Page 22 of Monsters (Vengeance #3)

Gray

T he bastard looked even worse than I remembered him.

His body was massive and he sat on top of that white horse like a goddamn King.

Piece of shit. My lips peeled back as his dark eyes met my own, that blonde hair faintly reminding me of silver.

I hated this man so much. I wanted his body in ashes at my feet.

My skin heated up as the predator behind my eyes shifted.

Why was he smiling? The fucked up bastard took his time as his army marched behind him. His cocky smile had me feeling infuriated as Vegas stepped closer to me and spoke.

“This isn’t right.”

I knew she was right.

My eyes tracked over his posture and I breathed in the air around me. Something was hiding just outside of my reach. It didn’t surprise me though, I knew he would play games. The man was too much of a son-of-a-bitch to do anything upfront and honest.

A coldness invaded my spirit as I narrowed my eyes at his gaze. He seemed confident but there was tension there. Tension I soaked in because I knew he was scared. His army was small. This was a fucking suicide attempt. So, why did he seem so confident?

He stopped his lines right where the ward would have been if I hadn’t weakened it. Perfect placement. So, what was wrong?

“I would agree with that.” It was an honest response that lacked my true feelings.

“Gray,” Rhodes's accented voice drew my attention. “There were troops attempting to come from the East border but we’ve intercepted them with the men already stationed there.”

I turned to my jaguar shifter and his gold eyes met my own. I squeezed his shoulder but looked back at Mario. I was glad the East border hadn’t worked out for them, but right now? That didn’t matter as much, that just seemed like a well-placed distraction.

Our armies were fifty yards away from one another and I knew what was coming next.

Mario offered me a goading look and approached the downed ward as a sign of trust. I nudged Midnight forward as Adyen made a pained sound. There was a part of me that wanted to comfort him but the other, stronger part of me was possessed by my need for vengeance.

I wished that I could have saved everyone but the real target of this war, Mario, was using his army as a shield. He knew he would lose against me and the Dark Fae had no True Heir, so he had to be creative instead of facing me head on. If creativity meant sending your men on a suicide mission.

This was the man who encouraged suicide bombers though.

Behind me the power levels turned up and I felt it fuel me. The land around me came alive and Mario’s eyes widened slightly at the disturbance. He could surrender. He should.

“This is a suicide mission,” I spoke with a serious tone.

Mario’s eyes flashed with a sickening light. “Good try, little girl. I’m not concerned about your band of misfits. Why don’t you hand yourself over and spare yourself the embarrassment of defeat.”

I snarled. “I am trying to save your people’s lives. Don’t make me do this Mario.”

His lips pulled together. “I can’t wait to see if you scream as pretty as your mother.”

This motherfucker.

I couldn’t wait to have his blood dripping from my hands.

“I am going to rip your heart from your chest.” I let a dangerous purr into my voice as he seemed to get more excited.

It was dangerous to play war with a madman.

The screams and blood wouldn’t be stains on his hands. They would be washable. Forgettable. Me, though? I would never fucking forget. I let myself absorb the significance of what I was about to do. I was going to kill. A lot.

Mario spoke softly. “Tell me, what do you think your little Horde misfits will look like in chains?”

The imagery he painted made my decision very clear. There were people counting on me and I planned on being what they needed. What was essential.

Before he could respond, a loud roar shook the land and my lips peeled back in a snarl. It took one moment of distraction. I had looked up towards the massive dragons ripping through the scene as they spewed black flames on my army.

Fuck.

Panic ripped through me but my eyes widened at the sight of Vegas’s power lighting up. Her hands shot up and like once before at coronation, a black mirrored surface broke the damage. I knew any chance of peace was over at that point. Motherfucker tried to kill my people.

My eyes found Mario’s as he slowly retreated and his army charged forward.

Motherfucker.

Instantly, men were on me. I soared off Midnight, gracefully landing as I nudged her and she sprinted back towards the base camp. A soldier collided with me and I laughed as he attempted to take me down. My hand twisted to grab his arm as I snapped it in half. His cries were the sweetest delight.

The savage in me was coming out.

Mario had men coming at me from all directions.

I couldn’t even take the time to go after him or check in on my boys.

I was letting out my magic without a second thought.

She twirled with delight as I let her ashy tentacles whip out and icy windows collapsed over the space I fought in.

A large man came right at me with a sword and I snapped his neck, his body and sword falling into another man and killing him.

Dumbasses.

Someone grabbed the back of my neck and I grabbed the person’s hair. My power pulsed through and ash surrounded me from whomever I’d just broken apart. Unfortunately, not all deaths were as neat and, before I knew it, I had to use raw force to kill these men.

My fist broke a chest cavity as someone attempted to slide a sword into my back.

I twisted the man in front of me to take the brunt of the sword and was thanked by a massive explosion of blood.

I could feel Rhodes's power as he let out a vicious roar that was echoed by Adyen in the skies.

My confidence in the situation began to grow as I killed man after man.

Body after body. I was covered in blood and ash as the cold, icy winds surrounded me in a dangerous hurricane .

Then, I felt it.

I grunted as my magic was pulled on, almost like a vacuum. I didn’t need to fucking guess who was doing it but instead offered Mario a scathing look.

Asshole.

My power was still stronger than his bullshit though, and the only distraction from my mass slaughter was a massive dragon landing in front of Vegas.

Who the fuck was that? I didn’t have a chance to watch the individual confront her because someone tried to yank me onto the ground by my hair. That was some petty shit.

“Baby,” Athens stood over me having sliced off the head of the hair puller. He offered me a hand and I grinned.

“Oh, watch out,” I swore as he ducked and I blasted the man behind him with cold dark power. The man paled and then broke into smoky ashes.

Fucker tried to hurt one of my boys.

My eyes found Neo as he easily, and with a grin, slaughtered soldier after soldier. I could also see some mass commotion happening towards the back of the base camp. Now, why the fuck did I feel that was Tamara and her men?

A searing pain broke through me as a fucker stabbed me in the ribs.

I growled and thunder cracked throughout the Horde.

My power manifested from the land in the form of lightning.

I couldn’t help but smile as I killed the man who’d stabbed me and lightning began to strike down some of the assholes. Now, that was cool.

“Oh fuck,” I was tossed off my ass and found myself falling face first into the rough, burnt ground.

A heavy weight tried to press on my back.

I used all my strength to throw them back as the heavy fucker cried out.

My sword, rarely used, made an appearance while slicing through his neck.

The splash of blood felt like cool water against my searing fury .

Vegas was there then, and her eyes were black as she shimmered with some odd fucking fire magic. I grunted as I snapped the necks of two more men before looking back at her. “Having fun?”

My ribs were radiating with pain but screw it. What was the point of war if you couldn’t be light-hearted about it? Except Vegas didn’t find it funny and her eyes snapped to Mario, a nearly feral look crossing her face. Then my magic sparked in response to Vegas.

Vegas barreled towards Mario and the land responded to her, making me feel as though our connection was a live wire. Fury rolled across my skin from her and then the bitch lit up in purple flames. Legitimately.

“Holy fuck,” Neo stated, fairly monotone actually, while killing five men at once.

That was hot.

I didn’t have a chance to truly watch Vegas in action because I saw Rhodes jump onto a group of soldiers, maybe three, and bite down on their throats, ripping them out. Damn.

“She’s fucking flying,” Athens noted.

My eyes snapped up to find her, indeed flying above us with purple fucking flame wings. Oh no, Vegas. No secrets at all.

Cool, friend .

I was so holding a grudge for this.

“Gray,” Taylor grasped my hand and turned me so that I narrowly avoided someone. His red smoky power surrounded us and instantly, a group of ten in front of us, were all dead by a dagger lodged in their throats. I had no idea where this many weapons came from.

“You know,” I drawled while kicking someone so hard in the chest they flew twenty feet back. “I am getting real fucking tired of not killing the person I actually want to kill. ”

Almost as if my prayers were answered, Mario’s body fell five feet from mine as Vegas soared above. I wish I could have spent more time on the fact she had fucking wings.

“Mario,” I sang as he tried to stand up but my speed was too quick and I stepped down into his chest. Something cracked as he cried out.

All around us the screams of war echoed and I couldn’t tell whose blood it was that stained my land. All I did know? I was at my wits’ end with this asshole.

“You finally did it,” he grinned with bloody teeth. “You have me in your grasp. But tell me Gray…”

Pain lanced through me as my connection with Vegas rocked with horror. My eyes shot up as I realized she was on a fucking dragon. What the hell?

“He took her,” Mario chuckled while wincing in pain. “Your friend is gone, Gray. So will your entire family be. You think we didn’t prepare for this? Do you think Colliard didn’t think this through? You kill me and your entire castle goes ‘boom.’”

No.

I kneeled down and my hands tightened around his throat. I could see the blunt truth in his eyes. Was he being truthful? No. I didn’t believe that. I couldn’t believe that.

Whether it was true or not. It was enough. Enough to distract me for one fateful moment.

A blow hit my head so hard that my cry echoed throughout the space. I fell limply to the side. Mario’s eyes filled my vision as he began to squeeze ever so tighter and tighter.

“Now, say bye-bye to all your friends, Gray.” He whispered.

No.

My eyes fluttered shut as he began crushing my windpipe. I tried to fight. Tried to struggle. But nothing came except blackness. Spots clouded my vision and roars echoed around me. The entire earth shifted with power as I felt the scene burst.

Explode.

I couldn’t tell you if it was with power or physically.

Everyone in my castle would be in danger and no one knew.

I wish someone knew.

My consciousness faded and I was left with one thought.

I never told all my men I loved them.