Page 115 of The Monsters We Are

Wynter’s head snapped up as the land far above them seemed to vibrate and rumble. She let her lips curve. “Ah, they’re here.”

Adam’s expression hardened. “They will not penetrate the shields that protect the entrance.”

She flicked up a taunting brow. “You sure about that? Personally, I wouldn’t be. But then, I’m not quite as arrogant as you are.”

“If I were you, I’d watch your mouth,” Noah said to her.

Continuing to blank him, she spoke again to Adam. “I mean, they broke out of a prison you constructed. Why wouldn’t they be able to pierce a shield?”

Adam gave an arrogant flick of his hand. “They had the aid of Aeons, then. This time, they do not.” He said it as though the Ancients were nothing when not backed by his own kind.

She snickered. “You people believe you’re so damn special and superior. I cannot think why. Hell, you couldn’t even get rid of a little rot.”

His nostrils flared. “You will do that for us.”

“I will doshit.” She choked on a breath as power streamed from his fingertips and slammed into her stomach, making it feel like she’d been impaled on four roasting hot swords. God, it hurt, it burned, it made her fuckingpissed.

He briefly looked upward as yet more vibrations ran along the city’s surface. “Wrong, witch. You will do whatever I tell youwhenI tell you.”

She shot him a daring smile. “You’d have to take the collar off first, and I don’t think you have the guts to do it.”

More white-hot stabbing pain rammed into her, sinking straight into her shoulders. She locked her teeth, refusing to make a single sound of pain.

Inside Wynter, her monster pressed forward and merged with her soul before she had the chance to stop it. Power punched into her, but it didn’t surge through her body this time or whip through her like lightning. Ittrickled, slowly filling up every corner and extremity . . . as if a foreign force had taken a slow, languid stretch inside her and fitted perfectly into her very being.

Even so, the power was too much to bear. She couldn’t hold back the moan as her eyes prickled, her blood bubbled, her teeth rattled, and her head swam.

Distantly, she heard the deep chuckles of males who no doubt thought she was buckling under the brunt of Adam’s petty strike.

A breeze, cool and otherworldly, danced over her face—reassuring, soothing, distracting.

And then everything began to settle as the discomfort faded. She flexed her fingers, feeling charged and restless. Her senses had sharpened. Her nerve-endings were all fired up.

Her monster gently withdrew . . . and she realized then that the pain from before was gone. Just the same, she no longer felt weak, sore, or stiff.

The monster’s power had evidently neutralized the liquid iron. And now she felt hyper-awake and energized—which was hard to hide, but there was no need for the Aeons here to know about it.

“Finished making unwise remarks?” asked Noah.

Again, Wynter pointedly ignored him. Hearing yet more rumblings from up above, she slowly reached up and tugged at the collar. “It’s only a matter of time before they get in here,” she told Adam.

He made a dismissive sound. “Our shields are impenetrable, but feel free to believe whatever makes you feel better.” He rolled his shoulders. “I shall be back later once the Ancients and their people are dead. Then you and I can get better acquainted.” He cut his gaze to Noah. “Stay with her.” He and his brothers then strode off.

Noah took a step toward the cell, sneering. “I hope you don’treallythink that anyone’s coming to save you.”

Wynter flashed him a patronizing smile, planting her hands on the floor either side of her. “Of course they’re coming.”

Noah let out a derisive snort. “The entrance is blocked and shielded.”

“Themainentrance, sure. But there’s another way in and out, isn’t there? It’s how you got me here, and I’ll bet it isn’t guarded.”

“Doesn’t matter. Outsiders don’t know of it.”

“Youclaimed to not know of it, as did Eve and Rima.”

“They were telling the truth. I once saw someone access it. I knew I could use it to bring you down here to my grandfather. He was very pleasantly surprised. He truly didn’t send me, Rima, or Eve to Devil’s Cradle, so he wasn’t expecting me to arrive with an unconscious you in tow. I knew that the only way to get you here was to help the Ancients escape their prison so that you would all declare war on the city, and so that was what I did. And it worked.”

The prick sounded so very proud of himself, like he’d outsmarted everyone. He was clearly also certain that she wasn’t going to escape or he wouldn’t be so chatty.

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