Page 13 of Ruthless Monsters

“Either you take her with you, or you suffer at the hands of the queen. The choice is yours, thief.”

“Her?” He leans back against the wall again, and a moment passes before he asks. “Who do you want me to get out of Toralyn?”

“Someone I’ve made a promise to,” I reply. “Now, if we’re agreed, I’ll arrange for there to be lighter security measures around your cell on the night before your execution. The palace will be a hive of activity as the servants prepare for the party. I trust you know the layout of the palace well? Meet me in the portal room one hour before sunrise.” It’s a risk to trust the shifter thief to meet me there, but moving throughout the palace without detection is near impossible. It’ll be easier for him to achieve without an escort.

There’s a knock on the cell door, and I know my time is almost up.

“When I get your friend to the beast realm, what then?” he asks. “I’m not in the babysittin’ business.”

“While the city recovers from the celebration, I’ll be able to leave Toralyn and meet you there the following day,” I drawl. “All you need to do is make sure you remain in Genzen City, and that you leave enough crumbs for me to follow.”

His expression becomes thoughtful. “You must be desperate if you’re askin’ me to do this.”

“Then I guess right now we’re one and the same,” I reply. “If this is the part where you ask for money, I don’t have time for it. Get her there or suffer your execution.”

Leaning forward, he rubs the stubble on his chin. “Well, when you put it like that, how could I refuse?”

“I need to hear the words, shifter. Say you agree.”

He stares at me like he thinks I’m joking, but my gaze is unwavering.

“Yes, I agree oh merciful one,” he finally mocks, but the serious edge in his gaze is enough to satisfy me.

“Good.” I reach the door in a few strides before turning back. “Oh, and if you cross me, rest assured I’ll stop at nothing until I’ve found you, and your execution will be even grander than what the queen would have you endure.” I don’t wait for him to reply. I exit the room, because I have plans to put into motion.

Over the following days, I bribe multiple guards, weaken wards, and run through various scenarios in my mind. I don’t advise my sister, Sen, on what’s going to happen. If she knows, she might let something slip when talking to her maids. Between my duties and my plans, my days are absorbed quickly, but every night I visit the shifter. I tell myself I’m simply there to check that he’s still in his cell. As impossible as escape sounds, the stories surrounding the infamous Nine Lives thief have me questioning whether he would be able to find some weakness I’m not aware of on his own. But every night, he remains, and by the third night, I realize I look forward to our chats. His responses are always entertaining. He tells me amusing tales involving some of his more outlandish exploits, stories of which I’m certain must be grossly embellished, and I tell him tales of battles in Toralyn, and the great games held in the grand ampitheater. Shifters rarely come to our realm, and it’s refreshing to hear his different views on the realms and those within them.

It's the fourth night when he finally asks me about Sen, though there were multiple times when I thought he’d ask.

“Why her?” he questions as he takes the flask of wine I offer him. “Why risk freeing me for a female? Is she your forbidden mistress or somethin’?”

I study him, calculating how to respond. I shouldn’t say anything, but the wine I’ve consumed makes my lips loosen. “I think of her as a little sister,” I say, twisting the truth as I take another swig from my own flask. Unbeknownst to the shifter, our flasks contain one of the finest wines in Toralyn from the vineyards on the floating hills in the north. The smooth liquid warms my throat, and nothing could dampen my mood in this moment. “She’s in a bad position, and if she doesn’t leave, her life is in danger. I need to get her away from here.” I lift my head higher. “No matter the cost.”

Nine Lives doesn’t speak for a moment, and his eyes lose focus like he’s lost in his own memories. Eventually, he nods and takes another drink of his wine. “And what if this whole plan of yours doesn’t work. What if I’m captured and slaughtered like a squealin’ pig, and your little friend never sees the beast realm. What then?”

I contemplate before answering, “Then I stay to make sure she doesn’t die.”

I know he doesn’t truly understand the gravity of what I’m telling him. How could he when I’ve only shared a taste of the truth? But at my words, he lifts his flask in salute and takes another swig. “Then I guess we’d better make this fuckin’ work.”

My lips twitch, and I take a drink as well. “I guess so.” Blowing out a breath, I pocket my flask and walk toward the cell door. “See you in the portal room tomorrow, shifter. Remember, your life depends upon it.”

“It’s Nate.”

My brow furrows, and I turn my head to the side.

“My name’s Nate,” he clarifies, not moving from where he’s sitting next to the wall.

I pause thoughtfully. “Well, it’s not quite as mysterious as Nine Lives, is it?”

He chuckles. “No, I s’pose not.”

“Until tomorrow night, Nate.”

The night before the execution…

I can scarcely remember the last time my heart pounded this furiously. When I was a child, perhaps? It’s a risk. A big one. But using the shifter thief is too good of an opportunity to pass up. He’s exactly what I need. Someone who’s a master at staying in the shadows. At keeping hidden. If anyone can get Sen away, it’ll be him.

I’m not worried that the shifter will harm her in any way. Even though she’s a child, with her power, he’d be dead before he managed to do anything that would cause her to lose sleep. A part of me feels guilty I didn’t warn him of this, but he’ll figure it out the moment he sees her.

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