Page 127 of Land of Monsters

“YourMajesty.” Sonya’s timbre was full of mocking. “What an honor it is for you to visit me.”

“Let my daughter go now, Sonya,” the queen responded.

Sonya let out a trilled laugh. “You think you hold any power here, Druid?” Sonya’s humor was quickly dying away. “This ismycountry. Not that you have much power in the UFN. Let’s be honest, Lars is the only thing keeping the people from dragging you out and banishing you.”

A snarl vibrated from my father’s throat, his eyes flashing red, blades popping up from his spine.

“Oh, does your little consort not like that? Better keep your guard dog on a leash, Majesty.” Sonya’s blonde eyebrow arched.“And if any of your pets shit on my lawn, you’ll have to clean up after them.”

A wave of growls bounded from my family, shaking the ground.

“Or maybe I’ll have them cleaned up.” Sonya smirked, her attention flitting to the highest tower and down to the ground where her monsters waited.

My gaze went up to the tower, where I noted an outline within the shadows. Someone was up there, ready to fire on my family. Thrashing against Iain, I looked from my mom’s dark brown eyes, fear leaking through them, to my father’s, the same bright color as mine. My dweller tried to scream through the link they all shared, including my brother, but my fucked-up ass could not. The oddity among oddities.

Please don’t. I shook my head, trying to tell them.You don’t know what you are up against. I can’t have anything happen to you.

Rage simmered under my dad’s skin, the dweller showing himself, but I could feel the love, the intensity of what he felt. My father was my alpha. The need to protect me with everything he had dominated his aura.

“Do not challenge me, Sonya.” My mother’s elegant voice held a deadly cut to it. “You will not like the results.”

“I already like the results.” She motioned to me, Iain’s knife cutting deeper into my neck. “I have both your children.” She tipped her head, voice dripping with disdain. “One is my prisoner and the other one… well, he is already dead.”

The silence that hit after her announcement was louder than an explosion, striking my chest with the grief I was trying to keep at bay.

Rook…

With the goblin metal blocking me, I couldn’t feel any magic or the link between us. Wouldn’t I feel my twin’s death deep inmy bones, like it would rattle through, a cold empty hole, part of myself dying along with him.

“You lie,” my mom spat.

My father’s head jerked to Cole, my brother’s alpha, both of their eyes widening, realizing Rook was probably no longer a thread among their link. My dad ran his own group, but my brother decided to go with Cole. As much as my brother and father love each other, their mutual stubbornness and tempers worked better without Dad being his alpha.

“I don’t need to lie.” She grinned smugly, the fingers of one hand absently running along her necklace, the other hand at her stomach. “Not when the truth is so much better,” Sonya said. “You let your children out into the world as unprepared little lambs. They walked right into slaughter.”

A rumble came from Lorcan before his clothes tore to shreds, his bones popping as he shifted completely into his dweller, claws cutting the earth, his roar penetrating the air with anger and grief.

The sound of losing a child.

My legs bowed at the cry, the agony spinning my head, my gaze darting quickly to Ash. Pale and sweaty, he swayed like a brewing storm, ready to be taken down. My brother was already lost to the toxins, and soon it would be my mate. It was too much. My brain shut down my heart and mind. I became numb.

“By coming here, you invoked international war, and my only rebuttal was to fight back.” Sonya shrugged. “Just know, when you watch everyone around you die, it was your own doing. You were never supposed to be queen. You had no right to step into queen Aneria’s shoes. You are a disgrace. Your death will be cheered by many.” Sonya nodded her head to the monsters below. “Kill them.”

ThePrimulhowled, drawing attention to them. Expressions of horror fluttered over some of my family, not expecting to see the grotesque beings moving toward them.

My family was strong. We were born killers, but these weren’t normal fae.

“NO!” I screamed, but only garbled noise made it past my lips. The sound was drowned out by the thunderous roar of the dwellers shifting, magic crackling in the air. The familiar feel of Druid magic from my mother, aunt, and cousin hummed around us.

I heard acrackas beasts and monsters slammed into each other, howls penetrating the soil. Druid magic sparked, the familiarity of it dancing over my skin and burning up my nose as my mother and Aunt Fionna battled against the mindless drones surrounding them.

“Dubthach.” Sonya turned to him. “Deal with them.”

“What?” Dubthach blanched. “She is the queen.”

“An impostor.” Sonya frowned. “I want her dead.”

“They hold dark magic,” he rebutted. “I can’t counter that. They are more powerful.”

---