Page 229 of The Monster and the Masochist

With a twist of our wrist, she adjusted our aim, and when she pulled the trigger, there was no explosion of bone and brain.

Instead, the bullet went wide. Miraculously, it hit the phone, and the device flew from the man’s now bleeding hand.

“On your knees, hands on your head,” my little killer commanded, and the pathetic man shook and begged for mercy, even as he dropped to his knees before us.

‘Got him,’ Cassandra purred as the vampire sauntered into the room behind us.

The mercenary raised an irritated eyebrow on his way by, shaking his head at us in irritation.

‘He’s angry with me,’ I mused.

‘You’re not a very good listener,’ Cassandra replied, though she sounded amused. ‘He was right, you know. What if the man in the hall had a gun? You could have gotten us killed.’

‘But I didn’t.’ I smirked, and my little killer rolled her eyes.

‘Move over, you asshole. I’m taking over.’

‘Must I return to the cage?’ I asked, hoping she would take pity on me and allow me to remain free.

She considered this for a long moment before letting out a sigh.

‘Do you promise to behave?’

‘I am always behaved.’

‘Mmm. You’re not helping your case.’

I let out a soft huff, which caused her to smile.

In an attempt to persuade her, I amended my response.

‘I promise not to kill anyone before discussing it with you first.’

Cassandra seemed to consider this, then she nodded.

‘Fine. You can stay out of the cage for now. But you’re on probation. You kill one person without talking to me about it first, then back in the cage you go.’

‘That is fair, little killer. I agree to your terms.’

‘Alright then, off you go. I don’t need you for this next part.’ She smirked, and I smiled as I faded back into the shadows of Cassandra Walker’s mind, where I would wait patiently until she needed me again.

As we watched the vampire smother the evil man’s face with his poisoned rag, I hoped that maybe now, Cassandra wouldn’t need me very much at all.

I was her monster, yes.

But I had been born of her fury and her pain. She was no longer that small child, begging the darkness for company as she shivered alone in her cage.

Now, she was a wife, a sister, and a friend.

She was healed and whole, and I hoped she would soon be so full of love and light that there would be no more shadows for me to hide in.

I wanted this for my little killer.

My tail flicked as I curled up and lay my head down to rest.

I wanted that very much.

Jesus fucking Christ.