The similarity between what was in the basement of the garage and the place I’d been kept was far too similar. Incredibly different yet the same tactics. Same message.
You’re next if you don’t do as you’re told.
A week has gone by, and for the most part, I’ve put it behind me. That’s no longer real. It’s not my life anymore. I’m safe. I’m with men who love me and will protect me from the horrors of my past.
We released the humans. We released the children. We carry on toward Nyc City, now within a couple days’ walk even while moving at the relatively leisurely pace that we are.
Keary’s hand slides into mine, our fingers linking together. I try not to grin too widely, but it’s difficult to hide it. I’ve known all along that this is the man he is. Attentive. Concerned. Loving. He sees that I’m upset and no longer pushes Notto to comfort me.
“I’m not upset,” I tell him, which is only slightly a lie. I’m a little upset. I can still see the ghosts of my past lingering around, and it bothers me. “I’m glad to be able to kill monsters like that. It feels like I’m helping karma out.”
He kisses my cheeks. “I know, but it can feel good and bad at the same time. Your actions can be justified yet still leave you feeling rough.”
I know that the Ra were targeted. Almost everyone who resided on the base where I’d been brought upon my rescue was a target of Silence.
I’ve always felt vindicated that Silence had become overconfident. They’d been so assured of their victory, so sure they’d terrified everyone into submission until there weren’t enough monsters to stand against them.
The fact that they were wrong and that I and all the other experiments who’d been tortured by them were able to be a part of their end helps me sleep better at night. Before that, I’d been plagued by nightmares that they’d somehow steal me back. Being a part of their deaths helped me heal.
But not all wounds heal. Some can be ripped open again under certain circumstances. Some will never, ever heal, no matter how much time passes.
I’m alright now. Sometimes, I have to remind myself of that, especially after coming face to face with what the pods are trying to do. I see ghosts for days after. They’re little wisps that walk by in my peripheral vision, always making me turn to look. Always making my heart jump.
You’re not real.
“KEARY RA!”
We stop in our tracks. We’ve been walking along the river for a while now. The voice itself sounds like it came from the watery depths.
I know who that is. Notto rolls his eyes, but Keary grins widely. We all know who that is.
We’re not disappointed when Iskander materializes from the water, standing in all his barky yet watery glory. Once, this river was disgustingly polluted from centuries of human misuse. It’s remarkably clear now, which means I can see all the other shapes in the water too.
“Iska,” Keary says. He kisses my cheek again and lets go of my hand. They embrace, Keary plucking Iska from his feet and spinning him around.
Other monstrous shapes begin emerging from the river. Tentacles. A watery wolf head. An eel.
Don’t be fooled by the mundane images in your head. Remember that these are monsters. The tentacles belong to a kraken, and his suctions have teeth all their own. The wolf glows like he’s radioactive, though he’s all water.
The eel might be most terrifying though not quite themostdangerous. His spines are sharp, tipped in red. His face is more wolf-muzzle than eel and filled with sharp teeth.
Then there’s what I always equate to a sea dragon—a horrendous combination of fish, snake, and dragon. Incredibly long, thick, and strong. She coils out of the water, sliding onto the ground before spiraling up until her upper body hovers like that of a snake.
I’ve always marveled at the OG monsters in the world. There’s already a variety, hundreds of species. Why the hell did Silence think they needed to make their own? I don’t fit into any one niche like monsters do.
Monsters are all naturally classified. Teko? We’re a fucking mix of everything and nothing.
“What’re you doing here?” Keary asks.
Iska shrugs. “Wandering the world for a break. I didn’t know you were heading north.”
“We’re heading back toward Nyc City,” Keary says.
I almost missed the last of Iska’s spouses. He’s practically a trick of the light. Just a being made entirely of water. What’s cool about these monsters is they’re all kind of exotic. Not your typical merperson or sharkboy.
The person made entirely of water? That’s Henley. He’s a vodyanoy, which is basically a water spirit. An actual spirit. Not just called a soul because they become transparent like me. He’s a fucking spirit!
The sea wolf is Ku. He’s a gunakadeit, an ancient species that is more magic than monster. Then there’s the wife, the serpent-like dragon named Thorne. She’s a bakunawa and a fucking badass.
