Page 52 of Land of Monsters

“Dzsinn?”

Silence.

“Dzsinn?” I hissed again, hearing shouts come from both outside and inside the castle, my window of opportunity shrinking.

A whimper came from my arms, drawing me back to her. To why I was here. Getting her to safety was myonlypriority.

Click. Click.

A barrel pressed into the back of my brain.

“You thought it would be so easy, Ash.” A low snarl hit the back of my ear, the familiarity of my name confirming my fear. “I’ve been waiting for this.”

The barking noise wasn’t from a dog. It was from a gorilla.

Numbness slid over my shoulders.

“Joska.” I breathed out, twisting my head to see the former HDF soldier who tortured us as a guard in Verhaza and then tried to kill us in the pit. Joska was a violent extremist before Istvan experimented on him; afterward, he became a deadly monster.

“You remembered.” He had a high, domed forehead and wide nostrils. His body was bulked up, his chest heavy like a gorilla. He was no longer human, but not exactly fae either. He seemed to belong better with the things down in the cave.

“I was told you fled like a coward after the battle in Budapest.” Hatred seeped out of me. “I should’ve figured you’d join another tyrant to hide behind.”

A disturbing smile tugged on his face, like I was missing something.

“Joska?” Another man ran into the room, followed by the handful I saw in the quad.

The thin, cheetah-like man stopped, glaring at me, his canine teeth protruding from his lips.

“Samu.” Abhorrence oozed from my mouth, staring at the other former HDF soldier. “Not surprised you are still trailing after Joska like a lost puppy… or should I say pussy.”

His jaw snapped, his nose wrinkling like he was ready to swat at me with his paw.

My shock at seeing them had melted quickly to animosity, and I was more surprised at myself for not seeing this coming.

“I’d love to catch up, especially to find out how Brexley is doing…” Joska sneered. His hatred of her was deep. To him, nomatter how hypocritical it was, she was the ultimate fae traitor. She also killed one of his classmates in self-defense.

He wanted her dead. That girl had an ever-growing list.

“I’m gonna enjoy even more what’s in store for you.” Joska jabbed the gun into my head harder, turning me back where I came from.

Three other men and a woman I didn’t recognize stood behind them, all with animal characteristics. Like others who survived Istvan’s first experiments, they found their way to each other. A calling only they could hear.

“Balazs, take her.” Joska nodded at Raven, ordering a man who had hyena-like qualities—black and brown spotted hair, pointed ears, and a pronounced jaw and nose, his energy hyper and nervous. The man, Balazs, stepped forward, reaching for my girl.

“Noooo.” The guttural word vibrated the room. I twisted away from him, keeping her close. The trees out in the forest snapped with my wrath.

Thunk!

Joska’s thick hand and gun hit my skull, the force knocking me to the floor, Raven tumbling out of my arms.

“No!” I cried out, my arm stretching for her.

A boot stomped down on my hand, crunching the bones with sharp pain. Joska grunted down at me, the gun pointed at my face.

“The only reason I haven’t torn your limbs from your body and crushed your brain between my fingers is that she wants to see you first.”

Grabbing my backpack, he heaved me up to my feet, my head swimming as he stripped me of the bag and all my weapons. My stomach twinged when he peered into the bag, but I knew Opie and Bitzy would be gone. Sub-fae were the best at disappearing.

---