Page 40 of Land of Monsters

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

Chapter 9

Ash

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The moon slipped through the heavy woodlands. The craggy terrain, coated with ice, snow, and mud, made the trek strenuous. Smoke billowed from the chimneys of the homes scattered around the land, the soil heavy with magic.

There was no escaping the sensation that the land felt haunted, the result of centuries of war, death, and pain. Tragedy soaked into the earth, wrapping itself with fae magic, which pulsed like a vein in the neck.

Bram Stoker’s fairy tale, though he never stepped foot in this country, lured people from all over the world with his words. As if the story he made up was what really happened inside these walls, when the truth was far more salacious and luring. This history wasn’t recorded in human history books but were stories that simply echoed in the land if you listened closely enough.

“There.” Dzsinn pointed through a break in the trees, speaking for the first time since we departed Bra?ov.

My gaze went up to the stone castle perched on a hill between two valleys. Firebulbs glowed around the base of the fortress, making it look like it floated in the sky. Snow coatedthe reddish-brown peaked roofs and tipped the branches of the trees like frosting.

Sitting at the Eastern border of Transylvania, the fortress was once used in an attempt to stop the Ottoman Empire’s expansion. Vlad the Impaler passed through here, burning villages and murdering hundreds of people. After the fae abandoned this land and went into hiding, it had seen many human leaders come and go and witnessed many wars and famines.

The place spoken in lore, truth or not, became the bones of the castle. It sat high, casting a dominance on the village below. It wasn’t the biggest or prettiest castle in this area by far, but it held a power. A past that clung to the stone, a memoir of its complicated tale.

In my gut, I knew Raven was here, as if I could hear her calling for me. Feel her power drawing me to her like a spell more commanding than any lore.

“There are at least a dozen guards based around the entrance.” Dzsinn held binoculars to his face, his head scanning over the property. “A dozen guards are at the front gate, a few in the forest behind, and a handful down at this back gate.” He handed them over to me.

Taking them from him, I peered through the night-vision lens. The distance and clarity were so sharp I could make out every feature of the men through the dense night, even the smallest details of the old gas jeep sitting at the back gate.

These weren’t cheap. “Nice.”

“My connections allow me the best of the best.”

“Someone is pretty high up in the Unified Nations to get top-grade stuff like this.” I shifted my pack on my shoulders, feeling the warmth from two tiny forms sleeping in there.

Dzsinn didn’t respond, and I didn’t expect him to; his connections were what kept him in business. He would protect them at all costs.

“I have no doubt they will have Druid spells around the walls.” I handed him back his binoculars.

“And I told you it wouldn’t be a problem.” He stuffed them back into his bag, his attention still on the castle.

I stared at him, recalling our chat from the night before, the intimate information he shared with me about himself earlier.

“There are all sorts of Djinns, and each type holds unique powers. My type, which is very rare …I am immune to Druid magic.”

“What?” My head jerked to him.

“It’s where we got the reputation for being all-powerful. When Druids couldn’t hurt or stop us, some believed we held the ultimate supremacy.” He folded his hands. “And unless my moles are dead, no one, except another genie, can break our summons.”

That’s why he reacted the way he did when his spies didn’t respond. “So either they’re dead, or Sonya has another Genie hidden away in there?”

His attention went to the room, not answering my question.

“If you are touching me, I can get us both through any Druid spell without notice.” Dzsinn looked uncomfortable sharing this knowledge. “I can get us in, and I have connections to get a fae lock pick. Though they are getting less reliable, the spells to guard them are getting tougher.”

“Won’t be necessary.” I grinned, sipping my brandy. “I have my own.”

Sitting back now, my gaze darted to the pack hanging off my chair, then returned to him. “Now tell me how we are getting into the castle.”

“The tunnel location is near that back gate.” He pointed down the road to a handful of guards and two jeeps. “Getting through the spell will be easy enough, but getting past them and through fae locks won’t be.”

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