“I would have,” he said with surety. “And I still could.”
Those words blanketed over us, giving us both pause. I held my breath, face heating as I let them sink over me, sink over my skin like the caressings of a gentle promise. “I can’t wait to test that theory,” I replied.
River smiled and it was much like his old self that hope flared through me entirely. Yes, we could work this minor setback out. I was sure of it.
“Once I’m back on my feet, princess,” he said sarcastically. “You’ll get to see firsthand exactly what I did to make the baker’s daughter scream that way.”
Chapter Six
We fell into a daily routine until weeks seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. River had healed, though was still hurting. He spent hours of every day training to walk again with the help of a prosthetic leg that Akir had had built for him. Lex and Kael were learning all that they could from Ruined City officials. Everything from technology to weaponry. Akir worked along his scientists day and night trying to find a cure for what had happened to my mother.
And she was only getting worse. The first few days I could catch glimpses of her inside that hybrid body. But she was slowly deteriorating. I didn’t want to believe it, not at first, but the longer she remained this way, the more she lost herself. I knew that soon, my mother would likely be gone and in her place an actual hybrid. The kind that ate human flesh and destroyed. Many times already she’d lost herself, blinking once only to disappear and become a raving animal in front of us.
My heart broke for her every time.
Akir swore up and down that they were doing all they could. But they weren’t doing enough.
I tried to stay strong. I tried to have faith in their science. But a part of me knew that it was hopeless. That they would find nothing. Which was why I’d decided that I was leaving. I knew that the answers we desperately wanted wouldn’t be found here but in the Hybrid Laboratory.
And I planned on getting them.
I plotted out my escape route all day. If Akir knew, he would never allow it. He would scream at me and we’d argue, maybe throw a few slaps and then we’d fall into bed where he’d fuck me roughly as if he were imparting punishment for my insubordination. And when we were done, we’d do it all over again.
It had already happened many times. I’d argued that we had to go back to the lab. He just glared at me and said he would not risk his men, that they’d find the answers here in the Ruined City. I thought he was just pissed that I’d agreed with Braxtyn for once.
I still didn’t trust his younger brother or his reasoning for wanting to go back to the lab. He claimed he wanted to find Cole. I resisted the urge to tell him that Cole was either dead or a hybrid by now. But I didn’t want to take Akir’s hope away, either. I could tell that he still held out hope that maybe he was still out there even though the logical part of him said otherwise.
I knew I couldn’t count on him or his troops to get to the lab. No, I had to do this on my own. It would be my stealth mission. A big group would have alerted the hybrids, anyway.
So that night, I packed a bag while Akir was with his scientists. Packing gave me a sense of deja vu, reminded me of when I was running away from my own home to find my mother. I couldn’t afford to mess up this time around.
This time, I’d get it right.
“What are you doing?”
I yelped and whirled around to find Lex by the bedroom door. Shit. I’d been too concentrated that I hadn’t paid attention to the door. I opened my mouth to lie but Lex was eyeing my bag and my face. I knew he wouldn’t believe me, anyway.
“I’m leaving.” I whispered.
He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms against his chest. “Without saying goodbye?”
“I’m coming back. Don’t worry.”
“You’re going to the Hybrid Laboratory, aren’t you?” There was no accusation in his voice. Just excited curiosity.
“Yes.”
He nodded, uncrossed his arms and said, “I’m going with you.”
“Absolutely not.” I turned back to my bag and zipped it up then hoisted it onto my shoulder, turning back to him.
He was frowning. “I didn’t ask your permission, red.”
“I don’t care. You aren’t going.”
He snickered. “I wonder how your beloved fiancée would feel, knowing you were about to rush off to the Hybrid Lab without backup…”
I clenched my hands into fists. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
***
“You’re a bastard, you know that?” I whispered harshly.
“You said that already.” Lex replied quietly, looking around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. When it was, he walked forward with me following close behind. “But the way I see it, you wouldn’t be able to get out without me, anyway.”
I flipped him off instead of replying. Of course, he was right. While he’d spent the last few weeks learning how to drive and use weaponry, I’d been overseeing scientists and River’s recovery. There would have been no way for me to get out of here in a car.
We approached a rusted old truck and I hopped into the front seat while Lex hopped into the driver’s side and stuck the key into the ignition.
“I’ve been practicing on this baby and you’re going to need my expertise.” He ran a hand slowly across the steering wheel, staring adoringly at it.
I rolled my eyes. “Do you need a minute alone with the vehicle?”
Lex chuckled. “Jealous that another lady has caught my eye?”
I would have kicked him if the small expanse of space would have allowed it. Instead, I pulled an arrow from my quiver and polished it across my shirt until it shone. And when something banged loudly on the side of the truck, I was too slow to reach for my bow before I felt the cold press of a gun barrel against my temple.
“Going somewhere?” A deep voice whispered.
Lex’s hands tightened against the steering wheel.
My fear echoed in the pounding of my chest but I kept a neutral expression as I slowly turned to look into Braxtyn’s face. He kept his gun pointed at me but he wasn’t smiling. The bastard. He opened the door and jumped in next to me, closing it behind him.
“Can we help you?” I asked seriously.
Braxtyn smiled cruelly at me. “I know where you’re going,” he said. “And I’m going with you.”
I blinked and shared a look with Lex, even with the gun staring me in the face. I turned back to him. “Now why on earth would you want to do that?”
Braxtyn shrugged. “Because if you don’t, I’ll either shoot you or tell my big brother where you’re going.”
Threatened. Twice within the same hour. It was unbelievable! I glared at him. I didn’t trust him. And I would rather face Akir’s wrath rather than go on this journey with Braxtyn Murtaugh at my side.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time. My mother’s clock was ticking.
“I don’t trust you,” I said.
Braxtyn snorted. “I don’t trust you either, princess. But we both want the same thing, don’t we?”
Lex was the one who answered for me. “And what is that?”
“To get our loved ones back.”
I stared at him. There were dark shadows under his eyes, his hair was a mess and the shadowings of a beard was prominent along his jaw. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in weeks. Or maybe the guilt was eating him alive.
I still believed he was a traitor to his blood.
And I didn’t want him coming on this journey with us. Lest we find his knife in our backs.
But the invisible clock counting down my mother’s days taunted me within my own head. And I knew I had no other choice.
“Fine,” I decided and Braxtyn smiled, leaning back in his seat. “Drive, Lex.”
***
The drive was silent and tense. I made a point to pretend and ignore Braxtyn, though I had a dagger gripped tightly in my hand, ready to pierce into hi
s skin at any given moment. He kept his gun in his own hand, keeping the appearance that it hung lazily from his fingers but I noticed the tenseness in his posture, the way his eyes kept darting to glance at me. I noticed everything.
Finally, he broke the silence. “Do your other men know where you’re off to?”
They didn’t. But he didn’t need to know that. Maybe he thought it’d make killing us that much easier. “Of course they do,” I lied with ease.
He side eyed me then lapsed into silence.
Bastard.
I hadn’t told Kael and River where I’d be because I knew they’d disagree with me. I knew River, in his hobbling, unstable state would want to come with us and I couldn’t put him through hell. Not again. He’d be livid when I went back but I’d deal with that later.
“Out of all of them I’d thought you’d at least choose the healer.” Braxtyn went on to say.
“And why is that?” I asked from between clenched teeth, though I was sure I didn’t want to hear his answer.
“It makes the most sense. You can’t very well travel with a cripple. And this fool,” he jerked his gaze in Lex’s direction, “will only get you caught in a trap. My brother would never have come with you. His sense of duty to our people and the weird possessiveness he has over you wouldn’t allow it. The healer seemed to be the logical choice.”
Lex laughed. “My ‘falling into a trap’ days are over, man.”
Braxtyn barked out a laugh. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“How did you even know where we were going?” I asked, gripping my knife tighter. He was a suspicious person.
“I heard you and followed you. Not that hard, really.” He winked at my suddenly flushed expression. “You are incredibly easy to read, country queen.”
I pressed a hand to my chest and fluttered my eyelashes. “I’m ‘queen’ now? I thought I was nothing but a country whore.”
“If you’re expecting me to apologize for that, I won’t.”
“I don’t want your apology.” I snapped. “And even if you did apologize, I’d tell you where you could shove it.”
He smirked at me and in that moment, he looked so much like his brother that it infuriated me.
“Stop looking at me,” I growled without meaning to.
That comment only caused him to smirk even more. “Why?” His voice dropped dangerously low. “Do I remind you of Akir?”
And then I felt his warm hand touch my knee, palm seeming to brand me through the material of my jeans. My dagger pressed up against his throat faster than he could blink, digging deep into his skin. A thin trail of blood ran down his neck and to the top of his shirt.
“Don’t touch me.”
Braxtyn chuckled and removed his hand from my leg at once. As soon as he did, I lowered the knife back to my side.
“Calm your fire, country queen.” He said, settling back into his seat. “I wouldn’t touch you even if you begged me to.” He smiled, looked me up and down before closing his eyes. “You aren’t my type.”
Bastard.
***
“I don’t trust him.” Lex whispered.
My gaze shot to Braxtyn but I doubted he could hear over the cackling of the fire. “I don’t either.” I didn’t let my eyes stray away from the man in question. He wasn’t looking at us, though. His own gaze was fixated intently at the flickering flames. And I wondered if the ghosts of this place were haunting him the way they threatened to haunt me.
We were in the same clearing we’d been in last time.
Blood still tainted the grass. I wondered if he was thinking about Cole, wondering if they were traces of his blood, traces of his younger brother.
“We don’t really need him with us, do we?” Lex asked warily.
“No. But I couldn’t risk him going to Akir. My mom’s getting worse by the hour, Lex. I needed to come here.”
Lex ran a hand over my arm in comfort. “I’m not questioning your decision, red.”
I sighed and gave him a tight nod. “Thanks for being here with me.”
He gifted me with a small smile. “Anytime, little red. Now try and get some rest. I’ll be right back.” He stood up and walked well within my range of sight.
“Don’t get caught in a trap!” I called out.
He feigned laughter and disappeared.
Then I was alone with Braxtyn. And his eyes were suddenly on mine, causing me to tense up a little tighter and grip my bow and arrow closer. He snickered.
“You and I are the same, little lass.”
My heart stopped beating for a fraction of a second. A dull pang sounded in the center of my chest that could have been guilt. I pushed it aside, telling myself that this had needed to be done. Akir would thank me later. But even so, that ache did not ease.
“How so?”
“Look at where we are, what we were forced to do.” He gestured around the clearing. “We’ve been forced to go behind our king’s back to save our people.”
“Ha. Akir is no king of mine,” I pointed out unkindly. “I don’t have to take orders from him. I take orders from my father.” Then again, I didn’t really listen to him, either. But Braxtyn didn’t need to know that. “Akir is my fiancée,” I went on. “He does not control me.”
Braxtyn’s brows furrowed into a glare. “How your parents handle a savage like you is beyond my comprehension. Female royalty in the Ruined City aren’t meant to have so much freedom.”
My rage bubbled to the surface and came out in the form of a snort. “Seems kind of hypocritical, don’t you think? Your women can participate in orgies and walk around naked but the royal women cannot?”
“Oh, they can,” he assured. “Only if their husband allows it. Their freedom is not a facade, however their king and his wishes and desires must always come first.”
“How misogynistic,” I snapped. “Also, if Akir thinks I’m going to bend to his will and jump when he commands it, I think it’d be better to end the engagement now.”
Braxtyn laughed harshly. “How selfish you are, little queen. You should know by now that royalty does not marry for love. They marry for convenience. You would doom your people to war with the Ruined City all because you do not want to follow my brother’s orders? Then again, that’s what got you into this mess in the first place.”
My fingers tightened around my arrow. I didn’t want to let his words ring in my mind but they did. Because they were true. I’d doomed my mother because of my inability to follow orders.
“No one owns me,” I said tightly.
Braxtyn smiled at me and it made a cold feeling trickle down the back of my neck and the length of my spine.
“You can believe what you wish. But you cannot deny the obvious: we are the same, you and I. Angry and alone. How many times did we beg Akir to come here and he did not listen? We both know the answers are in that lab. He’s just too weak to accept it.”
Akir was not weak. He was being cautious and overly so. That did not make him weak, to think of his people, to want to keep them safe. To prevent more deaths at the jaws of the hybrids. I understood. As king and as queen, no decision was an easy one. Everything was a double edged sword, ready to impale you as soon as you walked towards to the tip. It was why I had come. To take that doubt off his shoulders and to set things right again. To lessen his own burden. And to save everyone.
And the consequences of royal actions was something Braxtyn couldn’t quite seem to comprehend. He would have charged into the lab with his people, not caring who died in the process because to him, the end justified the means.
It was why Akir would always be a better ruler than him. Because Akir cared. And that was probably why Braxtyn seemed to hate him so much.
I looked him in the eye when I replied, “We are nothing alike.”
***
The building was as intact as it could be. A structure made of stone and metal, white paint chipped to reveal gray underneath. There was a fence surrounding the property that was barrell
ed down into the smushed grass.
“I was expecting something more...sinister.” Lex mused quietly from our hiding place in the treeline. “Lightning flashing, dark clouds rolling in the distance and an unknown mad scientist rubbing his hands together as his plot falls into place.”
Braxtyn and I looked at him. Then at each other. “Lex,” I whispered, “what?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve raided plenty of old buildings in abandoned cities. They have things called books and televisions. I spent hours watching a horror movie once I figured out how to work the damn thing. Didn’t sleep for a week afterwards.”
“You should have brought the healer.” Braxtyn mumbled, turning back to the building.
We lapsed into silence and took in the building, every angle, every possible entry point. I wasn’t sure what happened now. There were no signs of life from within, no noise even. But what were we going to do? I still didn’t trust Braxtyn enough to waltz in by his side. This could all still be a trap to murder Lex and I and who would be the wiser? We’d told no one where we were going. he could easily murder us here and go back to the Ruined City and overthrow his brother if he wanted to.
I notched an arrow into my bow.
Whatever his plan was, I had one of my own. And I wasn’t going to make it easy on him.
“Let’s go,” I demanded.
And we ventured out to the building.
To the Hybrid Laboratory.
Chapter Seven
All the lights were off. Luckily, illumination shone in from the busted out windows, beckoning us down long hallways. The place was definitely ominous, with white walls that threatened to suffocate me entirely.
I kept my weapon poised. My fingers and palms itched in anticipation of what was to come. Unfortunately, everything was entirely too quiet. It was disconcerting. I swore I could hear the pounding of my own heart echoing across the walls.
Freeing the Beasts (The Hybrid Trilogy Book 3) Page 6
