Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
WARWICK
The train jerked to a stop, and my head whipped toward the closed door, which had been left unmanned and unguarded after Scorpion left his post.
I gritted my teeth, traveling to the exit. The cargo carriage had no windows, concealing us from the outside, but it also hid the outside world from us, leaving us blind to the dangers.
The train’s whistle blew as I pried open the door just enough to peer out into the early evening. The sun had already lowered behind the horizon. It left enough light to capture the terrain.
“Bazdmeg,” I hissed, fully taking in what I was looking at.
We had seen Markos’s army building up along the Ukraine and Hungary border, the tanks and soldiers prepping for war. I thought that was the extent of his troops. They would all leave from there to invade Hungary.
I should have known to not underestimate Istvan.
This train had taken us west as I hoped, but not to where I thought. We were in Slovakia.
I had driven through this area a hundred times before. It was hardly a village anymore, more of a border junction between Slovakia and Hungary, off the 22 motorway, which led you straight into Budapest from the north.
Istvan was surrounding Hungary, coming in on Sonya from the north and east. By the sea of tents filling the field and the dozens of tanks, trucks, and soldiers spread as far as I could see, they were more than ready for war.
“Crap on ashbark,” Ember muttered next to me, taking it all in. Soldiers shouted, their figures moving to the arriving train, ready to unload the cargo.
I slammed the door shut, my gaze rolling around the space, knowing we had only one other way out—the door which led to the next car. That was our only possibility to escape. To slip out between the two.
“Move those now,” I ordered, pointing at the crates blocking the door. Kek, Lukas, and Ash were on it, sliding them out of the way. “You keep her fucking quiet . . .” My shoulder bumped Scorpion’s, my gaze dropping to Hanna, leaving off the or I will fuckin’ kill her myself.
His jaw locked, but his head nodded, dropping to untie her, tying a cloth around her mouth. I hoped that would be enough, because if she let out one scream, we were done.
“You got her?” I turned to Caden, though I didn’t have to. He already knew what I was going to ask.
He nodded, curling his arms under Birdie’s unconscious body, lifting her easily.
Grabbing guns and ammo from an open crate, I tossed them back to everyone before Kovacs and I moved to the door, cracking it open, seeing the camp was all on one side and a forest with some abandoned buildings on the other.
I could hear the guards closing in, some already opening the doors to the carriage in front of us to unload, footsteps walking back toward ours.
We wouldn’t have enough time for all of us to get out.
“We could really use one of your distractions about now,” Kovacs whispered, her voice trying to hide the sheer panic rising inside her, the magic bubbling, feeling the threat, though she kept it in control.
“Well, slap cheese on my ass and call me a cracker.” Cal’s tiny voice buzzed past my shoulder. “Distraction is my middle name.”
“I thought it was Beverly.” Simmons flew next to him.
Cal shot Simmons a glare. “Noooo, it’s not.”
“Yes, you were named after your grandma—”
“Shhhuuut. Uuuuppp.” Cal jeered through his teeth.
“What the fuck are you wearing?” Eli blinked at Cal, making me notice he was dressed almost exactly like Opie.
The same shredded paper skirt, gunpowder designs on his torso and face, but instead of a crown, he had the bullets strung around his neck like a warrior necklace.
He also had a small sack around his neck, full of something.
“It’s a baked good original,” Cal replied. “Plus, it lets my wee-bits hang free.” Cal flew out with a half-assed salute, the paper skirt twirling in the air, hiding nothing.
“We will not fail you, my lady.” Simmons did a proper salute, following Cal out of the carriage.
“Are they in any way going to help us?” I growled.
“Fifty-fifty chance.” Ember shrugged.
“Try sixty-forty,” Eli huffed. “And not in the positive.”
“Do you need us to help, Fishy?” Opie piped up from Brexley’s shoulder.
“Noooooo.” Almost everyone responded in unison.
“What?” Opie gaped. “But I have a 90 percent rating of success.”
Chirp!
“Okay, maybe an eighty . . .” Opie replied. “It’s a solid forty.”
Ash sniggered right as we heard voices at our carriage, the locked door jiggling. Tension expanded through my muscles, my finger dropping to the trigger, ready to shoot our way out of here.
“What. The. Fuck?” A male voice spoke in broken English from outside. “What was that?”
“Pixie dust bomb!” Cal sang out in a chuckle.
“Get away from me, disgusting sub-fae.”
“Sub-lime you mean,” Cal retorted. “And you better be nice. This pixie dust is pure gunpowder I just sprinkled over you, dumbasses. One flicker of flame . . . whoosh! Fried zombies!”
“Fuck,” I muttered to myself, motioning for Killian and Rosie to go while the guards were distracted. “I think I’m beginning to like that flying rat.”
One by one, the group snuck out of the carriage, jumping down on the opposite side of where the troop was and darting to the abandoned building to hide behind.
Gunshots rang out, halting the air in my lungs.
“Really? That’s the best you can do?” I heard Cal laughing. “You suck, mush-for-brains.”
Air exhaled through my nose when I realized the guards were shooting at the pixies and not at us.
“Go.” I pushed my hand into Kovac’s back. We were the last two on the train. Like a ghost, she slunk out, slipping almost silently into the darkness as I followed. Our link threaded through the night like a protective shield.
I didn’t stop once I cleared the field. My pace not relenting, I led the group around the soldier encampment.
Crossing over into Hungary, I got us far enough away from the troop to feel we had made a clean escape.
Spies were probably everywhere through this area—for both sides. We had to constantly be on guard.
Gulping for air, Scorpion heaved Hanna off his shoulder, where she had been fighting and struggling against him the entire time. She kicked and hissed at him, trying to wiggle free of her restraints and gag.
“Dammit, little viper.” He gripped the back of her head, pinning her body against his so she couldn’t move. His voice was low and demanding. “Calm. Down.”
Hanna’s muffled cries died instantly, her body locking up, her chest heaving as his grip tightened in her hair, their gaze fastening on each other. I gave them ten seconds before they were fucking each other’s brains out.
“Where are we going?” Caden hitched Birdie’s figure up higher in his arms. “We can’t stop. This area will be filled with spies. Probably not any on our side.” He repeated what I had been thinking, his mind taking in all the information I knew about this region.
“We’re about a day’s walk from my safe house near Csehvár,” Killian spoke, jerking my head up in attention.
Where my sister was. Simon. Kitty.
My mouth opened to respond when a branch snapped in the dark forest behind me. As if we were all synced together, our group spun toward the noise, guns cocked and ready to fire.
“Your sister will be really pissed if you shoot me.” A figure moved out of the shadows from behind the trees.
Brexley’s arm dropped, her mouth parting in shock. “Za-Zander?”
“Brexley?” A small neigh rumbled in his throat, joy and shock at seeing her.
“Oh gods, Zander.” Brexley ran to him. He caught her up in his arms, hugging her tight.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” Zander whispered to her. “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you.”
“Same,” she hiccupped.
He squeezed her again, his eyes catching mine over her shoulder before pulling back.
That’s right, pony-boy, step it back.
“My lord.” Zander dipped his head at Killian, nodding at everyone in greeting.
“Zander, what are you doing here?” Killian asked, watching more figures move out of the forest behind him. I recognized most of them from Sarkis’s army but didn’t know any by name.
“Keeping watch. Spying on Istvan’s troops and their movements,” he said lowly, all the others staying quiet and in the background.
He was clearly the leader of his group. “Mykel has us spread all over. Near Budapest and the borders.” He nodded behind us, indicating Istvan’s camp.
“We’ve been watching them for a couple days now. We heard the train and gunshots.”
“Yeah, that was us.” Ash snorted. “Go figure.”
Zander waved us on. “It’s too dangerous to stay here. Too many eyes and ears around. Follow me.” He turned, his faction leading the way as we followed. We stayed alert, guns drawn, while Zander directed us through the forest out to a country road.
His group disappeared into the ravine, the darkness hiding anything beyond. After a few minutes, an engine vibrated, a Hummer pulling up, headlights off.
“Guess they found my underground garage,” Killian muttered.
“Oh yeah, speaking of that.” Brexley grimaced. “You have fewer motorcycles at your other safe house. And guns . . . and your bed might be broken.”
“Wait. What?” Killian stopped in his tracks.
“Come on,” I smirked, swinging the passenger door open to the Hummer and hauling Kovacs in.
We had to pack in like rats. Wesley, Scorpion, Hanna, Caden, and Birdie got in the far back, some more squishing in the back seat, while I put Kovacs on my lap in the front.
Some of Zander’s men rode outside, their feet on the side panel, holding onto the mirrors with one hand, gun in the other.
Zander flew us down the road, knowing at any time trouble could be coming the other way, looking for blood.