Page 142 of Land of Monsters

Ash never backed away. He challenged me at every turn.

The thought of him pulled a sob from my throat. “I miss him,” I whispered.

“Then why don’tyougo to him?” he countered.

“What?” I laughed. “Just leave? Like it’s so easy?”

“I didn’t say it was easy, but it’s not impossible.”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I’m the princess!” I exclaimed. “The next in line.”

“And you hate it,” Wyatt said. “Youalwayshave. You never wanted to be queen or in the public eye.” Even if I had become comfortable with who I was and no longer would hide my traits, it still wasn’t something I wanted to flash around. People in general were judgmental and wanted a reason to tear me down. Even more so because I was royal.

“So?” I shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I can just walk away from it. I can’t do that again to my parents.”

“Maybe not completely, but your mother isn’t going anywhere, and why do you have to be next in line?” he asked. “Why not Rook?”

Rook was made to pick up the mantle from my mom. He liked this life.

“Have you even told your parents you don’t want to be the ruler?”

I blinked. “Not directly.”

“They love you, Rav. You know they’d want you happy.” He shrugged one shoulder, a device in his pocket beeping. He took it out, peering at the updated mobile phone Lars was testing, his eyes glinting.

“Piper?”

He grinned. Fuck, that boy was in love. How did I not see it before?

“Yeah.” He stuffed the cell back into his pocket.

“You better go.” I nudged at him.

He nodded, about to turn, but stopped, looking back at me. “You know those stories we used to make up about people at the parties?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t wait for someone else to give you a story, Raven. Go write your own.” Wyatt strode away, heading for the woman he wanted his fairy tale with.

I just needed the guts to do the same.

Chapter 29

Ash

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“Fuck, I’m exhausted.” Scorpion slunk down in the seat across from mine, his lids closing briefly. “I need a drink.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, feeling the train jerk as it pulled out of the Prague station. We had just finished a run from Budapest to Prague for Brexley’s uncle, and now were heading back. Besides the supplies, a few newly human-fae went to work with Mykel, looking for a new life.

Getting the victims of Sonya settled was one of the things bringing me solace lately. It felt good to see them thriving with their new powers, learning to adapt, finding a new home to settle into away from the horrors they went through.

However, not everyone in the tunnels survived that night, and a handful did not want our help, running off like they could escape the truth. But for the last three months, for those who did want help, I did everything I could to give them the chance.

I worked hard for Scorpion and Warwick, proving to everyone they could trust me again. Believe in me. I owed my family everything, and I threw myself into work. I picked up every job I could in Warwick and Scorpion’s “supply” business, keeping myself so busy I could ignore the ache in my chest.The pull to her that saturated my dreams and consumed the moments I let my mind wander.

Every second, the desire to go to her was outright painful, but the memory of letting Wesley die, knowing every one of thosePrimulhad escaped that night, made me put my head down and work harder.

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