Land of Monsters (Savage Lands #8)

Chapter 19

Ash

We raced through the chilly late morning air, the roar of engines filling the space between the two motorcycles. We ventured back to Bra?ov on the bikes Warwick and Brexley had stolen on their journey here.

The shock of them being here had me staring over at them every few minutes, but we did not dare to stop and chat until we were safe.

After hiding the motorcycles in an alley, my hand went to Raven’s lower back, navigating her into the brothel. Warwick and Brexley’s heavy presence behind us bristled my spine as we jogged up the stairs, the tension crackling like electricity.

Workers were stirring people awake, getting them up to repeat the night they had before, an endless stream of gambling, drug, and sex with as many clients as they could. All things I used to indulge in on a daily basis.

Now, I didn’t care to gamble, I no longer craved drugs, and the only thing I wanted was to screw all night was Raven. When did that change? I don’t know, though I felt like I got steamrolled by something I saw coming for miles, never getting out of the way, and now wondering how I got run over.

“Go get cleaned up. I’ll find you food and some clothes,” I muttered in Raven’s ear, leading her into the bathroom. She was still weak from the goblin metal, covered in blood, guts, dirt, and my semen.

Opie was able to get the cuffs off her, but her energy was low, and the guilt and fear she felt for losing her brother again screamed silently inside her. I could feel it, her emotion ripping through her, dragging her legs with every step.

“I don’t want to leave you.” She flicked her eyes back to the pair waiting for me in the hallway with concern.

“I’ll be fine.” My lips brushed her temple. “Go.” I nudged her further into the washroom.

She dipped her head, reaching for her torn, bloody sweater. Clearing my throat, I quickly exited before I could say fuck it and join her, trying to postpone the inevitable.

“In there.” I nodded to the room, Brexley and Warwick following me in.

Rubbing my head, I closed the door to the room, turning to my best friends. “Leave it to you to always have explosives.”

A rumble from Warwick was my only warning before his fist slammed into my face. Pain exploded behind my eye, fire rushing into my cheekbone and mouth. I dropped to the ground with a thud.

Groaning, I reached up for my face. “What the fuck?” I wiped at my lip, red coating my hand.

“Lófasz a seggedbe!” Fuck you! A horse dick into your ass! He stood over me, fury snarling his face. “You disappeared! You left us without a fucking word, not caring how we felt, to be some moron with a hero complex? You deserve far worse!” He looked ready to punch me again, instead he grabbed my arm, yanking me to my feet again, and pulled me into a hug.

Warwick did not show emotion except to the few he allowed in his circle. He was my brother, and no matter how mad we were, he was my family.

Breathing out, I blinked back emotion.

“Fuck you too.” I patted his back. My mouth throbbed, but I deserved his wrath.

“Menj a halál faszára!” Go to hell! Go onto Death’s dick , he rumbled.

I pulled back, turning to see Brexley glaring at Warwick.

“What?” His brow furrowed.

“I was supposed to hit him!” She threw out her arms, only making Warwick smirk.

“You want to hit me too?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my lip.

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Fuck! I am so mad at you. Do you know how worried we were about you?”

“Worried?” I snorted, motioning to the menaces on her shoulder. “You sent your little minions to spy on me!”

“Minions?!” Opie exclaimed from her shoulder, but nobody took heed. “How dare you, tree—”

“Because you cut us off,” she exclaimed.

“I-I couldn’t be around… anyone.” I swallowed roughly. “It was too much.”

“I get that, Ash.” She stepped up to me, taking my hand. “But we love you and the thought of anything happening to you?” She punched at my arm with more strength than I’d expected.

“Ow.” I rubbed my bicep.

Her mouth wobbled, her eyes filling with tears. “Don’t you ever do it to me again.”

“I won’t.” I cupped her face, suffering the pangs of hurting her. “I am so sorry.” I stared into her eyes, making sure she saw the truth in them.

I was sorry. I had been selfish and insensitive, but it was the only way I knew how to deal with my pain.

Brexley was in my arms, squeezing me so tight my bones cracked, as if she wanted to make sure I was real. “You’re here. You’re all right,” she whispered, reconfirming it to herself. “Please don’t leave us like that, Ash. We need you. I need you.”

My throat tightened. The familiarity of her voice, her smell, the feel of her in my arms, cracked something in my chest. I had stayed away because I wasn’t strong enough to face them, to see the disappointment in their eyes, but now that my family was here, I realized how much I missed them. Needed them.

I held her for another moment before I pulled away to look at her face. Brexley’s onyx hair and black eyes against her pale skin always took me back for a moment. A mix of Russian and Irish, her features were unique and so stunning it could almost make her appear cold and fragile. Until you met her and realized she had the warmest heart and could take down a legion of warriors, resurrect men from the dead, and beckon spirits to her will, all without breaking a sweat.

My gaze went to the figure on her shoulder, my lids lowering. “Snitch.”

“They were already here! I just pointed them in the direction they needed.” Opie held up his hands while Bitzy flipped me off.

“What do you mean already here?” I stepped away from her.

“Dzsinn contacted Scorpion.” Warwick leaned on the windowsill. “Told us where you were.”

“Dzsinn.” I huffed out his name. “What? Tired of babysitting me and handed me off to you guys?” Now I knew where the genie was headed after he disappeared on us. “Like I can’t take care of myself.”

“Is he wrong?” Warwick lifted his brow.

“I’m doing just fine.” I gritted my teeth.

“Really?” Brexley crackled a dry laugh. “You were about to be killed!”

“Different than any other time, really?” Warwick replied.

“And come to find out, Kalaraja is still alive, along with Joska and Samu,” Brexley exclaimed.

They weren’t even the worst of it.

“Why didn’t you come to us?” She placed her hand on her chest like it hurt.

“I…” I swallowed roughly. “I didn’t want to involve you guys.”

“Involve us?” Brexley snipped at my words like they offended her. “We are your family , Ash. Did you hesitate when I needed you last year? Why would you think we wouldn’t want to be by your side for this?”

My nose burned with unshed emotion.

“Ash?”

“Because I knew you would!” I yelled, louder than I expected. “That was the problem!”

Brexley’s head jarred back, while an icy expression slipped over Warwick’s face.

“You came here to die,” he said evenly, but I sensed his rage fostering under his skin again. I had known Warwick way too long not to pick up on his every signal.

My silence was their answer.

“Ash…” Brexley deflated, tears welling in her eyes.

“Well, don’t worry.” I lifted a shoulder, switching my weight, knowing what I needed to confess next. “I don’t feel like that anymore.” My gaze moved to the door, feeling Raven not too far away.

As if Raven was summoned, sensing the tug on the binds connecting us, the door opened. Her petite frame stepped in, a towel wrapped around her. She came to a halt, her gaze darting to the enormous man with a claw-scythe on his back, to Brexley, then to my freshly bleeding lip, putting the pieces together. I saw the fire flare in her eyes.

“No. Rav—” I reached out, but I was too late. Her teeth snapped, blades pushing out through the towel from her spine as she lunged for Warwick.

“Raven, no!” I grabbed for her as Brexley hopped between her and Warwick. The energy in the space hissed. This would go bad fast. “EVERYONE STOP!” I bellowed, jerking Raven back, putting myself in the middle of the three. I gripped Raven’s face, forcing her eyes on me, my voice commanding the dweller to submit. “Back down. They are not our enemy.”

A growl summoned from her throat, her teeth gnashing at me. “They hurt you.”

“Back down,” I ordered the dweller. “ Now .”

Her nose wrinkled, but slowly her pupils merged back into green. Her skin shifted back to normal, but her attention continued darting to them, still on guard.

“Calm down, mroczny .” I leaned my forehead onto hers. “They are my friends. The family I told you about.”

She exhaled, her fingers clinging to what was left of her towel. Nudity was not a big deal to any of us, but I still didn’t like her feeling vulnerable. Snatching a man’s sweatshirt off the table, one of the items Silk left out for us, I pushed it over her head, getting her arms through. The fabric slipped down to the tops of her thighs, at least covering most of her.

“You good?” I muttered to her.

She nodded, her eyebrows furrowing at my split lip.

“I deserved it.” I linked my hand with hers, tuning back to my friends.

Brexley and Warwick both stood dumbfounded, their eyes intently watching us.

“What?”

“Holy. Fuck…” Brexley’s mouth parted, her gaze locking on Raven. “You’ve got to be kidding me?” She gaped at me.

I bristled as a sense of shame clenched my chest. Were they thinking I moved on too quickly from Kek and Lukas? Insulting their memory?

“This wasn’t… planned. It just…” I kept a hold of her hand.

“Which part?” Warwick’s deathly voice rumbled the floor. “Fucking… or mating with the princess of the Unified Nations?”

Raven and I went still.

“How do you know?” The urge to put her behind me, even protect her from my family, stepped me forward.

“Which part?” Warwick lifted his chin. “Both are pretty obvious.”

“We’re not blind, Ash. First, her image is everywhere . The entire UFN is looking for her!” Brexley motioned to her. “And second, I’ve known what the princess looks like since I was eleven. At one time, I knew everything about the royal families. I was tested on it.” It was easy to forget that Brexley was once a sort of princess herself. An adopted daughter of the leader of HDF, she grew up in the world of elites and leaders. Schooled in the art of corruption and power.

“Have we met?” Raven stepped even with me, her gaze going over Brexley.

“No.” Brexley shook her head. “Istvan was a human leader, a puritan. But he was never on the level to be visited by the king and queen.” She shrugged. “But we have met your father. Your family helped us in our fight against Istvan last year, after the king sent Eli and Ember to kill me.”

“What? They tried to kill you?” Raven’s mouth dropped open.

“Clearly they didn’t.”

“Aunt Ember and Uncle Eli don’t miss a target. Ever.”

“It’s a long story.”

“And you would’ve had two fewer relatives if they had fucking touched her,” Warwick grumbled to himself.

“Not helping, Farkas.”

“Not trying to, Kovacs.”

“Ohh, Master Fishy. We’ve missed you guys.” Opie sighed into Brexley, petting her neck.

Chirp!

“You did too!”

Chiiiirrpp!

“What?? Total untruth! I did not miss his weapon of mass destruction!”

Chirp! Chirp!

“And I did not cheat on a grenade launcher with a tree trunk!”

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

“You’re the one bringing it up! I think it’s you who missed the wolf stick!”

Chirpchirpchirpchirp! Middle fingers whirled in the air like lassos.

“Fuck.” Warwick rubbed his forehead. “I didn’t miss this at all.”

“Oh, come on, big bad wolfy. You know you missed us.” Opie leaped from Brexley’s shoulder to the bed, talking to the big man. “I’ll bet your sausage club member got so cold and lonely without us.”

“How about you shut the fuck up?” Warwick pinched his nose. “Before I snap your bodies in half.”

ChirpChirpChirp! Bitzy flipped him off, her chirps sounding a lot like fuck you, asshole .

“I wish everyone would stop promising me a good time and not delivering on it.” Opie folded his arms in a huff.

“Sorry to be rude, but can we get back to what’s important?” Raven’s voice raised. “Like getting my brother back.”

“Your brother?” Brexley’s eyes widened. “Hold on, the guy they put into the jeep was your brother? Prince Rook Dragen?”

“Yes” Raven nodded her head.

“Holy shit.” Brexley started to pace. “Let me get this straight. One of the scariest hired assassins has the prince of the UFN right now?”

“Yes. And all I’m doing is standing here uselessly, while he might be beaten or worse!” Raven moved, as if she was heading for the door.

“ Dziubu?.” I grabbed her arm. “You can’t run in blind. Sonya and Iain are bad, but you don’t know how ruthless Kalaraja is. We need a plan.”

“I can’t just sit here!”

“Then stand!” I countered back. “But you’re not going anywhere right now.”

“They won’t kill him,” Brexley interjected. “He’s worth too much alive.”

“You think it makes this better?” Raven tugged from my grip but didn’t move, tears filling her eyes. “Death is the lucky option at that place. What they could be doing to him…”

“We will find him. I give you my word.” I looked deep into her eyes. “We need to come up with a plan, and we can’t do it alone.” I ran my knuckles over her cheek. I realized how much I needed my family. They were right, I couldn’t do this single-handedly. “Do you trust me?”

She inhaled, nodding.

“We will get him out.” I brushed my thumb over her bottom lip.

“The Russian mafia might be off our backs for a moment.” She swallowed. “But you know he will send more for me.”

“ Basszameg .” Warwick scrubbed his face, leaning on the windowsill. “You have the Russian mafia after you too?”

“Technically, her.” I winked at Raven. “And to be more precise, it’s the president of Russia who wants her dead.”

Warwick’s jaw ground together. “Seriously?”

“He is not our concern right now. Kalaraja just killed Nikolay and his men this morning. It will take President Kozlov time to regroup. We really need to focus on the most pressing issue, and that is where they took Rook.” I asserted, licking my swollen lip.

“What are you talking about?” Brexley’s arms folded, like she was guarding herself from what was coming.

“Kalaraja, Joska, and Samu aren’t the only dangerous things she acquired. There are other things she has at the castle that are far scarier.” I ran my hand anxiously through my dirty hair. “What did Dzsinn tell you?”

“He only spoke to Scorpion,” Brexley answered. “He said he knew where you were. You had found Sonya and Iain and were going to get yourself killed. Scorpion said he gave him very little information. It was more a courtesy thing.”

I couldn’t even be mad that Dzsinn considered my life only a courtesy warning. He didn’t find anything outside of his deals worth his time. No doubt he was hoping I would get his family’s stone back from Sonya, so he needed me alive.

“You probably need to sit down.” I tipped my head at Brexley and Warwick. My stomach rolled, knowing the horrors they had been through, and I was about to tell them it was far worse than they ever imagined. “We have a lot to catch up on.”

Chirp! Chirp!

Opie nodded. “Bitzy says we’re gonna need a lot of mushrooms for this.”

?

Brexley wandered the small space in front of where Warwick sat, her head in her hands, trying to process what I had told them. The sun was far below the horizon, firebulbs dimly lighting the room, the music from below becoming louder, along with the voices in the brothel.

I slumped on the edge of the bed, my adrenaline long worn off, the craziness of the day bearing weight on my bones. I craved food, a shower, and to fuck Raven until we passed out.

“You’re telling me the Primul are Dr. Rapava’s old experiments?” Brexley exclaimed, her head shaking in rebuttal. “As in the man Istvan modeled everything after. The original test subjects?” She opened her arms. “How is that possible?”

“Weren’t they all destroyed when he was killed decades ago?” Warwick hitched off the sill, running his hand over his head.

“No.” Raven twitched around in my peripheral, antsy to get out of this room, her beast prowling the wall. The more anxiety I could feel pumping off her, the calmer I tried to be, letting her absorb my tranquility. “It was kept hush-hush, but some of them escaped.”

“And you know this how?” Warwick’s voice cut like a knife.

“Because Aunt Zoey is the seer some of them were created from when she worked for Rapava. He stole her eggs to produce these things. Zoey was the one who killed Rapava.”

The entire room stared at Raven.

“I’m sorry… what?” Brexley stared at Raven.

“Long story short, Aunt Zoey was one of his first lab experiments. A baby created in the laboratory. A generated seer. He wanted to create humans who could see through fae glamour and hunt them. She was manipulated and tricked, working for him until she discovered the truth. Then they hunted her. She became even more unique when she took on Uncle Ryker’s powers. So Rapava harvested her eggs and used them to create a superhuman-fae type.”

“Gods.” A pained expression traveled over Brexley.

“Not far off what Markos was trying to do.” Warwick moved next to his mate.

“Before I was born, there was a battle for Uncle Lars’s throne. These creatures were brought in to fight my family. It was found if they bred with women, it was easier than trying to recreate them in a lab. But only a few of the children made it, and almost all the women died. They realized they needed to use a lot of human women to dispose of, or Druid women.”

My lids closed, bile coming up my throat, realizing how important they thought Raven would be to them. She would survive, produce children from them and not die in childbirth, becoming the perfect birther of monsters. Except she wouldn’t end up conceiving their spawn and would be killed for it.

“The Primul , or whatever they call themselves, have been living unnoticed for almost thirty years?” Brexley flicked back her black hair. “How?”

“Think how long fae were hiding in plain sight.” I shrugged, listened to clients below entering the brothel, the night creeping in quickly.

“They are highly intelligent, adaptable, and almost impossible to kill,” Raven said.

“Same with Istvan’s experiments.” Brexley leaned back into Warwick, like she needed to feel him. “And now Sonya is making more,” she whispered. “I thought we destroyed it. Thought it was over. What was the point of all that loss and pain if Sonya is just going to do the same?”

“Even if the formula was destroyed, too many have survived to use as a baseline.” The images of all those people in the tubes, like Iacob, or being forced to mate, like Celeste, Viorica, and her cousin. I would not leave them there to die.

“Wait.” I paused, a thorn in my thoughts. “It wasn’t just human women down there they were mating with. They are using fae women too.” I peered at everyone in confusion. “Why would they be using fae women if most are protected by a birth control potion”

The room went quiet, the question buffering through us all with no response.

“I don’t know.” Raven bit down on her lip. “Maybe they have the counter remedy or maybe their sperm is superstrength or something?”

“If it was, wouldn’t there be a lot more of them running around by now?” Brexley replied, falling further into Warwick, her hand going to her face. “I can’t go through this again.”

I felt guilty, knowing I wasn’t there for her after the battle. She and Warwick endured so much psychological damage, being subjected to Istvan’s sick experiments themselves, including those linking Caden and Warwick. Imagine having to take the life of a man who, at one time, had been a father figure to you. Brexley was the one to step up and kill him so Caden wouldn’t have to.

I was too busy with my own trauma to be there for her or any of them.

“Kovacs.” Warwick’s tone was deep and intimate, gaining her attention. He gripped her chin, turning her to look at him. “We’ll handle this. Just like we did last time.” Energy prickled around me like magic channeling between tree roots, the auras slinking against my skin. Their connection went beyond mates, forged in the bones of blood and death, cementing their souls together on another plane. Their spirits could talk and touch without them even being in the same place.

Being a nature fairy, I could always sense their connection throbbing the earth, their orgasms singing through the ether, but I had never felt it so acutely. It vibrated the threads between me and Raven, dancing along my cock.

A growl rumbled from Raven and I knew she could feel it too.

“Could you guys stop?” I gritted my teeth, adjusting myself.

“You really have room to talk?” Brexley gestured between us and then motioned out the window. “Thinking the twisted-up trees right outside aren’t a coincidence.”

“No.” I held my chin high, waiting for their disappointment or disapproval. Brex and Warwick were the first to know about us, and it felt like I was dragging a rake over Kek and Lukas’s graves. But the judgment didn’t come.

A smile hitched Brexley’s mouth as she peered between us. “Never thought I’d see the day.” You and me both . “So, mates, huh?” Her grin widened.

“Yeah.” I swallowed but kept my voice strong and sure.

“I may call mine princess, but yours actually is.” Warwick smirked. “You are so fucked.”

“Tell me about it,” I grumbled, shooting a look at Raven, whose mouth was pursed with impatience.

“Every moment we waste here, my brother is in hell,” she reminded us.

“Okay.” Brexley nodded, clasping her hands together. “We need a plan to find where they’re keeping the prince.”

“We already know that,” I broke in. “Sonya’s base is Castle Bran.”

“Bran Castle?” Brexley lifted her brows. “As in Dracula’s castle? She’s creating monsters in a castle infamous for its monsters?”

“The irony is not lost.” I huffed. “She’s not one for subtlety.”

“What she had there… what they are doing.” My attention went back to Raven, the hot sickness recalling what those monsters were doing to the women. What they almost did to Raven.

Raw fear and anger shot me to my feet, and I imagined if I’d been there just a few minutes later. Raven sensed my thoughts, her hand reaching for mine, gripping it with assurance she was okay.

“So, what’s our plan to get the prince out safely?” Brexley asked. “While taking out Sonya, Iain, Kalaraja, Joska, Samu, and the impossible-to-kill Primul , plus saving everyone inside, and trying not to make this an international declaration of war.”

“Yes, and…” I cringed, already knowing the response. “You can’t forget killing Nyx as well.”

“Nyx?” Brexley did not fail, her shriek filling the room. “She’s with them?”

“That bitch is still alive?” Warwick snarled.

“And really hates all of us.”

“Fuck.” Warwick pinched his nose. “She’s like a fucking cat with nine lives. She won’t fucking die. You really thought you could do this on your own?” He glared at the door like it insulted him, like he sensed something coming.

“Good thing we brought back up.” Brex winked.

The door cracked open, and figures spilled into the room. My instinct to protect Raven had me stepping in front, ready to fight, until I noted their faces. My fear turned to disbelief.

Five people squeezed into the space, turning to me.

“ ó, hogy baszd meg egy talicska apró majom!” Oh, may a wheelbarrow of small monkeys fuck it. A petite woman pushed through the tall physiques, her white-blonde hair pulled back in her signature ponytail. “Either I punch you or hug you. Pick one, fairy.”

“Birdie.” I opened my arms, and she barreled into me, her tiny frame deceivingly strong.

My heart clenched as I peered over at the rest of my friends: Scorpion, Hanna, Caden, and Wesley.

I should’ve known.

I shot a grin at Raven to let her know this was good. My family would never let me do this alone.