Was there anyone I could trust?
“Good timing then.” Istvan tilted his head, his fingers pushing into his desktop.
“Yes, it was.” I nodded, rubbing my head.
Istvan opened his mouth to speak as a knock on the door sounded.
“Sir?” Dr. Karl poked his head in. “I have the results back.”
“Yes, please come in.” Istvan gestured him to advance. Standing back up, he moved around his desk, meeting the doctor.
My attention went to the folder in the doctor’s hands, my stomach twisting. They should be normal. Nothing different, but I couldn’t fight the fear twinging in my gut, recalling the oddity Killian’s people found about me. It wasn’t something I could push away because fae and humans were different. I wasn’t fae, but…
Would Dr. Karl’s results say anything about me? Be abnormal?
Dr. Karl handed Istvan the folder, his brows furrowing.
“It’s the oddest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Fuck.
“What?” Istvan opened the file, staring down at the results.
“Ms. Kovacs has extraordinary levels of what is called Immunoglobulin M.”
“What does that mean?”
“There are antibodies that protect us from what the body would consider foreign bodies, like a virus, infection, or a disease. Though when they get too high, your organs usually begin to struggle to function. Ms. Kovacs’ levels…” Dr. Karl’s glower hit me like an accusation. The pause dangling me in the room like a noose. “Are off the charts—so extremely elevated—her organs should have completely shut down. She should be dead.” The doctor peered over his half-moon glasses, scrutinizing me. “However, every test shows they are as healthy as can be. It is beyond explanation, sir. Absolutely astonishing. Her body is using these antibodies instead of fighting them.”
Every muscle locked in place as all eyes landed on me. Killian’s words came back to me.
“For two weeks you have been taking the pills, crushed into your meals. While nothing happened to you, the other subjects would become more fae-like before they started to falter and die. Organs failed. Some faster, some slower, but in the end, all their minds would bend, taking orders before succumbing.”
The intensity of their eyes, their confusion, and speculation strangled me like a rope. Humans disliked difference. If there was something unusual about you, something that did not meet the norm, you were treated with suspicion. Mistrusted.
The knot in my throat expanded, not letting a word slip out.
“Maybe the test is wrong.” Caden spoke first, easing the tension asphyxiating the room. “Happens all the time. Contamination.”
Dr. Karl’s shoulders shot back, insulted. “They were not contaminated or done wrong. I tested her blood three times to make sure.”
“Do it again,” Istvan ordered.
Dr. Karl puffed, his face turning red.
“Then she is to come to my labs downstairs.” He turned to me, glaring as if it was my fault. “Even though I know nothing was wrong with the lab tests, if it’s to be insisted on, she comes to a sterile environment this time.”
“She will be there first thing tomorrow,” Istvan replied, his gaze going back over the file. “Other than that, she is fine?”
“Yes.” Dr. Karl dipped his head. “No signs of sexual assault. Only slightly dehydrated and malnourished with obvious scarring over her back and stomach. But shockingly, she’s in excellent health. Though I had to go back over my records…”
“For what?” Istvan asked.
“Her gunshot wounds. I don’t remember ever seeing Brexley for a gunshot in her leg or back.”
“Why would you?” Istvan looked to me, then to Caden as if we had hidden some secret from him.
“Well, because the healing around them appears to be at least three years old. Much longer than she has been away.”
Istvan’s blue eyes met mine again briefly, making me feel more like a specimen than a person.
“Thank you, Doctor.” Istvan dismissed him.
He bowed to his general, exiting the room.
Istvan strolled back to his desk, tossing the file down. “Caden said when you were caught you were shot in the back.”
“Yes, sir.”
“A wound you sustained about five months ago.” His lips pinched. “The way Caden described it… it should have been fatal.”
Silence.
I understood his meaning. An average person would have died; an extremely lucky person would at least still be recovering.
“Who knows what those fae bastards gave her?” Caden folded his arms. “They probably loved healing humans with their voodoo magic shit so they could tear them apart again.”
“Is that what happened there?”
“Yes.” Again, not a total lie. That bitchy healer injected me with something before I went to prison. Though, Halálház didn’t put any resources into healing you before they came for you again.
Istvan looked only at me, but his head eventually dipped in acceptance. “Did you have any contact with the fae lord or any of his top people?”
“No.” The lie slid off my tongue like butter. Why didn’t I tell him? Divulge every detail of Killian’s palace, every secret I could. “I only dealt with the fae soldiers at Halálház. None of them seemed high enough to be anything but guards.”
“No one knew your true identity?”
“No.” Like Jenga pieces, the lies stacked up.
“Anyone help you escape?”
“No.” I rubbed my forehead.
“Father...” Caden sighed. “Come on. She’s exhausted.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me, Brexley?” Istvan ignored his son. “Anything at all. You know how important any detail can be.”
“No, sir,” I replied. “Surviving Halálház was my only focus.”
He tilted his head. “It’s a miracle you escaped. No one ever has.”
“I would have died there. Only the bombing saved my life.”
Istvan sighed. “We will pick this up again tomorrow after you see Dr. Karl.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Come on.” Caden grabbed my arm, tugging me up. “Better go before he changes his mind.”
“Brexley?” Istvan’s voice stopped us at the door. I turned my head. “I am glad you are back. What you have been through… your father would be so proud of you.”
Stab. Twist. “Thank you, sir,” I croaked, tears skimming my eyes.
“Same time tomorrow, Brexley.”
I dipped my head in response, letting Caden pull me out of the door, away from his father’s prying questions and severe gaze.
“I’m sure you want nothing but to crawl into your bed and feel warm and safe again.” Caden’s arm went around me. “You’re home now.”
Home.
These walls, which used to be so comforting and familiar, brought me no sense of safety now.
If anything, I could feel them thrumming with warning, telling me life inside would never be the same.
That I no longer belonged here.
Chapter 10
“I don’t think she likes that.”
My mind hovered at the edge of consciousness, not ready to let go of the protection of dark and warmth.
Chirp.
“I know, I don’t get it either, but she gets all frowny.”
With an irritated groan, I dug my head into the fluffy pillow. Awareness seeped in. My brows crunched… My pillow in the cell wasn’t this fluffy or covered in silk.
Chirp.
“No, I really don’t think she’d prefer that either, but I know it gives me a jump-start in the morning.”
Slowly, my lids opened to find two brown eyes surrounded by bright colors and a long knobby finger near my nose.
I blinked, wondering where I was, a surge of panic popping my eyes fully open. Then I saw my bedroom, the four-poster bed, my dresser, pictures of my father and me. Like a slap, every memory of the day and nigh
t before poured in on me at once. I sat up.
I was home, back at HDF.
Gaping at Opie and Bitzy, knowing Caden had slept next to me all night, my head jerked over my shoulder with fear. The spot next to me was vacant, but the pillow was still indented from his company.
My attention shot back to the tiny figures on my bed in shock. The two things did not go together.
I flinched at Opie’s outfit, my eyes not ready for this level of abuse yet.
Wearing a bright fuchsia helmet with scrub bristles Mohawked down the center, his chest was bare while his lower half was skirted in multicolored feathers you’d find from a duster, his feet strapped with blue microfiber dusters. On his back, Bitzy had a smaller scrub brush duct-taped down her head, her large bat ears twisting and twitching, her finger flipping me off.
“I-I don’t understand?” I gaped. “This… how… but how…”
“Uh-oh. This one might be broken.” Opie patted my hand pityingly. “My name is Opie; this is Bitzy. We are your friends. You always give me things like shiny coins, glittery fabrics, and sparkly jewelry.” He spoke slowly, as if I were mentally defective. “Do you understand me? Should I draw pictures?”
“I don’t give you things.”
“Ohhhh nooo, you must have memory loss… or possibly brain damage. You also give me food… like bacon.”
I glowered at him. “I meant what the hell are you doing here?” I motioned around. “How are you here? It’s protected so no sub-fae can get in. There are traps and poisons.”
Opie twisted his head and peered at Bitzy for a beat before they both erupted in laughter, though Bitzy’s was just louder chirps.
“You think traps and poisons would stop sub-fae from coming in?” Opie howled, hitting his knee.
Chirpchirpchirpchirp.
“Shhh.” I looked at the door, ready for Maja to come running in.
“Oh, you’re hilarious, Fishy.” He chuckled, wiping his eyes. “You humans think it’s the same as catching a domestic rat. Please, I munch on the cheese while I use your snap traps for leg lifts.” He curved to the side, rubbing his butt. “Makes my ass look good.”
“So… if sub-fae can so easily get in, why haven’t they?”
Chirp. Bitzy rolled her eyes at me, basically telling me I was an idiot.
Crap. I was starting to understand her.
“First of all, we have, but humans never want to think about how little things go missing. They blame it on a maid or forgetfulness. We don’t get caught because we can glamour ourselves to look the same as everyday rodents. Plus, we move far faster than the human brain can comprehend. And most of all, why would we want to be here? Humans do not appreciate what we do.” He sniffed, brushing his feathers.
“I do.”
Blush colored Opie’s cheeks.
“But it still doesn’t answer why you are here. Why aren’t you back at the palace?”
Chirp. Bitzy flipped me off.
“I did not come for her.” Opie shot back at Bitzy.
Chirp.
“I did not,” he exclaimed. “I just like being around her. She appreciates my outfits.”
Chirp.
“Take that back.” Opie stomped his foot into the comforter.
Chirp.
“I would never. Master Finn is… To hear such disloyalty to him.”
Chirp. She double flipped me off, making Opie gasp dramatically, his hand covering his mouth.
“Bitzy…”
She shrugged, looking bored.
“What?” My eyes danced between them.
Opie glanced around like he was afraid someone would pop out suddenly.
“She said…” He shook his head in shock. “That I choose you to be my master instead, that my loyalty is for you now. Crazy, right? Sedition to speak against Master Finn like that. He’s my superior.”
Chirp.
“Yes, he is!”
Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!
Opie’s mouth fell open.
I inhaled and leaned away from her force and pitch. “Fuck, I don’t know what she said, but she really meant it.”
“I don’t think he could reach his own ass and do that.” Opie looked down at himself, curving as if he was trying to see if what she said was possible. “I mean, if he could, I don’t think he’d be so cantankerous all the time.”
My hand came to my face, a chuckle springing out.
My life was so confusing right now. I felt so deeply for these two creatures, who I should have despised and possibly tried to kill by the standards of my own people. Even Bitzy. Yet, they helped me make it through Halálház. My body had been broken there, and they kept my mind together, making me laugh or comforting me, getting me through some horrendous moments. They saved me from myself, became part of me, and I knew in my soul I would protect them with everything I had.
A firm knock sounded at my door, and I knew without even looking they were already gone.
“Come in.”
Maja opened the door, hustling in. “Edesem.” My sweet. “It’s time to get up. Lord Markos wants you in his office the moment you are done with Dr. Karl. He is in quite a mood this morning, so please, don’t dally.” She was already racing for my closet, pulling out an outfit for me.
I had never thought much about how controlled my life had been. Clothes, food, even… men. I hadn’t often made my own decisions.
I peered back at the extra pillow. Caden and I had slept next to each other so many times, but last night felt different.
His arms wrapped around me, snuggling me tightly to his chest. He didn’t try to push for more than sleeping, assuming I must have been exhausted and traumatized.
I felt the difference in the way his fingers lingered, tucking under my nightshirt, his mouth grazing my neck, the way he rolled into me, letting me feel his clear attraction for me.
I just lay there after he fell asleep, staring straight ahead, restless and empty. I had everything I wished for. I was safe back home with the boy I loved who wanted me in return. So why didn’t I feel a flutter of excitement at his touch? It would have only taken a little encouragement from me, and we could have been together. Finally.
I loved him. That wasn’t the question, but something felt off with me now. As if I had returned… wrong.
“Edesem, get up! Get up!” Maja whirled her arms at me, tossing a nice pair of slacks and blouse on the bed. It was an outfit I had worn a lot when I wasn’t training. Rebeka liked when I dressed nicely when I didn’t need to be in workout clothes.
I snorted. Hopping off the bed, I went straight for my cargo pants and a tank.
“But you are not training today.” Maja reached for the items, but I pulled them out of her grasp. Giving her a look, I walked past her to the toilet, shutting the door.
“Dr. Karl says not to eat or drink before you see him,” she yelled through the barrier.
“Okay. Thank you,” I replied absently, lost in my reflection. I had been so rushed the night before, I never really looked at myself. The girl looking back even appeared different somehow. To everyone else, she was the same, but I wasn’t. I could never be again. I thought returning here would make everything right again. Instead, it only emphasized what was wrong inside me.
Too much had happened. And no one here would ever understand that.
They already wanted to put me back in my box, as if that would make me forget. Forget I killed, forget the fear, the starvation, and the fact the people I cared most about and who I’d developed close relationships with were fae. Forget the nights I spent with a vicious half-breed, the feared legend who gave me comfort after I murdered my friend, making me feel as if I could breathe again.
Stripping down to my knickers, I stared at my naked figure, running my fingers over the various puckered scars. Stabbed, beaten, whipped, and shot. All in the last few months.
“The healing around them appears to be at least three years old.”
Fear clotted my throat. Humans didn’t heal like that. It
was a fact.
Am I not human? A bold voice shot into the back of my head, forcing me to suck in, gripping the counter. Terror wrapped around me, air struggling to move in my lungs. What am I?
A deep scoff made my eyes leap up, my gaze seizing on the reflection behind me. Holy shit. Not again.
Warwick leaned casually against the doorjamb, arms crossed. He was fully dressed this time in jeans, shitkickers, and a black T-shirt, which snuggled his chest and arms. His hair was down and loose, framing the intensity of his features.
His aqua eyes burned into me as they moved slowly over me, igniting every nerve to life. A smirk hinted on his mouth when my nipples visibly hardened.
“Now I know you want me to see you naked, Kovacs.” His eyebrow lifted, mockery lingering in his tone.
Last night I could write off the bathtub incident as exhaustion. A dream. A moment my brain decided to take a field trip. It was perfectly acceptable after all I had been through.
Standing here now, wide awake, feeling the cool tile under my feet, the counter pressing into my hips, I couldn’t brush this off. No way to deny it.
“Am I going crazy?”
He snorted again, lifting off the door. “You already are, princess, but that has nothing to do with this.”
“I don’t understand…”
“You think I do?” He glowered at me, stepping closer. His aura filled the entire room, consuming me, busting it at the seams, wanting to take up more space. “I have no idea what the fuck is happening. Nor do I want it.”
Ouch. Though I didn’t either. I didn’t want some bizarre link to this man.
“Me neither. I want my life back.”
“No, you don’t. This is no longer your world, is it?”
My breath hitched, my eyes widening.
“Can you read my thoughts?”
“No…” His lids lowered, shaking his head, moving closer.
“How is this possible? How are you here?”
Suddenly my surroundings shifted, and I found myself standing in the alley in the Savage Lands. The smells of coffee, piss, body odor, and cheap perfume punched up my nose so strongly I had to fight not to gag. I could see the sunshine beaming down through the awnings, warming my bare skin, and heard the people buzz and talk as they moved around us.
Wild Lands (Savage Lands Book 2) Page 10