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That’s when Tesq swivels his gaze over to me. His face is a disastrous mess of melted materials, but those black pits for eyes and that ape-like rounded muzzle are apparent as he takes me in. His appearance alone is horrifying, but his expression ishalf disgust and half a threat—a promise to end me as he shows me his teeth.
Something about him is more potent than the other Terrors.
It is not!Empty rattles inside my head, but his thoughts are weaker than the panicked response of my body.
Already on the verge of collapse, my heart rate speeds up, and my breathing grows shallow as my lungs forget how to move under the Grotesque’s stare.
I feel my feet sliding out from under me.
“Shit. He’s fainting!” Aliana calls out as she bats at the Devourer, who still holds her pinned.
All I know is no one is there to catch me when I fall, and my head hits the concrete with a sickening crack.
10
ALIANA
I manageto shove the Devourer’s stubborn ass away from me long enough to get Chase set up on the twin bed that I’ve now dubbed the invalid cot. Dev grumbles about me wasting energy on a human and a Terror stupid enough to get trapped in a weakling body, which makes me shoot a glare at the werewolf as I arrange the sheets over Chase’s limp form.
His pulse is weak but steady. I’ll need to make him soup or something when he wakes up. Maybe with that tooth carcass. The thought of soup makes my stomach rumble. It gives a growl that could rival Fluffy.
“Food,” Tesq instantly utters, moving toward the countertop.
“I’ll get it,” I tell him.
Not only because he’s a bad chef, but because right now he has a good chance of eviscerating the stockpile with his lava-lined hands. Chase and I are going to need those cans of Chef Boyardee if we’re going to make it through this.
I grab the can opener and go about my business, deciding to focus only on physical needs right now. My emotions are stilllive wires coming down from the adrenaline rush of our rescue mission, and the strange euphoric rush of seeing all my mates safe.
Creep better get back soon. He has to have realized by now that Tesq’s here.
I try not to dwell on just how much my heart wants them all tucked into this tiny little space with me, sharing the same air. No, I’m pretty certain my hunger to see all the Terrors at once is just a loopy side effect that comes with the aftermath of trauma. Of thinking a building was going to crush me and then wandering through the darkness for hours on end, certain I’d die without seeing the sun again.
Or them,my mind contributes unhelpfully.
I peel the lid off my can of deliciousness in an attempt to give my head something else to think about. When I finally have my turbulent emotions under control—or under as much control as I’m capable of—I jerk my chin towards the neon-green body on the floor.
“Is anyone going to explain what our new…friendis doing here?” My tone drips with sarcasm and disdain.
Dev’s smile is more of a baring of teeth as he replies, “Found him. Was feeling cute. Thought a little torture would be fun. I dunno.”
He shrugs his broad shoulders as I choke on my own tongue, laughter bubbling up my throat.
Did Dev just make a joke?
No, I must’ve heard him wrong. Or maybe I hit my head in the explosion.
Yup. I must’ve hit my head. Dev doesn’t make jokes.
Silence settles between all of us, but I wouldn’t be able to tell you if it’s the comfortable or uncomfortable kind. Something potent and heady hangs in the air, saturating it.
I’ve just licked a droplet of sauce off my fingertip when the Devourer tells Tesq, “Go outside. You’re turning this room into a sauna. And bring our new friend with you.”
Strange.
I pause eating and glance over at my gargoyle. Even though I see the lines of lava on Tesq’s forearms and watched him burn a hole in the floor, I don’t feel any heat. Dev’s probably just angling to lock him outside.
I’ve just downed my third ravioli when I nearly choke on a revelation.
