Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 192(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 192(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
“You chose this special, even in a rush.”
“I did,” he agreed. “Plus, I like seeing you in my clothes.”
Socks being last, I then rushed over to him as something slammed against the front door, startling me. “Your girlfriend wants in.”
“Oh, you’re funny,” he grumbled, hugging me.
“I want you to know that I didn’t voluntarily leave the spot where you told me to stay.”
“I was worried you were following me in when Argos showed up at my side, but then when I didn’t see you, I got scared.”
“I’m sure you were even more concerned when Constance explained what happened.”
“Not concerned, terrified. And I was, yes.”
The wolves rammed the door, clawed at the window, and tried using their teeth on the frame to no avail.
“Her wolves are terrifying,” I said, gazing out the window and seeing one of them on the porch, close, staring into the cottage with murderous intent. It made me shiver despite knowing it couldn’t get in.
“Those are not wolves. They look more like hyenas or something like that, but they’re misshapen, which is even creepier,” he said, sounding almost angry. “And how the hell are they on the porch? I thought that wasn’t possible anymore.”
“I suspect that with the cottage only newly restored, it’s still locking its protections back in place. I mean, think about it—everything was moved.”
“And Corvus is still broken.”
“There is that,” I said, my voice wobbling.
“What’s wrong, other than the obvious?”
“For some reason, I keep imagining you waking up here, in this altered time, all alone without me. I know what it was like for me. I was so scared.”
“I woke up outside,” he told me, taking my hand and walking to the window that another creature had just left. “You did too, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“It was strange to be in the snow, and I would have been freaked out, and still was a bit, not gonna lie, but then there was a fox and—”
“A fox?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“There was a fox with me as well.”
“So your goddess was looking out for me, you think?”
“I do. She said you helped one of hers. What exactly happened?”
He explained about the vixen and her kits—she was running, but the little ones couldn’t follow fast enough, so he scooped up all three of the pups and followed her through the snow until they reached the cemetery. “I know it’s weird, but seeing all the familiar headstones was somehow really comforting.”
“Yes,” I said softly, understanding the feeling.
“Knowing that the rift is still there, can’t be moved, can’t be erased, and the same with the graves, it… It’s like a connection, right? Even with what he’s done, the plants and animals he’s killed, the innocent people’s lives that he’s impacted, he can’t erase everything. There’s history that’s not conforming because it can’t. It’s not possible. Like our wedding rings,” he said, holding up his hand. “Through everything, there they are.”
“That’s all so important, and it’s good to be reminded. You’re a very smart man.”
He waggled his brows. “I tell you that all the time.”
But he didn’t, instead letting his actions speak for him most of the time. When he did give voice to his words; they were always helpful.
Suddenly I could barely breathe, and the lump in my throat made it impossible to converse.
“Like I told you before, I knew you were alive,” he rumbled, his voice ragged and low. “I could feel it in my chest, and now, no matter what Giles wants, between me and you, we’ll save our land. I mean, c’mon, we’ve already got our home back.”
“You’re brilliant,” I let him know. “I need you to come outside with me, but you’ll need your rifle with the iron bullets.”
“You think the iron will kill her conjured creatures?”
“I certainly hope so, but even if they don’t die, you’ll slow them down.”
“And Giles?”
“He’ll have to deal with me and the land.”
“But the land’s broken.”
“It’s more that it’s lost, I think…so I need to do that reminding you were talking about.”
“Now? In winter? Do you think you can?”
“There’s no choice,” I assured him. “I’m the guardian. If I don’t try, there’s no one else.”
He nodded.
“Will you help me?”
The squint, like I was nuts, was better and more comforting than any words.
TEN
The second I walked out of the greenhouse, Ilara crossed from where she was, on the side of the cottage, near the snow-covered hydrangea bushes, and stood there staring at me. It was like a nightmare come to life, her wolves gathered around her in the deep snow. It was hard to turn away—it seemed insane not to have eyes on her—but I had no choice. I needed to commune with the land.
Putting my faith in Lorne to keep me safe, I trudged through the snow toward the now frozen stream. I used the elemental magic that was always mine to call upon, and between the wind and a bit of fire—the ground was rock hard now with frozen snow—I cleared a place to sink down into.