Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
The low hum of conversation at that table died down the second I crossed the threshold.
To my right, three men reclined on cots, reading books. One looked up, then tapped the other, and their focus shifted and locked onto me.
Beyond them, the space opened into some sort of makeshift military camp, alive with motion and purpose, despite the tension that now thickened the air.
Clusters of men huddled around low tables, sharpening blades and swords.
Another group sat cross-legged on the ground, murmuring in low, clipped tones.
A few more practiced martial arts stances far in the back.
But what really grabbed my attention was the group of five men barely twenty feet from me, huddled near a standing board covered with photographs.
What the fuck?
My breath caught in my throat when I recognized who were in the photos. They were images of me, Jo, Chloe, TT, and Lei. Each picture had been seared into the board like a twisted shrine of my life, of everything I had fought for.
Naw. Fuck that. They were plotting about killing my sisters or something?
That was all the motivation I needed.
By now, every pair of eyes had snapped to me, and their expressions shifted from curiosity to something far darker.
My heartbeat roared.
Hot searing adrenaline pumped through my body in a frantic surge that left my vision ringing.
This is it. No more doubts.
Movement came at the table.
I put my view there.
This big guy at the table—a tall, wiry man with a scar trailing from his temple to his jaw—cocked his head, and a smile formed, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
Next, he glanced at the bag in my hands, then met my gaze with the cold precision of a predator.
Yeah. He looks like he would kill me if given the chance.
Anticipation crackled in the air.
In fact, I absolutely felt the room shift, like a wild animal pausing before the pounce.
Remember what Leo said, aim for the ones who move first.
I set my jaw.
And if no one says anything. . .then get them to say something.
I glanced back at that board with pictures of me, Lei, and my sisters. Those men now glared at me.
Yeah. Fuck them too. Putting my sisters up there. How did you get the pictures? Naw. I don’t play that.
Every muscle in my body screamed for release, for action.
I cleared my voice and steadied myself.
One of the men on the cots, put his book down, leaned his head to the side, cracked his neck, and rolled his shoulders.
Alright, man. You’re preparing? Come on over here. Fuck around and find out.
I flipped off the leather bands on my holsters so I could easily grab my guns later. “Good evening.”
No one spoke.
“I’m Monique. The Mountain Mistress.”
Someone snickered.
Yeah. I know. That sounds cheesy. I just started becoming a monster an hour ago. Give me a break.
I set the bag on the floor. “My understanding is that you used to serve Yan, but now. . .”
The man cracked his neck again and then rose from the bed.
I looked at him. “Now you serve me.”
One of the men by the board of pictures yelled. “Never, outsider!”
Without flinching, I yanked open the top and upended the contents. The bag’s fabric slumped as its grisly cargo tumbled out, one by one.
Heads rolled across the floor.
It was all lifeless expressions fixed in grotesque masks of terror.
Eyes staring into the void.
Blood pooled quickly, spreading like a scarlet tide, soaking into the creases of the floor and trailing crimson streaks like macabre brushstrokes.
It was so much blood that some of it began to reach the edges of boots and cots, drawing gasps and shifting feet as men recoiled.
The coppery scent filled the tent.
Some men’s faces paled as recognition probably dawned. They knew these faces—their comrades, their brothers-in-arms, men they had fought beside and shared laughs with. And since Leo said these guys were monsters, some of them probably had been afraid of these guys.
Now, they lay discarded and defiled on the floor.
And it looked like I’d taken them down one by one, cut of their heads, and carried them up to the mountain to deliver them.
I had to admit.
Leo was right.
This was quite an illusion.
Okay. That’s done. I don’t have a witty saying. . .shit. . .I can barely keep my vomit down. This is disgusting.
Meanwhile, the silence twisted into something jagged and frayed.
So many were still in shock from the heads.
Now what?
I stood tall, letting the chaos simmer and build.
My heartbeat was a steady thrum against my ribs. Each head was a message, and each man knew it.
Alright. Let’s get this over with. . .somehow. . .
I met the gaze of the man nearest to the board of pictures. “Your turn! Come and get me!”
For a second, there was only the harsh sound of breathing, a beat before the storm.
Then chaos erupted.
“Kill her!” one of the men roared.