No one likes my answer.
“Are you ill?” Notto asks.
I huff. “No. Just not hungry. You feed me more meals in a day than I’ve had my entire life.”
All the monsters frown at me.
“That’s not good,” Notto says. “You should be eating more.”
I’m about to point out that humans don’t have massive compounds with livestock and gardens but decide against it. Instead, I shrug. “I’m tired. Kaida won’t let the food go to waste.”
Considering Kaida’s already licked the bowl clean, it’s an accurate assessment. I lie on my side on the mat with a soft pillow under my head and Kaida curled up against my chest. There’s still light streaming in through the windows and the quiet sounds of noises throughout the building. The soft sound of Keary turning pages as he reads.
Out of all the places I’ve slept in my lifetime, I never sleep better than I do in the libraries. I know I’m safe here. Maybe there’s monster magic, or maybe it has its own magic. Whatever it is, the library is the one place that I’m never scared to close my eyes.
***
There’s no sound when I open my eyes. Nothing specific woke me except maybe the thick tension hanging between us. It almost feels like a wall.
I come face to face with Keary. It’s like looking into the sun, making me squint. He smiles, and I flinch back from the blinding light. My stomach flips because I realize he’s practically pressed right up against me.
My body aches with the time that’s passed since I’ve gotten off. It’s making even a monster appealing.
Who am I kidding? As far as monsters go, these guys are… I could do worse. In spite of the growing tension, I like them. I like their company. I like their personalities. I hate that the truth of the world is so far from what I was taught, but secretly, I like that what I know about monsters is wrong.
The cruel aren’t the vast majority. I suppose that rule applies to most living things.
“Oh good. You’re awake. I’m going to get food,” Keary says.
I rub my eyes and look at him through squinted eyes. “You could have woken me if you’re in a hurry.”
“I’m not in a hurry,” Keary says as he gets to his feet.
I roll onto my back and close my eyes. Kaida presses against my side, curling her head around to put her nose in my face. I grin.
“I don’t need your help,” Keary says, and I twist to watch him walk through the door with Notto behind him.
“I didn’t ask if you did,” Notto says.
“Don’t touch me.”
“I’m three feet away from you,” Notto says, his voice remaining neutral even though Keary sounds annoyed.
“That’s not far enough.”
“Stop being a child.”
Their words drift away as they move down the hall. I turn my attention to Drystan and stare. “Your horns are different.”
Up until last night, they were huge and thick, coming up from the crown of his head before curving backward. Now, they’re like a gazelle’s—much shorter, straight, and twisted, with their bases further apart than the previous set.
Drystan reaches up to touch them, his hand following the length to the sharp point. “Huh,” he says, then meets my eyes. “Are they sexy?”
I laugh. “Yeah.”
He grins. “Cool.”
I scratch Kaida’s neck and shoulder before pushing myself up into a sitting position and rubbing my face again.
