Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 119694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
“This,” he says casually, “is what I use to get from the Human Realm back to the Shadow Realm. It’s easy going that way—like sliding downhill, as it were—takes hardly any effort at all.”
“Is it?” I ask, frowning.”
“Oh yes, my Lady—it’s going the other way that’s hard. That’s why Don Lucian had to shed his blood to make the portal—it’s like trying to climb up from inside a tunnel with slick sides when you’re going from the Shadow Realm to the Human world,” he tells me. “That’s because the Shadow Realm sits under the Human world—easy one way, near impossible the other. Except for a Realm-Hopper like me who has the right equipment.”
He flips the token again and then becomes distracted, folding the amazing bag that held so much. He tucks it carefully back into one of the many pockets in his coat muttering something about how he “Mustn’t loose his bag of holding.’’
When he gets everything the way he wants it, he looks at me and Hanna.
“Well, ladies—I’m off. I wish you both a happy and prosperous life.”
Then—pop—he’s gone.
Silence rushes in and Hanna and I stare at each other.
Mr. Mittens purrs loudly from the top of his new cat tree.
Neither of us speaks.
But my eyes drift to my coffee table and I see it lying there—the token Whistler was flipping in the air.
Did he leave it by accident? On purpose?
I suppose I’ll never know.
67
Jules
Hanna and I are still staring at each other when her phone goes off loudly.
“Oh crap—the hospital!” she exclaims and lunges for her scrubs—which are folded neatly on top of the pile Whistler left on my couch.
This makes me think of all the calls I’ve probably missed myself. I go in the bedroom and find my phone, where I left it before Whistler came to get me in the first place. For a wonder, I still have some battery left and—sure enough—I have tons of missed calls and texts.
Most of them are from my Book Club friends but a fair share of them are from work too. I scroll down and go through my voicemails. The last one is from Mr. Philbens, my supervisor. With a feeling of dread sitting like a brick in the pit of my stomach, I press the right buttons and bring the phone to my ear. What I get is an earful of Mr. Philbens telling me I’m fired if I don’t call back with an excellent excuse for my absence for the past few days.
Great…just great. I look at the time—it’s too late to call him now. And besides, what am I going to say?
“Sorry, I was kidnapped by a Vampire Mafia Don and taken to a whole other world for most of the week.”
Yeah—I don’t see Mr. Philbens going for that. I guess I’m out of a job.
Well…maybe I can sell some of the clothes that Lucian sent home with me. In the meantime, I’ll just have to deal, I think to myself.
Pushing that out of my mind, I scroll through the many messages from my Book Club. They start out normal—funny memes and texts and Sophia reminding me that it’s almost time for Mr. Mitten’s to come in to her Vet’s office for his check-up.
The texts get progressively more worried. I see texts from Hanna telling me she’s coming over, dated a few days ago. Then Lucia asking if the two of us are together because now Hanna isn’t answering her texts either. I see missed calls and texts from Tasha, begging me to call her back. And Yelena has decided it’s time to open a missing persons report about both of us. Naomi is so worried she’s practically crying asking what happened and where we went.
I look up from my phone and meet Hanna’s eyes.
“Okay, I’ll call Yelena, Tasha and Lucia,” I say. “You call Mari, Sophia and Naomi.”
“Got it.” She nods and we start calling.
The result is an emergency meeting of Book Club set for tonight—we’re all going to be meeting at Yelena’s place again. Nobody even talks about what snacks to bring—that’s how serious it is. Hanna and I promise to try and explain but honestly, I don’t know what we’ll say.
I just hope our friends will be understanding.
68
Jules
“So you’re saying you were kidnapped by a vampire king?” Tasha asks, her eyes wide, one hand frozen halfway to her wineglass.
“A Vampire Don,” I correct automatically. “Big difference.”
“Right—because it’s set up like a Mafia family?” Sophia asks, brows climbing toward her hairline.
“Families—plural,” I say. “There are six of them. The Vampires, the Shifters, the Dragons, the Demons, and the Fae.”
“And the Necromancers,” Hanna adds quietly.
Every head turns toward her. She’s gone pale again, the color draining from her freckled face.
“Okay, nope,” Lucia says flatly. “That one sounds fake. You added that to mess with us.”
“I wish,” Hanna says. She presses her fingers together in her lap. “I really, really wish.”