Page 57 of Land of Monsters

She rose from the earth like she came out from the depths of hell, her skin and hair bathed in night. Her back curved, sharp blades tearing through her tank, her hands becoming scythes of death. I couldn’t see her face, but I knew the fire blazing in her eyes, the dagger teeth ready to rip into flesh.

Fear filled the air, their terror turning on her. Wondering what the hell she was.

The hyena bayed out a cry. A shot went off, the bullet grazing by her. A chant hissed from her directed at the hyena, but he raised his gun again.

Raven’s lips peeled back, darting for him, but he was just as fast as her, his own teeth chomping for her neck.

Raven stumbled back, her dark dweller livid with anger, but confusion blinked over her face for a moment.

It was like I could feel her fear, her understanding of what had just happened.

Holy. Fuck.

Her obscurer had no power over them. Their minds were different than fae or humans. They weren’t even in-between. An obscurer was rare, despised, and hunted down, but their magic was still based in nature.

These things were not.

“Get her! But don’t kill her!” Sonya ordered from high on her perch, Nyx taking flight, squawking overhead. The world became chaos, a frenzied energy of distressed howls and commands aimed at her. From all directions, bullets volleyed for her, her beast roaring with fury.

“Raven!” I belted as Joska turned his gun on her, her head snapping to me.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Her mouth moved faster, a power shimmering around her body, blood starting to drip from her nose. Every bullet missed her, embedding into the stone behind her. Joska pounded on his chest, his roar matching hers. He leaped for her, their bodies colliding in a thud.

“Raven!” I belted again, lurching for the pair fighting, my weak legs dropping me to the ground, my face smacking hard against the stone. A frustrated cry burned my vocals, and I glared at my cuffed hands behind my back.

“Hmmm… the tree humper looks like he needs us.” A tiny figure jumped on my back.

“Opie,” I breathed out. “Uncuff me!”

Chirp!

“Bitzy wants unlimited mushrooms.”

“What?” I exclaimed. “Are you serious? This is not the time to bargain. Let me go.”

Chirp!

“She says this is exactly the time.”

“Fine, whatever!” I wiggled my arms, peering back toward Raven, though I couldn’t see anything from where I was. “Just uncuff me.”

“That was for Bitzy.” Opie tapped his fingers on his mouth. “I want unlimited access for my designs. Any fabrics or jewelry, whichincludesa certain fae book. I have a particular design in mind from the seventh century.”

My teeth gritted. Fae books were sacred to me.

“Fine!”

Opie smiled, putting his attention to my manacles. I turned my head back in her direction, hearing her dweller roar in pain.

“Hurry!” Panic strangled my voice, the terror of her fighting them all by herself. Every second was years; every moment made me more afraid I’d hear her cries of death. I knew her power could only sustain for a short time.

“I think I got—” The second I felt the cuffs drop away, I pushed up, scrambling across the quad for her. I could see her claws slicing across Joska’s chest, stumbling him back.

As if she felt me, knew I was close, her head snapped in my direction, her flaming eyes finding mine. Black blood poured from her eyes and nose, her teeth dripping with blood reflected in the torchlight.

It was only a second, but I felt her sink into my soul, her beast marking me as hers. It was like we didn’t even need to speak, a connection between us growing like a network of intricate roots snaring deep into the ground.

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