Land of Monsters (Savage Lands #8)

Chapter 8

My nerves crackled, the tension around me like an electrical fence. Swirling the ?uic? in my cup, I kept myself tucked in a dark corner of the bar, my attention prowling the room like a hunting lion. The night brought in a steady stream of customers, already starting off the year with the same vices and sins.

Not even a month and a half ago, I would have been right there with them, blowing my mind out on fairy dust, alcohol, and sex. None of those seemed important to me anymore.

Two scantily dressed prostitutes had entertained the idea I might be up for it again, slinking up to me, trying to sit in my lap. My skin crawled at their touch. Within thirty seconds, they had their tails between their legs, running for safety.

I didn’t even recognize myself.

“What can I get you?” The barkeep had come up to me earlier, leaning on the bar, winking at me. “A drink or something stronger ?” I knew he meant drugs.

Fairy dust.

“Drink. Whatever is cheap.”

He nodded, pouring the clear liquor into a tumbler and handing it to me. Sensing my mood, he retreated, staying at the other end of the bar.

I would never lose the initial craving for fairy dust, but I seemed to lose the desire for what it did. I no longer needed to dull my pain and strip myself of reality. I wanted to feel it all.

Because of her.

Downing a sip of the stomach-warming liquor, I shifted on my feet at the reminder that she was gone, and once again, I had failed. With her absence, my body seemed to long for her more, the sounds of her moans still echoing in my ear.

What the fuck was happening to me? I had never been this obsessed before. It was unsettling. When did my appetite shift from drugs and easy sex with several people to one girl who seemed to be an all-in-one addiction for me?

The wall to protect myself, to deny I felt anything for her, was there. The knee-jerk reaction to berate myself and flog her from my system because I didn’t deserve to be happy. I shouldn’t be able to move on.

Especially with her. Not that anything could come of it anyway.

I needed to mourn the two people I thought myself so in love with just a year ago.

There wasn’t a question that I loved Kek and Lukas, but I was starting to realize the way I loved them was different. I had known Raven for barely a month, and she knew me better than Lukas and Kek ever did. At that time, it wasn’t important to chat about our pasts or really talk much at all. We were in a physical relationship. We didn’t snuggle after sex; we passed out. We didn’t talk, we fucked, and if we did talk, it wasn’t about anything outside of the war and living another day. Going through Věrh?za together bonded us past words, yet I realized how much of myself I kept from them, kept from everyone I had been seeing steadily. How little I knew about them. Sex was the only language we spoke, which, don’t get me wrong, was a fucking unbelievable way to communicate. It was my favorite pastime, but with Raven, there was more, which made me distressed.

Distressed that she could conjure more in me and distressed I hadn’t loved Kek and Lucas in the same way. They deserved better from me.

The contradicting emotions set me on edge, invoking impatience and crankiness. Plus, I had two maniacs upstairs sleeping off the mushrooms, giving me a small window before they woke up and wreaked havoc on this place again.

“Will you please stop scaring my workers?” Maestro strolled up, looking elegant in a black silk robe, blond wig, and glamour-style makeup.

“Is he here yet?” I had turned into a Neanderthal, a.k.a. Warwick.

“Not yet.” He sighed. “Will you relax? I will tell you when he is.” He rubbed his temples. “Today has been a day.”

My old nature of caring about people kicked in. “Why?”

“I think we have rats.” He motioned for the barkeep to bring him a soda water. Like Kitty, he stayed sober on the job, keeping a keen eye on his workers and business. “I found holes in my favorite robe this morning.”

I choked on my drink.

“The little fuckers ate through it, though it was hanging up, so I have no idea how they got to it.” Aggravation blew from his red lips. “I have to get Andon to set traps.”

“Sorry about that.” I coughed, patting my chest, trying not to laugh. “They can be such pesky creatures.”

Maestro took a drink of his soda, looking around the busy room. “Oh. He’s here.”

My head jerked, following his gaze to a table in the far corner. Only an outline of a hooded figure could be seen in the dim light.

“I didn’t even see him come in.” Maestro set down his glass. “Would you like me—”

Pushing off the bar, I didn’t even hear anything more Maestro said, my legs striding toward the man. My focus dwelled on him, noting how easily he blended into the surroundings, his deep hood keeping his features hidden. Blink and he would disappear.

Slipping in the chair across from him, I kept my voice low. “I heard you can help me.”

He stayed quiet; something about him prickled awareness at the back of my neck.

“Can you or not?” I huffed.

“Still short-tempered and hanging out in brothels, I see.”

I went still, his voice pinning me to the chair.

“Though something is vastly different about you.” His hands lifted to his hood, pulling the heavy wool down.

“Holy fuck,” I whispered, staring at the man before me, taking a moment to sink in. “Dzsinn?”

The moment I uttered his name, the shock of the moment dissipated, and a guffaw coughed up my throat. “Of course it’s you.” I shook my head with a scoff. “I should’ve known.”

“My business covers a lot of places, especially now Hungary is not as profitable for me.”

Because Killian was improving living conditions, jobs, and life. Never good circumstances for swindlers and opportunists.

“Yeah, real torn up about that.” I sat back in my chair.

“Yet you keep needing my help.” Dzsinn folded his hands on the table.

I shifted in my chair, hating that he was right and what it meant for me. “I need to get into Bran Castle without notice.”

His eyebrow lifted at the mention of the fortress.

“They are holding someone prisoner.” My throat tightened, her face popping into my head, squeezing my heart. I didn’t notice I was rubbing at my chest, like it actually felt pain, until Dzsinn’s eyes lowered to my swirling hand. I dropped my arm, clearing my throat as I sat up straight.

“She’s someone very important .” I tried to distance myself from my claim, sounding detached. This is the truth, not personal . She was the princess of the Unified Nations, so it made her particularly important. Telling myself it didn’t stop the pounding of my heart.

“Someone who, if they realized who they had…” I tapered off, my gaze on him revealing how serious this was. “I have to get her out.” I could hear the desperation hinting at the edges, the raw truth wanting to knock me on my ass. I had to keep my feelings out of this. Emotions got people killed.

Dzsinn leaned back, rubbing his hands together like he could grant my wish right there. Too bad that wasn’t how they worked. Genies weren’t trapped in a bottle, ready to grant wishes, but they had the influence to get you what you needed. Power of information, resources, money, and connections to spies. With those three things, you could secretly own the world.

“The Bran Castle was designed to be impregnable,” he stated. “And if rumors are true, then she would have made sure it would be impossible to enter.”

“Are you saying you can’t do it?” I leaned forward on my forearms, the challenge lying between us. “That Sonya bested you.”

His lids narrowed. His mouth pursed. “Do not try to provoke me, Ash. I do not fall for little boy games.”

I huffed out my nose, shifting in my seat again. “Can you help me or not?”

“I never said I couldn’t. I just want you to be aware of the price. You still owe me one favor already. You need to be clear on what you are asking me.” His dark eyes peered into mine. It was actually unsettling how common his features were, like you could forget what he looked like while staring right at him. So plain, the chair he sat in had more ornament and interest than him, which made him perfect for what he was. A genie was better off not being found or remembered.

“I don’t care what the price is.” The statement rushed between my teeth in a hiss before my mind slammed my mouth shut. It was too late.

Dzsinn’s eyes sparked with understanding. “Ahhh… I see.”

I wanted to deny it, to tell him he didn’t see shit, but I didn’t.

“Like I said, she’s important.” Wars will start if Sonya hurts her.

Dzsinn dipped his chin in understanding. “Give me until tomorrow night—”

“Tomorrow night?” I exclaimed. “That’s too late!”

Dzsinn slanted his head at me. I moved around in my chair, taking a breath and pinning my mouth together.

“This is not a small ask. And I need to call in some favors, get more information on the fortress.” His dark eyes pierced me with the magnitude of what he’d be doing for me. I didn’t want to think about the favor I’d owe him later. It didn’t matter; Raven was my only concern.

“Tomorrow,” I restated.

The genie watched me for a moment, seeing far more than I wanted him to, before he rose from the table. “Talk soon, Ash.” He slipped away, the crowd swallowing him up, and I could bet no one took notice of him walking out.

?

Chirp!

“I told you no.”

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

I didn’t have to look at the tiny imp on the table to know I was getting flipped off. Her curt, angry tone told me how cranky she was. I took away her mushrooms.

Rubbing my head, I paused my constant pacing, feeling like a caged animal. Two dim firebulbs glowed, putting the room in shadows. The moonless sky and the dark and quiet outside reversed the mood from the night before.

A noise worked up my throat, and I sat down on the bed, my head in my hands. Memories from last night wormed into my brain, reminding me of her cries, her moans, her taste, and how she looked at me as I watched her and him.

How her lips felt wrapped around my cock, like she owned me.

“Fuck me.” I popped up again, my body agitated, my mind relentless.

“I wasn’t! That was a total misunderstanding!” Opie popped out from the drawer, where he had found something of interest.

My gaze slid to him as he peered around, realizing I wasn’t speaking to him.

Chirp!

“Nothing. I didn’t say anything,” he huffed, crawling out of the drawer. “You think with those big ears, you’d hear better.” He plonked down on the nightstand, wiggling his big hairy toes, which glistened with a gel-like substance. “Ohhh… my toes are getting warm! They feel all tingly!”

I snorted. Warming lube.

“Wait. What are you wearing?” I hadn’t really taken notice when I came back to the room, my mind buzzing over my conversation with Dzsinn. Every moment I sat here, not knowing what they were doing to her, was torture.

“Oh.” He swung out his legs, waggling his gel-coated toes even more. “It’s just something I threw together.” Gold tassels hung off his hips, one placed right in front of his crotch, and two were on his nipples. What looked like strips of the bedspread were tied into his beard, and he had more of Maestro’s gems decorating his cheeks, torso, and penis. “You like?”

I peered over at the lamp, which used to have gold tassels hanging from the shade. “Opie…” I palmed my face again.

“I had very limited material to work with!” he huffed. “You locked us in here! What was I supposed to do?”

“You’re sub-fae. You can’t be locked up anywhere,” I replied, slanting my head.

“Oh, well… I got… stuck.”

Chirp!

“I told you both it was a total misunderstanding!”

“Tying yourself to the bedpost naked was a misunderstanding?” I lifted a brow.

Chirp!

“Don’t judge me!” he shot at Bitzy. “You were the one who cuddled his penis this morning!”

Chirp! Chirp! Her angry tone retaliated.

“Oh, right… that was me too.” He huffed under his breath, then waved his arms. “Again, a total misunderstanding. It was cold.”

“You know what? Why don’t you both be quiet for a while.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. I knew I should be resting, but I couldn’t shut down my thoughts. I was about a hair away from losing my shit.

Normally at a time like this, I distracted myself with sex. It took the edge off and let me relax. I was in the perfect place for that, and I could get any person in here within seconds. However, even the vague idea of being with someone else bristled, making me stomp back and forth in the small room. It created an agitation like I needed to climb out of my skin. To run to her tonight, not caring about the consequences, desperate to see her.

What the fuck?

My boots came to a halt, air catching in my lungs. Seriously, what was wrong with me?

Respectful to Lucas and Kek, I wouldn’t have slept with anyone else outside of us if that’s what we all decided. However, I never stopped having fantasies about others when I saw someone attractive. Hell, the memory of kissing Brexley played in many of my daydreams while I was with Kek and Lukas.

There never seemed to be enough for me, whether it was the number of people or the sex. It never fully sated me. Always searching for more, for another person to fill my needs. Another thing Kek and I got along about, we never had enough. Lukas would be passed out, and we’d continue fucking for hours. He’d wake up and join us before conking out again.

A tree fairy never had just one person they loved, nor were they content with sex with just one. We were primal creatures, the energy of the earth and plants keeping us restless and fickle. Love all and love vastly was our motto.

So what the fuck was this?

Anxiety stirred in my lungs, a cold sweat dotting the back of my neck.

“You okay, mushroom man?” Opie leaped down on the bed, his greasy feet marking the quilt as he walked across. “You look like you want to throw up.”

I kinda did.

“I’m fine.” Lie.

Chirp?

“You are not getting any more mushroom tonight!” I yelled over at Bitzy, somehow comprehending what she had said.

Her lids narrowed to slits.

“Uh-oh.” Opie scrambled back to the pillows like something was about to explode.

It did.

Chirp! Chhiiirp! Chirp! Chirpchirpchirp! Her middle fingers waved in the air at me. Chirpchirpchirpchirp! Chirp!

“Whoa…” Opie’s eyes went big. “I’ve never heard her call anyone that before.”

“Tough, young lady.” I pointed my finger at her. “You had enough.” Wow. I sounded like the old Ash. The one who used to care.

Technically Bitzy should still be high as a kite off the raw mushrooms, but their tiny bodies burned it off ten times faster than us, like little hummingbirds.

She snarled, snapping her mouth at my finger, flipping me off. She moved away from me, sulking like a teenager.

“I need you coherent tomorrow.” I plopped back down on the bed, laying back, my arms under my head.

“For what?” Opie padded up onto my chest and I frowned at the oily stains he left on my t-shirt.

“I need your magic fingers.” I cleared my throat. “Let me clarify that. I need your sub-fae talents of breaking locks and getting through tight places.”

“Oh, I love plugging myself into tight places.”

“I’m not going to think about that.” I closed my lids briefly, exhaustion beginning to burn my eyes. “We are going to break into a fortified castle.”

“It sounds exactly like the thing Master Fishy told us to stop you from doing.” Opie sat down, folding his legs.

I plopped my head onto the pillow, looking at him.

“I’m asking for you to not go back to Brex or tell any of them,” I said sincerely. “I need your help, Opie. As a friend.”

His eyes went big, his long lashes fluttering like he was going to cry. “A friend?”

Sub-fae were always treated as less than in fae society. It was even in their name, putting them beneath us. To offer friendship or see them as equals was a great honor to them. And I did see them as that, but I won’t say I wasn’t laying it on a little thick.

“And a partner in crime,” I added.

“Ohhhh, Master Ash.” He leaped up, his cheeks turning a deep pink, his eyes blinking with happy tears. “It is such an honor.”

“Will you help me?”

“These magic fingers are yours!” He put his hands in the air in excitement. “Whatever tight, dark places you want me to stick them!”

?

The next day lasted a week. After taking only an hour to get supplies, I had the rest of the afternoon to sit around and think. Think about what could be happening to her.

It was impossible to fully plan until I had details—the layout of the castle, the weaknesses and possible ways I could get in.

I had to wait for Dzsinn.

Trapped inside the building, inside my own head, and confined with two bored sub-fae, I was about to lose my shit by the time the sun lowered beyond the horizon. I ended up giving Bitzy a bite of mushroom after I woke up with her perched over my face, watching me, an evil smile on her lips like she’d done something horrible while I slept. The little sleep I got. I had dozed on and off all night, leaping awake with a strangled cry. I kept looking at the spot next to me like she would suddenly be there, and all of this had been a bad trip.

“Stay quiet, both of you,” I muttered, coming down the stairs into the busy lounge later that evening, hitching my new backpack over my shoulder, filled with supplies and my friends. I didn’t trust them alone. Not with the mushrooms, and certainly not after Opie came back tangled in a rat trap this morning.

“What the fuck?” I was barely awake when Opie stood on my chest, a guilty expression on his face, a trap snarled in his beard. “What happened?”

“It wasn’t my fault,” he whined. “I was minding my own business…”

“And where were you minding your own business?” I rubbed my eyes, blinking against the sun coming through the window.

“I couldn’t help it! His closet has so many pretty things!” Bitzy sighed dreamily. “So many silky, pretty things. They demand to be touched, to slide over my skin. And his sparkly gems… so, so shiny. I just wanted to look closer at them.”

“You mean steal.” I pried the trap off him.

“That’s not what I would call it.”

“What would you call it, then?” I motioned to what he wore. His eyes were layered with fake sticky jewels, and he had a black silk robe tie wrapped around his figure like a complicated bikini, with a dozen condom packages taped together over his shoulders like a cape.

He crinkled every time he moved.

“Ummm… borrowing. But with no intention of giving back.”

Now both were tucked inside my pack, heading down to the lounge. My eyes scanned the dark, sultry room. The gambling area was boisterous, while a man was already getting his dick sucked at the bar and a male prostitute pumped into a man in a dark corner, his hand over his mouth while they watched the other couple silently. The room was bristling with sex and drugs.

It scared me how little it seemed to affect me, my cock staying mostly flaccid as the man being sucked off moaned louder, his hips pushing harder down her throat.

Something was wrong with me. I was broken. I had to be.

Marching over to the table where Dzsinn met me yesterday, I nodded at the server to bring me a drink. Slipping into the chair, my knee bounced with anxiety, restless to go.

What was happening to her? Was she okay? Beaten? Already dead?

The last thought hit my gut like a sinking ship, the wreckage smashing into the bottom and shattering into pieces.

No . I breathed out. She’s alive.

I had no understanding of how I knew. I just knew. As if I could feel her in the world, sense her reaching for me. I would feel her death. Know it in my bones. Plus, why take her if it wasn’t meant to draw me in?

They took her on purpose. To get to me.

The chair across from me was suddenly occupied. Dzsinn lowered his hood, his movements imperceptible.

“Do you have what I need?” I didn’t bother with small talk.

Dzsinn watched me like he was studying me, a strange expression flittering over his face.

“I couldn’t.”

“What?” My mouth dropped open, my eyes widening at Dzsinn. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do or get.

“My informants.” He paused. “Are no longer accessible to me.”

“What does that mean?”

I recognized his expression now. It was uncomfortable. Unease, like this had never happened to him before.

“I do not know what is going on there, but the men owe me a favor?” Human or fae, you couldn’t go back on your word to a genie. They were their own Mafia. “They both ignored my summons.”

“Maybe they’re dead?”

He didn’t answer, probably didn’t know.

“So you got nothing?”

“I didn’t say that.” He frowned, pulling something out of his cloak. “I have the blueprints of the castle.” He laid the map out on the table. “It’s old, but nothing should have changed.” His finger tapped at the layout. “This is the main entrance, and of course, it is heavily guarded. This castle is high on a hill, cramped and confusing. Not many ways to get in or out besides the entrance.”

“But you know a way?”

His chin dipped, his finger sliding to another area that had strange markings on it. “I know a way.”

“What’s that?” I pointed to the designs. His silence drove up my irritation. Every second, I was wasting time. “Are you going to tell me?”

“No,” he replied.

“What?” I barked. “Why not? I told you I would pay your price.”

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is?”

“Something is going on there. I need to find out what it is.” He rolled up the map. “I will be going with you.”

I stared at him like the world just went topsy turvy.

“Going with me?”

“When humans are able to ignore my magic. Disregard my summons.” A nerve in his jaw popped. “It’s something I have to investigate. When you owe a djinn, there are no second wishes.”