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He really fucking did it.
He ran through a wall of pure cement.
He now stands on the other side, flicking his head from side to side as he attempts to dislodge stray pieces from his dark mane.
Creep’s head materializes above Dev’s shoulder, and his eyes home in on me, checking me for injuries. I flash him a smile to assure him I’m okay, I’m ready, and I’m prepared to fight like my life depends on it.
Because it does.
This is it. The end. What we do now determines the rest of our lives. If we fail today, then there’ll be no happily ever after for us. There’ll be no fairy-tale ending or wedding or children—things I never even considered before but now can’t imagine never having.
Oh god.
My heart ricochets off my breastbone as I turn to stare at each of my mates.
The Devourer, fierce and possessive, but with a gentleness that belies his rough exterior. He’s gruff and domineering, yet he’s also protective of those he cares about.
The Creeper, whose charm and sharp wit hides a broken boy who just wants to be loved. We taunt and tease each other, but I know he’ll always have my back, no matter the situation. I can trust him to make me smile when all I want to do is cry.
The Grotesque, the first of my monsters I fell in love with. He calls himself ugly, but he fails to realize he has the most beautiful soul anyone could ever hope to possess. He exhibits a type of gentleness I’ve never seen in another monster or human before.
The Empty Man, who tried to kill me and then took me on a romantic picnic, all within a span of a couple of weeks. I can’t quite decide how I feel about him, but I know a future without him in it seems unimaginable. He makes me laugh nearly as much as Creep does, even if he’s borderline insane.
Then there’s Chase, a human trapped in a world of monsters. I once thought him to be cocky and self-involved, but I’m nowbeginning to believe that was all an act. Sometimes, when he thinks I’m not looking, he stares at me like…like he loves me. Like he can’t imagine a future without me in it.
We’re a broken, misshapen bunch, but I wouldn’t have us any other way. I’ll fight for these monsters, just as they’ll fight for me.
And maybe, once this is all over and Barnabas has been removed from his blood-soaked throne, I’ll be able to worship my monsters.
And be worshipped in return.
35
ALIANA
We burstonto the floor of the lobby like a series of fireworks—bam-bam-BAM-BAM.
But it's very anticlimactic because the monsters Creep spied on this floor earlier have moved. The space is now eerily silent, and our footsteps echo against the marble floor as we walk.
I have my crossbow lifted and ready, scanning back and forth as I try to keep two paces in front of Chase, who's most definitely the weakest member of our group right now. The kidnapping clearly showcased that.
A tiny part of me regrets the fact that we haven't had time to visit the Bell Witch and see if there's a spell to reverse the potion that Tesq gave to Empty, the potion that Barnabas and his crew apparently also fed him in captivity.
I'd feel so much better right now if Empty could float ahead of us from room to room, invisible, scouting, using objects to attack people. Meanwhile, Chase could be snuggled up with Fluffy deep in the forests of Jersey somewhere safe.
Unfortunately, time isn't on our side, just as most of the fucking monsters in the kingdom aren't on our side either.
As Creep portals ahead of us into a shadow in the stairwell to check and see if it's safe to head up, I briefly think about the humans in the resistance. I wonder where they are and what they're doing. If anyone I know is still alive. I'm not sure what will happen after today, but I am certain that as awful as life in the Ebony Kingdom has been, Barnabas will ensure it gets far worse.
Creep makes a clicking sound that resembles a common scavenger tooth species called ings. Beatle-like, football-sized creatures, they scour buildings for dead things to eat, so no one will think twice about hearing an ing rustling around. At least, that's our hope.
Dev insists on going in front of me, even though he's so massive and his fur is so dark against the white walls that we've got no hope of going unnoticed if someone spots him. Of course, my dark outfit isn't much better, but I'm not quite so hulking, and for once, my white-streaked hair may help me blend a tiny bit with some of the marble.
My heart wails against my ribs, and the pulse in my throat throbs so hard that I have difficulty swallowing. I count the steps as we climb, muscles growing tighter with each one until I have to deliberately uncurl my finger from the crossbow trigger so that I don't accidentally set it off.
Unlike the last mission, where rescue was at the top of my mind, this time, violence is our only objective. Violence—and hopefully—survival.
It's hard for me to peel my emotions away from my mind, separate them out and then toss them aside. So much harder than it's been for any prior mission. Last time, I couldn't bear the thought of Chase suffering an awful fucking fate when he was innocent. This time, we're all here together and?—
