Chapter 18 #2
“No.” He continued to wag his head. “My father can be a bastard, but he’s not capable of this. And my father certainly wouldn’t sacrifice humans. He’s spent the last twenty years protecting us from the fae, keeping us from becoming complete slaves to them.”
“There will always be sacrifices in war, but their deaths are for the greater good.” I quoted a sentiment Istvan had drilled into us over and over, knocking against the claim his father couldn’t kill humans.
Caden’s head jerked up, and I knew I made a mistake.
His brown eyes lowered, anger sinking into his bones.
He stood up, his tall frame inching over mine.
“I almost believed you. Trying to turn me against my own father . . . my own people. You are a disgrace,” he snarled, his body lurching for me.
Birdie snatched the hood of his sweatshirt, yanking him back.
“You are a betraying fae-lover!” he bellowed with fierce anger.
“Okay, field trip is over.” Birdie dragged him across the room and out the entrance.
Hanna shot up, glaring at me, speaking to Scorpion. “I’d like to go back now, too. I don’t want to look at her fucking face anymore.”
Scorpion breathed out with annoyance.
Hanna wiggled her cuffed arms. “The inmate would like to return to her prison now.”
Scorpion rose, his eye twitching as Hanna headed for the door. He took a swig of his drink, then followed her out, the hostage leading the captor.
I knew this wasn’t going to be easy for either one of them to hear. You can’t be taught something your whole life, then be okay when you find it was all wrong. It was going to take some time for them to adjust. Especially Caden.
And time was the one thing we didn’t have.
Reaching under Ash’s bed, I pulled the bag out, the heavy fae book dragging over the surface, poking out from the top.
Sitting back on my heels, I stared down at the leather cover, convincing myself I sensed the dullest of hums coming from it.
My body was so cranked up from the scene in the café, my arms and head quivered with energy.
Maybe I imagined it, making something there that wasn’t.
Though I couldn’t stop myself, my fingers stretching, only inches from touching the cover.
Click.
The sound of the door shutting behind me had me jerking around with a yelp. My gaze took in Scorpion standing a foot inside the doorway, his emotionless eyes on me.
“Bazdmeg!” My hand hit my chest. “You scared me.”
He stared silently. The weight of it crashed down on me. No longer could I skirt away from my actions.
“Scorpion, I’m sorry.” Rising, I brushed my palms against my pants. “I know you are mad. You have every right to be.”
He didn’t respond.
“I went against your order and put everyone at risk.”
“At risk?” he uttered, his chest starting to move up and down. “Risk was just being there, knowing at any time, things could go bad without doing anything. What you did—” He took another breath. “Maddox and Wesley were both shot and almost captured. They escaped only because of Birdie and Lukas.”
“Shot?” Guilt tightened my airways. Of course, they wouldn’t show it now, their fae magic healing them fast, but that didn’t take away from what might have transpired.
“We knew the peril going in, what might happen, which is why everyone needs to follow the plan to the T.” He traveled to me. To anyone else, he would be terrifying. He wasn’t as big or intense as Warwick, but even scaling back half, Scorpion was still dangerous and frightening.
“I know.” I wadded up my hands. “It was dumb and reckless, but I had to take the chance.”
His hands grabbed my shoulders, ramming me back into the wall.
“You were gambling with all of our lives, Brexley. On a chance,” he barked.
“On your life! Do you know what I felt when I couldn’t contact you?
Couldn’t find you? I thought you were dead.
I scoured this city, ready to kill whoever took you, and I .
. .” he gulped, emotion washing over his features, and I could see the terror, sense his grief, before he zipped it all back again, stepping away.
He peered to the side. “If you put any of our lives in jeopardy like that again, on a chance, I will kill you myself,” he grunted.
“This place is my family. It’s all I have.
” He flung open the door, stomping out and slamming it behind him.
Air exploded from my lungs, rushing in a steady stream. I sagged against the wall. His words were harsh and uncomfortably accurate. Though it wasn’t what he said so much as what I saw in his eyes.
I was part of his family.
“With or without the magic, every man here is willing to fight for you, stand next to you, die for you. And it’s not that bitch’s power that makes us bend the knee. It’s all you.”
Leaning over, I swiped up the bag, looping my arms through the straps.
Chirp!
“What the hell?” I jerked my head to see Bitzy crawling onto my shoulder from the pack. Her lids almost shut, a dreamy smile on her face, gooey grayish-brown pieces stuck to her lip.
“Bitzy, no! Come back here!” Opie’s voice came from the bag.
“Oh, shit.” I pressed my palm into my eyes.
“Hey, Fishy!” Opie popped up with a wave, trying to pull Bitzy back. “Look away. Nothing to see here.”
Chirp! Bitzy wiggled away, her three prong fingers stroking my face with awe.
“Opie . . .” I groaned. “You didn’t.”
“Didn’t what?”
“Eat Ash’s mushroom stash, again.”
“I didn’t.” He batted his lashes innocently, making my gaze catch on them and his outfit.
“Oh. My. Gods.” My mouth dropped open. “Then please tell me you did not make that dress from the book?”
Opie peered down. The thin curled strips of paper he attached to his lashes fluttered against his cheeks.
He brushed at the tiered ruffled skirt made from parchment paper.
His top was a one-shoulder crop top designed from another sheet.
A single page fanned out on his head, aligning with his mohawk.
“I did not make this dress out of the book.” He looked up; his forced smile was all teeth.
“Are you lying to me?”
“Y-yes.”
“Opie!”
“Not my fault! Bitzy was passed out, and I got bored.”
Chirrrrrpppp! She waved her hands in the air.
“Yes, I agree it’s all your fault.”
Chirp! Bitzy batted at invisible objects and then made a giggling sound.
So creepy and cute at the same time.
“For your sake, that better be a very boring moment in history.” I closed my eyes, taking a breath. “Why are you guys even here?”
“Last time we lost you, Godzilla Pants threatened to turn us into a brownie tartar with imp sauce.” Opie put his hands on his hips. “Which scared the broomsticks out of me, though slightly turned on, but mostly scared me.”
Chirpppp!
“No, I doubt he’d put mushrooms in with your sauce.” Opie’s paper lashes fluttered. “So, where you go, we go, Fishy!”
A sigh came up my throat, my head shaking. “You know Ash is going to kill you.”
Chirp! Chirp!
“Bitzy!” Opie gasped. “You’ll waste the mushrooms if you put them up there! Get lost in the dark cave.”
Chirp! She wiggled her fingers, a strange smile on her face.
“Right! Not like they haven’t been there before.”
Damn! That had to come with images. I groaned as Bitzy hopped around, trying to catch things that weren’t there. “Get her inside before she falls.”
“Sure thing, Master Fishy.” Opie grabbed Bitzy, taking her back into the bag.
“And no more mushrooms or using the book for outfits. I mean it this time.”
Muttering was heard from the bag, and it didn’t sound flattering.
Exiting the room, I noticed down the hall my uncle, Killian, Kek, and Lukas were in the main area talking with somber expressions.
“Hey.” I strolled up cautiously, all of them turning to me. “What’s going on?”
“Lord Killian and I feel our numbers can’t compete with HDF now.
” Andris exhaled heavily. He had so much strain on his shoulders—the lives in his hands, those he already lost, and our situation continued to get more dire.
“He feels he can’t trust most of his fae soldiers after the coup, and we’ve been seriously weakened here.
” Andris turned to Kek and Lukas, understanding dawning on me.
“You want Povstat’s help,” I finished for him. “You want to align with Uncle Mykel.”
Kek and Luk were his soldiers. They would be the best to go back to him with information and the offer. They knew firsthand how fast the city was falling here.
“We probably should have done this earlier,” Lukas spoke. “Captain needs to be aware and up to date on what is happening here. And we have no idea what is happening in Prague.”
“I can send soldiers with you, though we haven’t many to spare,” Andris said.
“No.” Luk shook his head. “Be easier for just the two of us to get in and out.” He peered at Kek, a strange vibe going between them. “Plus, I got a demon with me; who’d mess with me?”
“Damn right, pretty boy.”
Andris grasped his hands together. “I’m afraid we don’t have much time.”
“We’ll leave immediately, sir.” Lukas bowed, in his soldier mode.
“Thank you.” Andris patted him on the back.
“Borrow whatever weapons you need. Have Zuz show you where our motorbikes are. You will need them more than us. And please be safe.” He didn’t say it, but I could hear the warning in his tone.
Our world was on the brink right now, and at any time, it could come crashing down.
Luk and Kek moved for the exit. I reached out, halting them. My heartbeat stuttered at the notion of anything happening to them. My mouth opened with the same sentiment, my throat closing up.
Luk saw everything I was feeling. “We’ll be fine.” He hugged me. “You be safe too.”
“You guys come back, okay?” I blinked away my emotions.
“Don’t worry, little lamb, no getting rid of us now.” She squeezed my hand before the two disappeared.
“Ms. Kovacs?” Killian’s voice turned me around. “You ready?”
I nodded in compliance, strolling up to Andris.
“I hate that you are leaving again.” Andris wrapped his arms around me, whispering in my ear. “Be safe, dragam. I love you so much.”
“You too, Nagybácsi.”
He kissed my head before stepping back. “Keep her safe.”
“I will.” Killian bowed his head. “We will speak again soon, I am sure.”
Andris crossed his arms behind his back, dipped his head, and then retreated back to his office.
“Got everything you needed?” I advanced to Killian.
“You mean aligning with not one but possibly two rebel militias I considered an enemy only about a month ago because someone in my own house is starting a coup?” Killian scoffed. “Sure, it’s all going splendidly.”
I smiled up at him, our eyes connecting. His mouth stretched into a grin.
“Ko-vacs.”
The sound of my name jerked my gaze behind me, the call so muddled and low, I peered around, second-guessing the noise. A jet of wind from the top of the stairs gushed down, chilling my skin, the howl filling my ears with the same pitch as my name.
“You okay?” Killian asked.
“Yeah.” I shook my head, hitching the bag higher on my shoulders. “Let’s get back.”
Killian and I headed out, slipping through the now darkening sky.
I couldn’t get rid of the eerie feeling crawling over me, like the clock had just run out.