Chapter 19 #2
“I said now, Farkas,” Tracker snapped, motioning to the claw I had on my back. Begrudgingly, I unclasped it, lowering it to the pavement. His guards moved in, confiscating the weapons.
“See how smoothly everything goes if you comply?” Tracker smirked at us.
“Fuck you, you traitorous asshole!” Lukas spat.
“How do you sleep at night? You are the reason everyone at Povstat is dead. Children. People who considered you a friend. Innocent lives. How could you?” Lukas rushed forward, but Ash and Kek grabbed him, holding him back as a dozen more soldiers stepped out of the woods, their weapons on us.
“How could I?” Tracker motioned to himself.
“Mykel had us living like rats. Hiding. Cowards. He was the one who lied. How many of us died for him, but nothing ever changed? As if fae and humans could ever live together happily. It was all a lie. At least here I’m doing something of honor. Ridding the world of vermin.”
“Coming from someone no longer human.” I glared at Tracker.
“I’m something even better.” Tracker held up his chin. “A new race. One superior to the half-breeds and fae here.”
“Eszem azt az ici-pici szívedet!” I’m gonna rip your heart out and feast on it! Lukas fought against Kek and Ash, but they held him in place.
“You’d probably like that, wouldn’t you?” Tracker glowered at Lukas. “I knew you always had a hard-on for me, you sick fuck. Watching me all the time. Made my skin crawl.” He spit at him. “You disgust me.”
I sensed Ash before he even moved. His fury whisked through the trees, snapping branches. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you.” Ash moved, but Lukas grabbed him, now being the one to hold him back, whispering in his ear, trying to calm him down.
“Repulsive.” Tracker wrinkled his nose at them.
“Though I count this as my lucky day. When I got a call that some shady fae characters had come into a human-established town, I didn’t think I would get so many of you together.
Like a gift . . . and it makes my job so much easier.
Every one of you on his most wanted list, shoot on sight.
” His eyes danced over me, Killian, and Kek, stopping on Caden.
“Except for you. Your father didn’t seem to think you were worth mentioning at all.
Think he was gravely disappointed you and your whore mother weren’t killed in the Games. ”
Caden’s wrath bubbled at the surface, fists closing, veins straining against his skin.
He was ready to spring for Tracker. A growl filled my throat directed at Tracker as I stepped in front of Caden, blocking him from doing something stupid.
The magic that had once belonged to me was now also firing through his system.
And I could sense it. The urge to defend and protect him like he was my little brother crawled up my spine, spreading my shoulders out like a shield.
I fucking hated him, but I also would kill anyone who got near him.
“Hanna.” Tracker tilted his head at her. “Markos had higher hopes for you. You know you are one of us. You do not belong with them.”
“Fuck you.” Every syllable sounded like a struggle out of her mouth.
He grinned. “You join us today, we welcome you with open arms, no questions asked. It’s where you belong, and you know it. We can give you more of what your body craves. You want more, don’t you? You think about it more than you’d ever let them believe.”
Her hands opened and closed, her jaw gritted, not denying his statement.
“You’ll change your mind,” he replied confidently, turning back to me. “So, this is how it will go then. I kill everyone but you.” He wiggled his gun at me. “You take me to Brexley, where I take the nectar, and then I’ll shoot you two together. Sound good?”
“Minus everything you said, and insert I shred your body into pieces and gut you like a pig, and I’m all in,” I rumbled, stepping forward, my expression twisting up into a sneer.
“That’s not how this works anymore, Wolf. Fae are no longer top dog.” He swung the muzzle of the gun to another. “Gonna start with you. Think of the medals I’ll get for killing the fae lord.” Tracker pushed down on the trigger, a bullet heading straight for Killian.
“No!” A scream tore through the night, Rosie’s figure smashing into Killian’s, pushing him out of the way. Blood spurted out of her side, her body jerking as the bullet drove through her ribs.
“Rosie!” Killian’s bellow got lost as chaos exploded around us. Caden and I moved as one, barreling for the guards. The others rushed right behind us.
Pop! Pop!
Shells tore through my clothes, cutting into my flesh, only causing the beast to roar louder in fury.
Swiping up my claw weapon, I whirled around, slicing through a guard.
Caden grabbed the end of a guard’s rifle, slamming it back in his face.
Bones and cartilage snapped, the man dropping back to the ground as he took the weapon from him, turning it on another.
Like we did back at the castle, we moved together, each knowing what the other was going to do, synced in rhythm. He shot and I swung.
Birdie and Wesley took on more beside us.
Tracker retreated, yelling for his soldiers to kill us. The dozens I saw before seemed to multiply, coming from the shadows all around us.
It wouldn’t be long until they gunned us down. No matter how powerful, there were only so many bullets your body could take before it could no longer heal itself.
Another bullet drove through my arm, weakening my hold on the claw as I sliced and cut through a handful of fae soldiers. Wesley shouted in pain, dropping to the ground. Lukas was hit right after.
“No!” Anger bubbled inside, energy roaring through me, reaching out in pure instinct.
I felt her before I saw her.
My head jerked toward the sensation of her power. Her shadow was only feet from me, her dark eyes wide with horror as she took in the scene. Our attention locked on each other for a moment before another bullet burned across my skin.
“Use me!” Kovacs screamed at me. Not even giving me the chance to respond, Brexley shoved her magic into me. The power boomed inside my bones, spilling into my veins and locking in my muscles. It took over, a fire burning in my chest.
Life.
Death.
The current of adrenaline unleashed the legend, making me experience magic like I had never known before. Feeling every color, every sound, every smell. She consumed my body and surrendered all of it to me. And every part of me welcomed it. Wanted it all. Craved it.
And I took.