Page 89 of Land of Monsters

“You too,littlebrother.”

“Three minutes, Ravy… by three fucking minutes.” It was a point of contention our whole lives and I loved teasing him about it.

Starting to turn toward Ash to get his attention, I paused. “Howdidyou find me, anyway?”

“Oh—” Rook glanced over his shoulder, right as someone stepped up beside him.

My world stopped.

“Me.” My body went still as a blonde moved in next to him, her smile curving up her face. “So good to see you, Raven. We’ve been so worried about you since you disappeared. Since the night we were attacked, and I lost you.”

Rook nodded to her. “Eve’s been a real help—”

“Get the fuck away from him.” My teeth gnashed together, and I grabbed for my brother’s arm.

“Missed you too.” Eve tilted her head, her smile turning more malicious.

“Raven, what the hell?” He stumbled as I yanked him closer to me, keeping Eve in my sight, but at the same time scouring the plaza for Nikolay.

“You can’t trust her, Rook. She’s one of them.”

“One of who? What are you talking about? This is Eve.” He shook his head in confusion, pulling away, almost madder at me. Because this was the Eve he knew as my bodyguard, someone who had been in our lives since we were twelve. A friend. Someone we trusted.

I was stupid to think she wouldn’t have the gumption to go straight back to them and play the worried bodyguard, using my brother to get close to me. To find me.

“Rook, she’s not who—”

“You’ve been such a help, gorgeous.” Eve winked at Rook, cutting me off. “Not only bringing me right to her, but now I have two royals instead of one.”

“What?” He barely got the word out before Eve clutched his arm, slapping a goblin cuff over his wrists.

“Nooo!” I heard myself scream as my brother dropped to the ground, agony and shock twisting his features as the goblin metal tore magic from his body. She quickly gagged him, knowing his Druid powers needed to be spoken out loud to work.

Though my magic was not fully back, it buzzed under my skin, my fear calling it up to the surface. I lurched toward Eve.

“Don’t!” In a blink, a gun was pointed at my brother’s head, cementing my feet to the ground, stopping dead in my tracks. “I wouldn’t test me, Raven,” she sneered. “You have no idea the lengths I will go to.”

My gaze dropped to my brother. Torment and confusion swam in his eyes, the pain from the metal almost doubling him over.

He was my twin. My everything. And in one moment, she could take him from me. The notion bowed my legs, my throat closing up.

“Eve, don’t do this.” I pleaded, my frame vibrating against the need to shift to protect my family. “Please.”

“Then don’t make me.” She pushed the barrel deeper into my brother’s temple. “You come with me, and I won’t hurt him.”

Figures encroached around me, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Nikolay. The feel of being circled around like prey had a deep growl rumbling up.

“You make one move, Raven, and I will shoot him. Make no mistake. And no one here will even blink an eye.”

They wouldn’t. When you lived under a suppressive government, you learned to keep your head down to survive.

“You understand?”

I nodded my acceptance, my body shaking with savagery.

“No,” my brother muffled around his gag, his eyes going to me. I could read them so clearly, knew what he was thinking.

Fucking fight, Raven.

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