Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Just until I could breathe.
But the longer I walked, the more tired I became, and soon, everything turned black.
When I awoke, the sun was setting over the treetops. I had no memory of how I had gotten to the forest or where the blanket on top of me had come from. My head was throbbing, which was slightly better than the pain in my stomach, only slightly.
“Ugh.” I groaned, wrapping the blanket around myself tighter and trying to get comfortable against the tree. Part of me figured this was a dream, so I’d just stay still until I was better. But a larger part of me felt this was real, and I didn’t feel well enough to be freaked out yet.
A witch taking a nap in the forest? I mean, there were weirder things.
Only when I felt his eyes on me did I sit up, forcing my eyes to open as I scanned the trees around me. But again, I didn’t see him.
I wanted to see him.
He was here.
Why didn’t he just come out?
“Can we not do this right now?” I called out, still searching, with the deepest pout on my lips—still nothing. Pushing the covers off me, I snapped my fingers. “Hey! I know you are here, so stop ignoring me! Please come out!”
Again nothing.
Now I was mad.
Huffing, I pushed my hair back as best I could and rolled up my sleeves. “You know I tagged you when I was a kid, right? I still remember the spell. Fun fact—you’re the only one I ever wrote a spell for. I don’t need spells. I was taught spells, but I don’t need them because I’m boundless. Apparently, that makes me so super, super special. So special they are trying to make me into a goddess. Me. A goddess. Do you believe it?” I asked, rubbing my eyes and trying to get my head together, but it was useless. My headache was making the world spin. So I leaned back against the tree. “What do goddesses do anyway?”
There was a long silence, and I exhaled dramatically. “I don’t want to be a goddess. Why aren’t you coming out? I don’t want to use magic. Besides, I think I might be magic drunk. Have you heard of it? It sucks. It’s like I’m hungover and drunk at the same time. Do vampires get drunk off blood? And what happens if you drink too much blood? Can you drink too much blood?”
Silence.
But I could still feel his eyes on me.
“Why do you stalk me, Mr. Vampire?” I asked, balancing a hand against the tree as I got up. “What do you want?”
Silence.
“Fine, if you won’t talk or show yourself, I’m going to go. I shouldn’t be out alone when I am like this. Thank you for the blanket,” I replied, folding the blanket a little bit sloppily and leaving it at the base of the tree.
I must have used too much magic. This new ability to freeze time had a major kickback. I wouldn’t be strong enough to defend myself out here alone in this state. I could barely see in front of me clearly. I had to brace myself from tree to tree, walking slowly, breathing in and out to stay aware of my surroundings. Then I felt a vampire and not my stalker.
Shit.
Fight?
Run?
I didn’t have the energy for any fights. I glanced around, looking for a place to hide physically, my heart starting to race as I felt the presence moving closer and closer.
I brought my hands forward and inhaled through my nose, smelling the magic coming off my hands. I could probably get one good shot off.
And just before I was sure the vampire would break through the trees, a blur of black appeared in front of the arrow of fire I was creating. I stared at the chest in front of me for a moment before I glanced up from his torso to his neck, then chin, then his nose, until I was looking into his gray eyes. Like all vampires, he was beautiful. His hair dark, his face white and without a single flaw. He muttered something so fast under his breath that, had I not been staring directly at him, I wouldn’t have ever thought he spoke. After he did, I noticed the vampire who had been coming this way was moving away.
Slowly, my hands and the flames building in them went down.
“Who are you?” I asked and stepped closer to him. “What is your name?”
“If I tell you, will you put me to rest as you have done others of my kind?” he asked, his voice deep, soothing, and low.
Would I put him to rest? It took me a second to realize what he was talking about. Whenever I encountered a vampire on my hunt, I always asked their name before telling them to rest now and destroying them.