“The kids,” Em snaps, a little anger his her voice. “Don’t focus on me. I sure as hell can take care of myself.” She points at the rock. “If you want to help me, move that.”
Rokad and Lucas are launching toward our group in an instant, trying to prevent him from hurting her. But his eyes gentle, and even when their hands grab his arms, there’s no anger in his eyes.
“Okay,” he says.
Lucas’s mouth drops open. Rokad’s eyes widen, and they release him as he turns back to the boulder. Then, Em and I watch as the three huge gargoyles slowly roll the stone away from the entrance. I pull my sword from my side, as do the others when they’re done with the boulder, and Em’s claws grow. We face the darkness, and all thoughts of Narath’s strange behavior fade away.
Hunting monsters. This we can do in our sleep.
We all slink into the cave. Narath at one side of Em, me at the other. Rokad leading our group, and Lucas following behind us.
The cave is winding and goes deeper and deeper into the earth. And with it, a chill grows. The darkness is overwhelming, but I don’t let my wings flame. If I do, our enemy will see me coming. Instead, I run my hands along the wall of the cave, and let my feet feel the way ahead of me.
I crash into Rokad’s big back a second later and realize that there’s some kind of light ahead. At first, it does nothing to light our way, but as we creep forward, I realize that around the bend, a fire burns. The orange flames dance on the walls around us, and every muscle in my body tenses.
Up ahead, we hear someone weeping.
Fuck. The kids.
At least one of them.
We’re all ready when we spring into the cave. But there’s no way we could’ve been ready for what we find. There are three cages in the back of the cave, and the kids have been crammed into them. Two kids in one of the cages, and one in each of the others. It’s horrific to see them battered and bruised, looking terrified, but at least the cyclops hasn’t eaten them yet.
Rokad and Lucas move toward them, scanning the small cave, but there’s no sign of the cyclops. Rokad shoots me a look I didn’t need to see. He’s reminding me that the cyclops isn’t in this room, he’s probably somewhere behind us in the cave. I turn back to the darkness, sword at the ready, and stare. Waiting.
But there’s no movement.
I hear Rokad speaking in his gentle voice. “We’re here to help you. Don’t be afraid.”
“You’re scary too,” a little girl says in a tiny voice.
“I know we look scary, but we’re the good guys,” his voice has a smile in it. The big guy really did have a soft spot for children, just like all of us. “Do you want us to get you out and back to your moms?”
There’s a series of, “yeses,” and some crying.
I hear the doors to the cages being opened, well, I hear the doors likely being torn off. Glancing back, I see Rokad and Lucas helping the kids get free. All of the little ones still look afraid, but I didn’t blame them. Gargoyles aren’t exactly snuggly looking.
Suddenly, I feel something shoot past me. A huge shape slams into Em before I can react, and she’s knocked to the ground. The cyclops has dropped its glamour. Now, instead of looking like any other man, he’s twice the size of any of us, with his one big eye. He has a hand around Em’s throat, and he squeezes.
Fuck. He’s going to kill her!
A roar tears from Narath’s throat, and he crashes into the cyclops.
“Rokad!” I shout.
He and Lucas react in an instant, grabbing the kids and running for the exit.
We’ve all seen what Narath can do when he’s angry, and there’s no way the kids should see this.
Narath doesn’t even use his sword. He punches the cyclops in the eyes over and over again, popping his eyeball like a grape. The cyclops begins to wail, but Narath doesn’t stop. He beats him and beats him. His fists pound into the much bigger man without a pause, and I have to look away when chunks of skull and bone go flying.
My gaze goes to Em. She’s staring at Narath, her mouth hanging open.
Time passes. So much time that I can’t imagine any part of the cyclops head remains.
“Narath,” I whisper his name, afraid to become his new target.
Only the sound of him punching answers.
“He’s dead,” Em finally says. “Narath, you did good. You got him.”
To my shock, the sounds of his attack stop, and I just hear him breathing heavily. I finally glance over when I sense him approaching. Narath is covered in blood and flesh, his eyes wild, as he comes toward Em. I clutch my sword tighter, prepared for anything, but he simply leans down and presses a light kiss to her lips.
“You did good,” she repeats, then smiles.
It’s weird, and somehow not. She’s like a dog owner whose vicious creature is calm and loving, but only with her. Whatever spells she’s woven over him is exceptional.
“Can you guys clean up the body?”
Narath nods and looks at me. “He has the black powder on his belt.”
I do. As much shit as these guys give me about my utility belt, they certainly rely on the stuff I keep in it. This is the first time that Narath has even acknowledge that I have any kind of a use to any of them.
“Can you help him get rid of the body?” she asks.
He nods, kisses her lightly again, and turns back to the body.
I feel lost, but I join him at the body. Narath takes one of the sticks from the fire, his stone form not feeling the flames in the least bit. I sprinkle a little bit of the black powder from my belt, and then he drops the flaming stick on top.
The body instantly burns, going from a beaten corpse to nothing but ash in seconds. A terrible smell fills the air, and I cough, ready to get out of there.
When I turn back, Em is gone.
“Where is she?” Narath asks, and there’s a note to his voice that worries me.
“Probably just outside with the others,” I tell him hesitantly.
He rushes from the room, not at all cautious of running through a dark cave. I follow him more slowly, not made of stone, and feeling it each time I stumble on an uneven surface or hit the side of the wall.
When I finally make it to the surface, Lucas is waiting.
“Where are the kids?” I ask.
“Rokad is leading them back to the house. He won’t let himself be seen. Just get them close enough to get home, then watch to make sure they make it back safely.”
“What about Em?” Narath asks, his voice holding that wild edge that makes me nervous.
Lucas winces. “She took off.”
“Took off?” Narath repeats the words like he doesn’t know what they mean.
Ah, fuck. This won’t be good.
“She left,” Lucas says, his gaze darting from me to the giant.
Narath roars with fury and takes off into the sky.
I stare after him, butterflies in my stomach. “We should probably follow him. We have no idea what he’ll do when he reaches her.”
Lucas nods, but then says, “I have a feeling he’d cut off his right arm before hurting her.”
“Me too,” but still, the guy is unpredictable.
We take off into the sky, following the psychotic gargoyle.
It kind of hurts that Em just left. I liked the changes that she brought out in all of us. But at the same time, some deep instinct within me wanted to keep her safe. And our group will never be safe.
So, I try to push away the longing I have for her and just focus on the fact that I want her to escape us. For her own sake. Because even though my mom said I was born selfish, I don’t think I am, deep down.
If I was selfish, I’d never let the beautiful woman out of my sight.
Chapter 10
Empusa
* * *
It’s been three months since my loss of control with the gargoyles, and my heart still races every time I think about it. Lust. Who would have ever thought a half-demon monster wo
uld be lured by lust? But that’s what I felt with them. A pure need to have them above all else.
And I’m determined to never feel that way again.
I know it might sound silly, but I’m terrified. My mother never told me a lot about my father, and she was honest with me about most things in my life. So, that made me realize that whoever he was, he was bad. I feel like I can always feel that part of me deep inside, and I don’t want to be like him. I want to be like my mother.
A woman who was proud, even as a prisoner. A woman who sacrificed everything to protect her child. She was everything a mother should be and more. And every day it kills me inside to think about her trapped in that cell beneath the earth. A small voice in the back of my head tells me that I will never be happy until she’s free too, but a louder voice reminds me of all my mother did to help me escape.
If I went back, if I got caught again, they’d just use me against her. I could never forgive myself if I made her life even harder. So, I’ve had to accept that I can’t go back for her, no matter what, but I’ve also committed to making this world better, just the way she had done.
“She’s going to be okay.”
My head jerks up to see a woman coming out from the back of the vet’s office. She has long, blonde hair tied back from her face, bags under her dark eyes, and a gentle smile on her lips.
She also just so happens to be a unique shifter and a monster herself. Although, she managed to hide most of the signs of her true self beneath turtle necks and lab coats. Apparently, she’d created a whole identity, after the hell she’d been through, that allowed her to help the humans without them realizing what she is.
By becoming a vet.
I hope one day I’m able to assimilate as well as she has been able to, although I doubt it. She has a natural charisma that I envy.
I stand from the uncomfortable waiting room chair, and the light overhead rapidly blinks again. It does it every so often. And after spending way too many nights here the last few weeks, I almost feel like I’m holding my breath waiting for the weird blinking light. I use it to count how much time has passed.
“She looked bad,” I say, and then force my arms down at my side.
How is it that I still don’t know how to interact with people?
She gives me another smile. “Come and see her.”
I follow her to the back, limping a little. She glances back at me and frowns, her gaze sliding over me.
Yeah, I know I look like a mess. I’m covered in blood from the monster and from the wounded dog. I hadn’t known what to expect when I came to this town. I’d been just passing through when I heard the locals talking about all the pets that had gone missing. I’d never been much of an animal person, but animals were innocents, just like children were, so I stayed in town and decided to figure out if a monster was involved.
And I wasn’t wrong.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
I shrug. “Monster hunting isn’t easy.”
Dr. Leo laughs. “I wouldn’t know, although I’ve wrangled a few asshole pets.”
I grin. “I can imagine.”
“Still feeling sick?”
I’d been throwing up a lot lately, which was a new thing for me. I had thought monsters were immune to colds and flus, but apparently, spending time with humans meant picking up their little viruses. Dr. Leo had already held my hair back a couple of times now when I unexpectedly got sick. She’d told me that taking a few nights off from monster hunting might be enough to feel better.
Now that I’d killed the bastard, I plan to listen to her advice.
“Not much,” I admit, reluctantly. “But I’ve barely been able to keep anything down, so I imagine I won’t feel better until I start eating.”
Her expression gentles. “You’re right about that. And, I hope, you’re trying to keep down fluids at least.”
“I’m doing my best.” My gaze goes to the hallway behind her.
“Come on then,” she says with a sigh.
She leads me into the usual room for after surgeries. So far, I’d brought her four pets. The first night, I’d stumbled through her back door while she was having a drink after a long day. I’d been covered in blood, carrying a whimpering cat, and she’d surprised me by just jumping in and helping.
Dr. Leo was the first monster I’d interacted with outside of my mother. She said she knew I wasn’t human, just based on my scent. Explained that she was an unusual shifter with a bad reputation, had chosen a name that was funny for reasons I didn’t understand, and then had given me her private number after I explained the monster that was eating the pets in this town.
She was the nicest woman I had ever met, outside of my mother.
“Come here,” she whispers, indicating one of the cages.
I creep closer and find the dog sleeping after her surgery. Somehow, the vet had managed to reattach the leg that had barely been hanging on. The dog’s fur was still matted with blood, and she looked way too thin and scraggly, but her chest rose and fell with ease.
“She’ll be okay?” my voice cracks when I ask the question.
She smiles. “Yeah, I think we’re in the clear.” A little unhappy laugh bubbles from her throat. “Fortunately, or unfortunately, for me, I’ve witnessed a lot of limbs being attached and removed in my long life. This was my first time being the one to attach a limb, but my experience made it easier.”
Leo always said things like that. She also said in another world she was called a Sphinx. I had heard about the Sphinx, a creature that was part eagle, part lion, and part woman, but I didn’t see any of this in this vet. Sometimes I couldn’t decide if she was just joking around with me, or if she was actually the woman of legend.
I feel there’s a story there, but I didn’t have the social skills to be able to ask about it delicately, so I just didn’t. If there’s something Leo wants me to know, I have a feeling she’ll tell me.
I shake my head, trying to focus on the present. “When I saw that thing trying to eat her in the park, I honestly thought she’d die. I’m glad I was wrong.”
She frowns. “Yeah, that creature couldn’t seem to decide if it just wanted to hurt these animals or eat them.”
I think of the other ones that I’d brought to her since coming here. “Did all their owners come to pick them up?”
The vet rubs the back of her neck, looking tired. “Thankfully, yes, but I don’t think this girl will be as lucky.”
“What do you mean?” I ask with a frown.
“I think this dog is a stray. She’s clearly been ill cared for a long time. I don’t recognize her, and I’m pretty sure I know all the pets in town. And, she’s pregnant. I did an ultrasound. There are two little ones in there.”
Pregnant and a stray?
“So what will happen to her?”
The vet shakes her head. “I don’t know. I try to help as many pets as I can, but the ones with extra needs tend to have a hard time getting adopted. I have a feeling this girl will limp the rest of her life, or even just have to drag that leg. And with her being pregnant too…”
“Someone will still want her, just because she’s a little complicated doesn’t mean she can’t be loved.”
The vet looks at me.
I look back at her, confused.
She seems to realize I have no idea what she’s getting at because then she starts talking. “What if you took her?”
“Took her where?”
She laughs and shakes her head. “What if you took her as your pet? I have a feeling she’d be pretty devoted to you after you saved her life. And because she’s a cocker spaniel, I think you won’t have a lot of trouble getting her pups adopted.”
“Dr. Leo, you know what I do for a living. I spend most of my time on the road killing monsters. That’s not much of a life for a dog.”
Her eyes are sad. “I don’t know how much of a life she’ll have you leave her here.”
I look back at the sleeping dog. I’m pretty sur
e she’s a pale tan that’s almost white, with auburn splotches. When I saved her from the monster, she’d stared at me with big brown eyes. I’d sincerely been ready for her to bite me or attack, like the other animals had done, but she’d just hidden in my arms. No, I didn’t think life on the road would be good for her. But maybe if I could get her into good shape, and get her puppies adopted, someone more deserving than me would take her in.
“Maybe I can do it. How much more time would she need here?”
Leo shrugs. “Probably just a day or two. And I’d load you up with enough medicine and supplies that you wouldn’t need to worry about anything else.”
“I’ll--” the word catches in my mouth as nausea rolls through me. I’m running for the trash can before I know what I’m doing. I hurl, but not much. All I’ve managed to keep down today are some crackers and a ginger ale.
Leo is there already with a paper towel. I wipe my mouth and mumble a thank you, but stay hovering over the trash can. “It always seems to come at night. Nausea in the morning, puking in the night,” I mutter.
Dr. Leo stiffens beside me. “Em, are you sure you’re sick? I mean, most supernaturals don’t get colds and flus.”
I shrug, my head suddenly pounding. “This definitely isn’t normal, whatever it is.”
“Yeah, but, uh, could you be pregnant?”
I swear I would’ve rather she punched me than say those words. My nausea fades away, and I stand at my full height. “No, I mean, no way.”
She lifts a brow. “You haven’t had sex in a while?”
I flinch. “Well, three months ago I did, but only that one time. Technically, a few times that night, but that’s it, and my partners have issues with infertility, so I don’t think it’s possible.”
Leo gives a little nod, not even seeming to care about me saying partners. “Even so, want to jump on the table? I’m not a human doc, well, I’m not technically any kind of official doc, but I have an ultrasound machine. I can tell you for sure.”
I kind of don’t want to know. I kind of want to go screaming from the room and leave this idea in the dust. But the logical part of me knows that now that the idea has been planted, I won’t be able to shake it until I get proof that I’m not.
Empusa's Hunger: A Reverse Harem Romance (Monsters and Gargoyles Book 8) Page 6