Page 121 of Land of Monsters

“Ash?” I scrambled up, looking in the direction I last saw him, my eyes adjusting to the pitch darkness. “Ash!” I screamed, clambering over to where I could make out his form.

“Dziubus…” His voice was barely audible before he started coughing. He blindly reached for me, his vision not as adept as mine.

“You okay?” I guided his hand to my face, letting him feel me next to him.

“Yeah.” He groaned as I helped him sit up. “That wasn’t a Warwick distraction.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head.

Both Rook and I heard the tear; our heads jerked up as the ceiling ripped away from itself, dropping clumps of dirt down harder.

Rook snarled, ramming me with his head to move.

“Ash!” Desperation bled from my voice. I yanked him to his feet, the earth above us groaning with the weight, having nothing to keep it up. “Move!” I pulled him with me toward the exit.

“Wait! Celeste!” Ash yanked from my grip, turning back around.

“No!” My heart stopped beating, and time stopped moving as Ash darted back, feeling around until he found her.

More of the ceiling tore away, plunging down.

“Ash!” His name was a siren song, calling him home, like my voice could shield him from harm, protect him from death. The obscurer ripped from my throat, spouting words of threat toanything wanting to harm my mate. Except there was no mind to control, nobody to bend to my will.

And then Ash tripped, Celeste tumbling from his hold.

Horror and agony exploded in my chest, my own body twisting and warping into the dweller, about to run to Ash. Movement flickered in the corner of my eye, a dark shape zipping out, leaping out for the pair.

“Rook!”

Using his body as a shield, my brother shoved Ash forward to me, where I was shielded by the doorjamb. He moved over Celeste, cocooning her under his bulk, taking the brunt of the downpour. His blades tinged as rocks bounced off, his roars singing along with the earth, his legs bowing, but he didn’t move.

“Rook!” I cried out as it tapered off.

Rook heaved out a heavy sigh, his coat slick with blood, his eyes burning red. As he slowly unrolled his body, I could see Celeste perfectly protected under him. Her eyes opened, peering up at the raging beast over her. I was ready for her to scream, to panic at the sight, but she just blinked, staring up at him. He rumbled, shaking off the dirt as she got to her feet.

“Everyone okay?” Ash asked, then turned to me. “Are you okay?”

“You’re asking me? Are you kidding me?” I growled, the dweller pacing my skin. “You almost died!”

“ButI didn’t.” He pulled me in close, a smirk on his face.

“I’m gonna kill you myself.”

“That I don’t doubt.” He kissed me hard, then stepped back, his cheekiness quickly dying off. “Now lead us out of here. I really hate being underground. Especially in the dark.” He took my hand while I escorted us up the tunnel, dodging the fallen boulders. Rook allowed Celeste to thread her fingers into hisfur, guiding her forward. She was shell-shocked and heavily drugged, leaning fully into him, using him as a crutch.

Rook’s body was tense, and I knew it was partially due to the intimacy of her gripping onto his fur like she was, but also because the dweller was ready to attack and kill if anything came at us.

I didn’t want to think about the horrors in that room, what had happened, and who we left behind.

A torture chamber was now a graveyard.

We had no time to mourn or think. We had to keep going.

We were only four to make it out of there alive.

Chapter 23

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