Page 55 of Land of Monsters

“And Dimitri Kozlov agreed to unite forces in exchange for obtaining his son’s killer.” She smirked. “Who also happens to be my enemy’s greatest weakness. So no, dear Ash, I am not doing this to battle Killian for Hungary. Your country is insignificant to me. I’m going for bigger fish.” Her chuckle twinkled in the air at my simple thoughts. “And you are not the one who’d make great leverage as a prisoner…” She peered down at the girl on the ground. “She is.”

Chapter 11

Ash

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My worst nightmare hung in the air like a ghoul, sucking the energy and life from my marrow.

A vindictive smile twisted Sonya’s mouth, arrogance polluting her aura.

She knew.

Throat tight, I tried to swallow, keeping my reaction flat, trying not to display the fear engulfing me.

Sonya recognized Raven was not just someone important to me, but to the entire Unified Nations.

The queen’s daughter. The princess.

Sonya had the UFN by the balls, and I didn’t see them standing aside for the better of the country. Her father and her uncles alone would shred through this castle to get to Raven. But it wasn’t merely these walls imprisoning her, keeping them from reaching her.

Russia had been quietly building their military for decades, manufacturing weapons, expanding trade, and making deals with other countries. By themselves they weren’t a huge threat, but rumor was China had associated with them as well, which brought Sonya’s threat into reality.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know who she is?” Sonya stroked Nyx’s head. The hawk glowered at me, enjoying my pain, relishing in the agony of watching someone I care about hurt.

My lips stayed pinned together. Sonya’s snappy overconfidence told me she hadn’t been aware of Raven’s identity, not until recently. Probably when she and Dimitri Kozlov realized they were after the same people. Otherwise why would she think the girl in raggedy, dirty clothes, slumming it with me in whorehouses, was the princess of the UFN? Raven was famous, but social media hadn’t existed like it did before the barrier fell. Her likeness was just seen in print magazines and newspapers. Stuff the rich could afford to buy in the Eastern Bloc.

“She is the merely leverage I need.” She dropped her hand from Nyx, nodding to Raven, her gaze never leaving mine. “You are useless and will only cause me problems.” She clicked her tongue. “So sad you came all this way to seek revenge… for nothing.” She nodded at Joska behind me. “Kill him.”

“Gladly.” A deep growl came from his throat, sounding more animal than human. “Just know before I tear your limbs from your body that I will hunt Brexley down and make sure she and her little wolf are next.”

The flare of wrath gritted my teeth, but I forced a chuckle between my lips. “Good luck with that. You’ll be dead before you could even get within a mile of Brexley.” She could kill him with her eyes closed without even putting effort into it, but she wouldn’t have to. Warwick would cut him down before he stepped into town. Anything threatening her was dead on arrival.

“Quickly!” Sonya ordered Joska. “Then take her back to the breeding room. Let thePrimulmate her until she conceives. To have her power, her bloodline as one of my soldiers… I will solove to see the expression on Her Majesty’s face when she sees heradorablegrandson.”

Madness drank me in, embodied me, became the blood in my veins and the beat of my heart. Numbness buzzed in my brain, possessing me, while Samu and another approached her.

“Kurvára ne nyúlj hozzá!” Do not fucking touch her!I bellowed, the voice not even sounding like mine. Pushing against the goblin metal, I thrashed against Joska’s hold, tugging him with me as I tried to move to her curled-up form on the muddy, icy ground.

Sonya’s laugh played like a soundtrack in my mind, adding to my craze.

“Basszon agyon a kénköves istennyila!” Get fucked to death by lightning with sulphuric stones!I screamed at her, pulling against Joska.

Joska dragged me over against a wall, my shouts tearing up my throat, my energy draining from me, which only added to my anger.

I was helpless. I didn’t have power like Brexley or Warwick had; my magic was limited to earth and nature. I was born a healer and even though I was raised a fighter, it wasn’t in my DNA to fight against goblin metal, no matter how much I tried. The organic makeup and magic were a nature fairy’s worst nemesis.

“Raven!” I hollered her name, needing her to know I hadn’t left her here all alone. I came for her. But between the two of us, sadly, I was the luckier one. My death would be quick. What was in store for her was unfathomable.

I needed her to wake. To fight. To get out of here and live her life. Fall in love and be happy.Dziubus,I cried in my head.Wake up. You have to fight…

For a moment I thought I saw her leg twitch, but it was more likely I hoped I saw it.

Joska pointed his gun at my chest, just slightly off from my heart.

“I’m gonna watch you bleed out while I rip your limbs from your body.” A hyper-excited yip came up his throat, his chest puffing out.

Samu couched down to pick up Raven as Joska pushed down on the trigger.

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