Chapter 6 #2
“It wasn’t until I came back from Halálház that I saw how obsessed Istvan was with becoming the most powerful ruler of the East and ending the fae, no matter the costs.
” I dipped my head. “Actually, I think he was always like that. Guess I didn’t notice or care before.
” Because I also believed fae were soulless and should be killed.
I was another mindless minion Istvan had been grooming into a soldier.
Not much different from the living corpses in Killian’s cells.
“Fuck,” he hissed, his hand running over his dark mop, with silver sprinkled through it. “Fuck!” He started pacing behind his desk. “This is so much worse than I thought.” He paused, taking a breath before he pushed a button on his phone. “Bring in the Novikov file,” he spoke into the speaker.
“Yes, sir.”
Only about thirty seconds later, Oskar, the man who brought his tea the day I arrived, came in carrying a file and placed it on the desk.
“Here you go, Kaptain.”
“Thank you.” Mykel nodded as the man left the room. “At least fifteen years ago, talk was going around about a ‘fae-like nectar’ that was found, which caught my notice.”
Nectar . . . The word dropped into my stomach like cement.
“It was said to be the only thing left after the barrier fell, which could give humans fae-like qualities: infinite life, no diseases or sickness, harder to kill . . . basically turning a human to ‘fae’ without any consequences.” Mykel shifted on his feet.
Something about his demeanor told me there was more to his story.
“That was when I noticed Dr. Novikov’s research.
He was one of them leading the charge to find it. Many of us thought he had.”
“What happened to him?”
Mykel flipped the folder open, pushing it out for us to see. Both Ash and Warwick moved in, all of us peering down at the paper.
On top was an old, grainy newspaper clipping with a picture of an older man, dated over fifteen years ago. The headline stated:
Dr. Novikov Goes Missing
After He Is Said to Have Found the Nectar of The Gods.
Dr. Novikov, a well-known scientist and partner of Dr. Rapava, has disappeared in China after claims of finding the fae nectar, which is said to give humans fae qualities.
This nectar is reported to make humans stronger and faster and end disease, sickness, and aging.
For a long time, the idea of fae food was considered a myth, which died when the barrier between the Otherworld and Earth fell.
But before his disappearance, Dr. Novikov claimed he had found the last known object to give humans eternal life, along with strength and power similar to a fae’s.
The clipping was cut, leaving out the rest of the article, but it was all I needed to read. A memory slunk in—the night of Caden’s engagement, when he declared he loved me.
“They have Sergiu set to marry some leader’s daughter in China, which is a huge blow to Father since they have some object or substance my father wants. Some special nectar.”
China. Nectar.
“Holy shit.” My gaze rose until I met my uncle’s. “Then Romania is after this too.”
“Romania?” Mykel’s eyes widened. I felt the guys stir behind me.
“What the hell are you talking about, Kovacs?” Warwick grunted.
“The man I was being forced to marry before I was put in prison was Prime Minister Lazar’s son, Sergiu.
” I swallowed. “Because I could no longer fulfill that duty, I guess they moved on to the leader of China’s daughter.
Caden hinted it was a blow to Istvan because the Chinese found the possible whereabouts of some special nectar.
’” I did air quotes, mimicking Caden’s words.
A slow roguish smile curled Mykel’s mouth. “Romania is going to be greatly disappointed with that marriage.”
“What do you mean?”
“China doesn’t have the nectar. All traces of it disappeared from that area when Dr. Novikov did. It was said he moved it into hiding or someone killed him and took it.”
“What?” I blinked. “Where is it now? Do you know?”
“No.” Mykel shook his head. “I’ve been searching for it ever since and have found nothing. I mean, it’s vanished without a trace.”
“Do you know if it even existed?” I held out my arms.
“Yes.” Mykel nodded, his feet shifting again.
I peered at him suspiciously. “How do you know?”
“Because . . .” Mykel inhaled, tipping his head back for a moment. “I was one of those who tried to steal it from the doctor.”
“What?” My mouth fell.
He cleared his throat, his eyes not meeting mine.
“At one time, I became, well, zealous with the notion of having eternal life, strength, and power. To grow an army and fight against all the wrongs.” He cleared his throat.
“I won’t sugarcoat it. I was one of those fiends out hunting for it.
Like in the days long ago when gold was found, and people would slit each other’s throats in the night to steal it.
This nectar was causing at least double the level of greed.
The desire to claim it turned those hunters into murderers. Fanatical and feral.”
“Did you see it? You know it’s real?”
“It is very real. It disappeared soon after I saw it.” His hands curled as if the nectar was once there. Been so close before it was lost. “And the night I saw it was the night it disappeared . . . forever. Along with Dr. Novikov.”
I watched my uncle, wondering what he was keeping from me. I sensed there was a lot more to his story.
“I didn’t even imagine Markos would be following Rapava’s more manufactured method.
Nothing good ever came from his experiments.
This is very bad. This changes everything.
” He rubbed his head again. “If Markos found a way to create them and is selling them to Leon? We are so fucked.” He picked up the pills, staring at them like they could give him the answers. “I need to see what else is in these.”
“Why?” I folded my arms.
“This is not the time to get righteous.” He tipped his head at me.
“We are fighting for our lives here, and I need to know what Markos is up to, what kind of army he and Leon can create, and why the ‘nectar’ is being talked about again. If it is still out there, I need to find it before Markos puts his plan in action.”
“No matter if it harms and kills humans?” I knew Istvan wouldn’t care about the fae he had to kill to make them, but what about the humans?
“The one thing I know when it comes to war, which Markos and Leon both believe as well, is sometimes you have to sacrifice a few for the greater good.”
In science, there will be sacrifices, but it is for the greater good. Those exact words in Dr. Rapava’s notes came back to me.
I felt sick and disgusted by their way of thinking, but as a survivor of Halálház, I couldn’t help but understand and agree. I knew too well the world wasn’t rainbows and happiness.
Living came with a sacrifice.
A price to pay.
My head wanted to crack open with all the new information rolling in it.
Questions and worries pounded against my skull like waves.
And I hadn’t even dealt with the biggest one yet.
The beast strolling behind me. The tension between us was so sharp, it felt like a thousand cuts burrowing into my skin.
“Don’t disappoint me, Brexley,” Mykel said before we left, and the same brown eyes of my father pinned me.
Mykel was letting us stay, but I understood our freedom was on a very short leash. The Kaptain of Povstat had other business to deal with and excused us from his office with the warning.
With a simple nod I left, feeling the weight of his decree. Me staying in line was one thing, but keeping Warwick under control was a feat I wasn’t up for.
The moment the three of us stepped out in the hallway, I whirled around on them, annoyance folding my arms.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“We came to save you.” Ash tucked back his blond hair.
“I don’t need to be saved.”
“You’re welcome, princess,” Warwick growled, mimicking my stance, treading closer.
“I don’t ever need to be rescued . . . by you or anyone.” I matched his step, getting into his face.
“Really?” Warwick huffed, his boots knocking into mine, snapping his teeth. “That’s not what it seemed when you had a hundred guards trying to kill you, and you needed my strength.”
“I never asked for your help!” I spat back, my fists curling. “Stuff your ego back into your pants, Farkas.”
“I have other ideas where I can stuff it.”
“Whoa-whoa.” Ash tried to push us apart, only able to move me a few steps back.
“Take a breath . . . both of you.” His gaze bounced between us.
“You two are going to have to address this obvious sexual tension disguised as anger thing as soon as possible, but for the time being, it has to wait.” Ash glanced at the guard close by, his voice lowering. “I have an idea.”
“Fuck.” Warwick rubbed his face. “Those never turn out good.”
“Hey.” Ash pointed to him. “Don’t even start with me after all the shit you got me into. The number of times I should have died.”
“But you didn’t.” Warwick shrugged.
Ash glared at him until Warwick dipped his head, his lips twisting, like fair enough. Ash flicked his chin, his eyes moving to the soldiers. “Let’s go somewhere we can’t be overheard. Follow me.”
Tracking back up to the surface of the church, a weight pushed down on my bones, my head spinning, my heart pounding harder.
What the fuck was going on with me? So much had happened I hadn’t even had time to contemplate why I passed out earlier. Why did I keep feeling like my energy was being siphoned?
Clamoring out of the faux grave, my limp legs didn’t quite make the edge, and I tripped forward, my body falling toward the ground.
In a blink, Warwick whirled around, his arms grabbing me before I hit. He growled in my ear, tugging me into his chest, getting me on my feet. The feel of his solid warm frame, his heartbeat, the energy pulsed off him. It was like I could finally breathe, the weight gone.
“Is everything all right?” Ash slanted his head in worry.
“Y-yeah.” I tried to pull away from Warwick, but he didn’t let go. Peering up in his eyes, his brows furrowed like he was trying to sense the truth of my response or feel it.
“I’m fine.” I pushed his chest, his arms dropping away. The moment his hand left me, a force plowed into me. Voices filled my head so loud I started to black out, and bile choked up my throat.
“Kovacs.” Warwick grabbed for me again, taking most of my weight. “What the fuck is going on?” With his skin on mine, the darkness dissipated, and the muddled voices cleared away.
“It’s nothing.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit. You almost blacked out . . . again.” His teeth gritted, his hands gripping my biceps firmly. “I can feel you . . . you can’t fuckin’ lie to me. You passed out earlier up here.”
“I-I don’t know what’s happening to me.”
“I might.” Ash’s somber tone jerked both of our heads to him.
“What do you mean, you know?” Warwick grunted.
“I said I might know,” Ash said to him, keeping his focus on me. “Keep holding on to her.” He moved up to me, his green eyes full of raw sexual energy and compassion. “Look around you, Brex.”
This was my second time up here, but for the first time, I fully took in the small Roman Catholic church. It had rounded doorways and gothic design, but it was not the structure that made this place unique.
“Holy shit.” My jaw dropped as I inhaled sharply.
Human bones were draped everywhere. Used as macabre art, thousands and thousands of bones were strung together like garland, dripping the room like streamers.
Wall art made of femurs and skulls, sconces from a pelvis, a crest of rib bones.
Every inch was covered, every part of a skeleton used.
Skulls were piled from floor to ceiling or made into artistic statues.
The most fascinating was a ghoulish chandelier, using every bone in the body, hanging in the middle.
Chilling, but at the same time morbidly beautiful.
Like it wasn’t just our faces or muscular torsos that made us beautiful but our framework, stripped and bare, with no costumes or facades to hide behind.
The truth that we were all the same underneath it all created true beauty.
Not one skull or bone showed you what race, sex, religion, social standing, or species they came from.
Fae or human. Sick or healthy. Woman or man.
We were all one here. The same.
Equal.
Joining together to create something beautiful.
“It’s . . . it’s amazing.” My head craned around, taking in every inch.
Ash smirked, amused by my answer. “Not surprised.”
“Why?”
“Some would find this blasphemy.”
“They are wrong.” I shook my head. “This is a celebration. A place where we can appreciate how alike we are instead of what makes us different. There’s no prejudice here.
No hate between races or species.” I saw Ash’s smile widen, liking my response.
“I would want to be here. Celebrated and awed with my friends instead of being put in a box in the ground to rot.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.” Warwick snorted, making me glare at him, his hands still tight around my arms.
“I read on a plaque, there are over forty thousand bones used in here. Think about how many skeletons surround you right now.” Ash gave a look to Warwick. “Let her go for a moment.”
Warwick’s forehead wrinkled, but he did what his friend asked, his fingers leaving me.
Like an avalanche, the buzzing of voices and energy dropped me to the ground with a blinding cry. My head pounded, vomit burning my tongue; the need to sleep weighed me down.
I heard Ash mutter something, but it wasn’t until Warwick’s hands clamped down on me, yanking me back up, did everything sharpen, my lungs gasping for air, the weight vanishing.
“Shit . . . I was right,” Ash muttered to himself. “And you shield her.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Warwick barked at his friend.
Ash rubbed his head, lifting his chin to look at us. “It was just a theory when I saw her pass out up here last time. I didn’t even think I was right.”
“What do you mean?” Warwick turned to him, his hand loosening.
“Brex, what do you feel when he lets go?”
“Um . . .” I exhaled. “Drained. Nauseous. Tired . . . like all my energy is being siphoned.”
Ash bobbed his head, his lips quirking with self-satisfaction, like my answer proved his theory. “This was a shot in the dark, but I’m pretty sure I’m right. And I think you just made it clearer to me.” Ash nodded to Warwick.
“About what?” I asked.
“I don’t know how all this works or what it means.” Ash swallowed. “But don’t you find it curious the girl who brought Warwick back from the dead hears voices and blacks out in a place which holds thousands of dead people?”