Page 6 of Land of Monsters

My obscurer got off on the power of controlling people, seeing their brains leak from their noses and ears.

I was born to be a murderer.

Ash turned from me, trudging through the snowdrift, his demeanor colder than the ice around us.

Much of last night was a blur after the Russians found us. Only a few moments stuck out amongst the high of blood and power bringing my monster back to life. Except my mind kept rolling back to the tiny hut. Waking up buzzing with heat and lust, the dweller needing to fuck, while Ash barked at me to get up and move. Ordering me around.

I expected my dweller to lash back; she didn’t even obey our alpha at home. But with every demand, wetness seeped into my panties, and I was compelled to strip what was left of my clothes.

Sometime last night, he had undressed me, used his body to keep me warm, saved me from hypothermia… even after knowing what I was. What I was capable of.

My blood heated at the memory of the hut, but I didn’t know why I’d awoken so needy. Like I had sex dreams about him but couldn’t remember. Not that horny wasn’t a natural state for a dark dweller, especially after a kill.

A few yards ahead of me, Ash changed our trek sharply and stopped, pinching his nose like his head hurt.

“What’s wron—” A wave of magic slammed into me. A thick, knotty spell, smelling of earth, layering over my skin, tapping at my most basic instincts, telling me to walk away.

The last time we neared the pagan temple, the spell around my cuff had blocked it, but now I felt it speak to every fiber of my being. Without my bracelet, the Druid spell blasted through my system with recognition and annoyance. Familiarity and challenge. As if we were still set back in the days of warring tribes, a Druid’s signature laid a subtle threat to all who neared from other clans.

Pushing on, I knew Dubthach (Dew-aach)would feel me enter his spell, the metal no longer disguising what I was. Like a fly hitting a cobweb, even in my weakened state, he’d feel power ripple over his, engulfing his own. I could lose my magic forever, but I was still a Cathbad, coming from one of the most powerful lineages of high Druids. And most of all, I was a Dragen. That alone usually sent people fleeing.

None of my senses were up to par, yet I could feel and smell people creeping up to us, hear the soft clink of a gun’s safety being taken off.

“They know we’re here,” I spoke to Ash, lifting my hands in peace, my gaze roaming the brush in front of us.

“Don’t move or we will kill you.” The voice came from the forest.

“It’s us.” Ash’s hand went up.

“Exactly.” Vlad stepped from behind a tree, his weapon pointed at us. Viorica and Codrin shuffled out from other angles. “You think I trust you anymore? Especially after what happened at Râ?nov?” he snarled, stepping closer.

“We told you we needed sanctuary from Sonya,” Ash replied.

“It was more than that.” Vlad scoffed, his head shaking. “Iain camesolelyto the fortressfor you. People were beaten and taken prisoner yesterday, all because you two got away.”He progressed even closer, his voice tight. “I helped you escape, now help us by leaving. You are a threat to this place. To us. Leave now.”

Over his shoulder, my eye caught movement. Dubthach’s dark skin stood out against the white snow, his rich black, brown, and orange dashiki popping life into the colorless terrain. His expression was stern, his back stiff, his defensive gaze locked on me.

“I knew something was not right with you,” Dubthach sneered, though his eyes held fear. “You are dark. Unnatural.” He came up behind Vlad. “You holdblack magic.” Every insult was crammed into those two words, coated in abhorrence and righteousness.

It was how my mother and I were treated when they found out. With repulsion.

My mother’s throne was still threatened by those who continued to hold prejudices about Druids. Death threats and revolts were daily events. Whispers of her past circled about her being “evil,” but most chalked those up to rumors. She worked hard at hiding the darkness inside. Something she and Aunt Fionna tried to teach me… and failed.

“You are a traitor to our kind.” Dubthach peered down at me. “A disgrace!”

“I’d watch your fucking mouth,” Ash growled, his hands rolling up.

“She should not exist.” Dubthach’s nose flared, more confusion and fear registering in his eyes. He sensed something else was wrong with me. Another element in there besides the dark Druid. “What are you?” he whispered before his fear won out. His mouth started moving with an incantation, his hands rising to inflict his magic upon me.

I was empty, with no claws or spells to guard myself, but I held my ground, my chin up. Dragens didn’t run.

“Stop!” A man called out, stepping up behind his group, turning everyone to his stout form. “This is not who we are!” Iacob, dressed in a thin cotton robe and unbuckled snow boots, tramped through the snow. His hair and beard were mussed, like he just woke up and threw on what was near and came running.

“But—”

“She has black magic—”

Both Vlad and Dubthach rebutted, turning to their leader.

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