The kid looks at Kaida with glee-filled eyes. “I love the luts. They’re so enchanting. Such a cool mix of creatures.”
I don’t imagine Kaida looking smug at his comment as she sits by my side. I roll my eyes as I dig my fingers into the feathers at the base of her neck.
“This is Slade,” Keary tells me. “My favorite nephilim.”
Slade grins. “Hiya.” His eyes drop to my foot on the stool. “What’s wrong with you?”
“A poison quill,” Keary says. “Into his ankle. The fer-de-lance jacked-up anti-venom took care of the poison, but he’s still in pain. I think the quill itself might have done some physical damage.”
Slade nods. He kneels on the floor next to the stool, but his hands halt over my ankle. “Can I touch you?” he asks, his eyes briefly meeting mine.
I nod, somewhat amused.
His fingers are warm as he pushes my pant leg up to view my ankle. The scar is barely visible, so I’m guessing the damage is on the inside. I find it a little strange that whatever was in the anti-venom has nearly made the evidence of my injury disappear without fixing the internal damage.
His hand wraps around my ankle, and I’m practically blinded when it turns into a beam of light. I can see and feel it through my squeezed-shut eyes. Heat sears through my ankle and travels up my leg, following the path that tends to ache by the end of a day of walking.
It doesn’t take long, and the heat fades in time with the light. I’m surprised when I immediately feel the difference in my leg, too. It feels… perfect. I’m probably going to limp the other way now since this one is ten years younger and stronger.
“Thanks,” I say, staring at my leg as if it’s going to do tricks all on its own. Will it glow now?
“You’re welcome,” Slade says as he gets to his feet. “Thanks for stopping in.”
Notto chuckles as he heads for the door, so I think we were just dismissed. I get to my feet and follow, but not before I’m left with another wave of anger when I get a look at the house that we’re leaving. It’s furnished with comfort and warmth, and… I smell hot food.
The monsters have underground doomsday shelters and massive compounds with houses. Meanwhile, humans are living in shells of buildings and constantly fighting for a damn meal. What the fuck?
“You’re angry,” Notto notes as we pass back through the Malak neighborhood.
“I can’t get over the fact that monsters were responsible for killing the human race, yet they’re living like…” Words fail me as I gesture around. “Meanwhile, humans are barely clinging to life.”
“Ah,” Notto says. He grabs my arm, and we head down a side street.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“I’m going to introduce you to someone.”
Drystan and Keary tag along without comment. Kaida, thankfully, remains glued to my side. I don’t ask another question as we continue down a long street and take a right onto a smaller one. The next gate we go through welcomes us to the House of Water.
I raise a brow, staring at the sign as we pass it. “Water?” I ask as we cross a bridge over a rapidly moving stream. There are ponds and pools and streams everywhere I look.
“It should say salt water,” Keary muses, “since these are ocean monsters. They couldn’t agree whose name should be on the sign, so they just use the element they have in common.”
“Water monsters are fucking stubborn and excessively proud,” Notto says.
Eyes look out at me from a pond as we pass, causing me to pause so I can stare into the water. That’s a trick of my mind, right? When a head breaches the surface with gills on its neck and a beaming smile on its face, I decide that I’m either in some weird parallel universe or maybe hell. Being surrounded by monsters is going to give me nightmares.
“Keary?”
We all turn to face the voice. The speaker is a man with white-blond hair that contains a streak of aqua. His eyes are the bluest I’ve ever seen. Keary breaks off and jogs to him. I’m surprised when he literally leaps into the man’s arms, hugging him fiercely.
I’m even more surprised when my stomach flips. Is that… jealousy? Wow. What is wrong with me? A man saves my life and kisses me, and suddenly, I’m jealous when he shows someone else affection? Bullshit. Fuck no. That’s not happening.
“That’s Iska,” Drystan says. “He’s a cute little sea nymph and Keary’s bestie. They’ve been friends for more than a century.”
Keary brings Iska toward us and introduces me. I listen to them talk as we continue winding through the streams and ponds until we’re sitting beside a stunning pool. I’m confused about why we’re here, though.
My confusion melts away when a monster emerges from the water, pulling themselves onto the rocks directly in front of us.
