. Of course Rathbone had chosen Lore. The goddess had spent more than a year with him, Neeka only days. And, really, she’d only just begun her seduction.
Conquests of any kind required extended time and repeated effort, especially when your skills were as rusty as hers.
Would she punish him for his stupidity? Absolutely. Plus interest. As any sane harpy would. But she also understood. And he had aided her recovery, despite her earlier refusal to admit it. He’d tried, anyway. He’d entered her bedroom anytime the healer had and stayed until she’d fallen into a drugged stupor. Those visits had been her favorite. He’d always traced his fingertips over her brow before he’d left. That was just as ground-breaking as the kiss. If not more so!
Spirits lighter, she lumbered from the enclosure. After toweling off, she entered the closet and picked through the garments she’d pilfered and stocked day one in the palace.
Today she required the perfect outfit for reupping a seduction. Maybe a halter top and jeans?
A scowling Taliyah appeared in front of her as she finished dressing. “You’ve got some serious explaining to do, young lady.”
The sight of her friend caught her off guard. Gasping, wings flapping, she took a step toward the General. Well, the General’s spirit, anyway, judging by the transparency of her form. Chains bound her wrists. Wait. The war! Neeka stilled.
“Are you role playing with Roc again?” she asked, feigning nonchalance. Please don’t hate me.
Taliyah’s pupils pulsed, expanding and contracting like a heartbeat. “Your new best friend has a mystical barricade around his kingdom not even the Astra can bypass—yet.”
New best friend? Ha! “But you did it because you’re stronger than them. Congrats! He’s not my friend, best or otherwise, by the way. He’s my current employer.” And target.
Pulling unsuccessfully at the cuffs, her friend snarled, “Then you had better quit and hire on with me. The Astra are ready to take your head, and honestly, I’m not sure how much longer I can hold them off.”
So, so badly Neeka wanted to share what she knew. This amazing woman had fought by her side for centuries, guarding her back, acting as her ears, too stubborn to buy into a cursed moniker. The mighty Taliyah had loved and supported her through thick and thin. But. In this case, sharing wasn’t caring. Neeka’s instinct hadn’t altered. Now wasn’t the juncture to spill; she’d do more harm than good. Besides, to succeed in her quest, she needed Rathbone’s trust. The barest hint of betrayal could cost everyone everything.
She forced herself to shrug, even as the deepest parts of her cried, Trust me. “Well, keep at it and I’ll consider thinking about giving you a cut of my earnings.”
As Taliyah sputtered, an alert pinged in Neeka. She sensed the arrival of another intruder but...no one appeared. Wait. She’d never noticed the owl figurine on the shelf.
Like the stuffed teddy bear she’d thrown into the fire, it seemed to peer straight into her soul. Another hidden camera? Or was she missing something? In any case, this proved she must remain in character. Aka a greedy wench devoted to a payday. Even if she lost her only friend. Here and now, there was no way to comfort the other woman. To aid the Astra meant allowing Lore to be resurrected, and that Neeka couldn’t do.
She swallowed the lump growing in her throat. Maybe this was the real curse of her moniker. Tasting friendship and losing it.
“What is he paying you?” Taliyah demanded.
“He offered double, but after our most recent adventure, I’m not settling for anything less than triple.”
“Triple of what?” her friend said, pushing the question past clenched teeth. “Because I’ll triple that.”
“Sorry, Tal, but I prefer being on the winning team.” Her own.
Uh, had the porcelain owl just expanded its chest?
“Have you forgotten what’s at stake?” Taliyah prowled two steps closer. “If a single Astra loses a blessing task, all Astra are cursed. Harpykind will share their fate!”
“Not true. The Astra will be cursed to lose every battle, yes, but harpies won’t. We can act as their protectors and fight their battles for them.” That would mean going head-to-head with Erebus, who would ascend, gaining more power, but so what? They’d overcome worse odds.
Yeah, she was digging this idea more and more.
“Tell me what you’ve seen of our future, at least,” Taliyah demanded.
This, Neeka could do. In part. With a heaviness of heart she didn’t even try to hide, she said, “Death. Lots and lots of death.”