Blood Lands (Savage Lands #5)(84)

Cradling my throbbing cheek in my hand, a pang of guilt dipped my head lower.

“No.” My lashes batted together, trying to keep the emotion out of my throat. “I never had the chance... and we were actually headed to Povstat when we were caught.” Where Eliza and Zander were probably gunned down and perished.

“What’s wrong?” The rub of fabric against the wall rustled as Killian moved. “I can hear something is wrong in your voice.”

Staring into the void, I gulped back down the bile in my throat.

“Eliza and Zander.”

“What. About. Them?” Tension and worry escalated with each word.

“They were with us.” I forced my tears back, fisting the fabric of my pants.

“Where are they now, Ms. Kovacs?” Killian turned back to using my last name, his timbre clipped. “Please tell me they got away.”

“I don’t know.” I dug my nails into my pants, rolling my fingers in tighter. “Istvan told me they had been fatally shot, but we haven’t found them yet.”

Killian inhaled sharply. I knew he had grown to care about them, even if one was supposed to be a hostage and one a spy against him. “What about Simon? And Tad?”

“They are back at the cabin—safe.”

He let out his breath.

“Wait. Wait.” Tracker exclaimed with surprise. “You might have a group heading to Povstat right now?”

Gritting my teeth, causing more pain to shoot down my nerves, I blinked up at the ceiling, though I only saw darkness. “I hope...” Or they could be dead, and no one was coming for us.

“Mykel could be heading here right now?” Tracker emphasized the last part.

“Again, I don’t know.” Please, please say they got away. They are alive.

“But it’s possible.” It wasn’t really a question. “Will you give the nectar to Mykel as you said you would?”

“I never said I would give it to him.”

“Because you made a promise to me, Ms. Kovacs,” Killian stated.

“Under duress...”

“Semantics.”

“I’m still not fae, Killian. I am not bound to a promise.”

“You’re not human either, so once again, let me say, stop acting like one,” he replied, his voice going low. “Maybe I don’t need the nectar. I can possess you.”

“Good luck with that,” I huffed but couldn’t deny the heat rushing up my spine from his claim. Killian and I would always have a spark. “But guess what? I fulfilled my obligation. You already have it.”

“What?” Tracker burst out instead of Killian. “He has the nectar?”

“Tad found it after we were taken. Guess where he took it?”

“The cabin,” Killian muttered in relief.

“Yeah, and you also inherited seven necromancers along with the Druid.”

A dry laugh came from Killian. “Of course. I’m not even together with you, and I’m the one invaded by your whole family.”

I snorted out a laugh. “Well, at least they’re another layer of protection. With them and the Druid spells, no one can just walk in and take it.” The moment I uttered the last few words, something clicked in my brain, a piece of the puzzle I didn’t even know I was missing.

Freezing in place, the realization grew, expanding through my gut and up my throat, cutting off my air. Short, harsh breaths shot in and out of my nose, my chest clenching in panic.

“What’s wrong?” Killian’s voice reached me.

“Oh, gods...” My mouth gaped, the idea clicking in with astonishing horror.

“What?” Killian’s shackles clanked.

Suddenly I could feel Warwick and Scorpion both near me, my fear pulling their shadows, my emotions pushing through the goblin magic as if it were paper.

“Kovacs?” Warwick moved to me.

“Brex, what is it?”

Terror jammed my vocals as I peered up at the two men. I couldn’t move as my theory became more and more solid, kicking me in the gut with utter clarity. How did I miss this?

“What, Brexley?” Killian growled, also picking up on my fear.

“They can just walk in.” My throat swelled, making it hard to get out my words.

“Who? Walk in where?” Killian’s pitch was strangled, as if he sensed where this was going.

“I can’t believe I never connected this.” My brain looped and spun with my revelation.

“You better fucking explain what you are talking about now,” Warwick demanded.

“The human guards down here have all taken the pills, giving them fae qualities, right?”

“Yessss,” Tracker replied with suspicion. “So?”

“This entire prison is spelled with Druid magic, so fae can’t use their powers in here. But that doesn’t apply to the human-fae soldiers because they aren’t made from natural magic. Or me. It hurt, but I was still able to do it.” My eyes met Warwick’s, and his widened with understanding, and I whispered. “We pushed through it.”

I heard Killian breathe in sharply, probably putting the dots together.

“I don’t understand. What’s that have to do with anything?” Tracker asked.

“Because...” Killian exhaled heavily. “My property is spelled with Druid magic. Nature’s magic.”