Page 23 of Ruthless Monsters

“Lets go, Wendel,” the guard calls out impatiently.

“I-I’ll be right there!” a male replies from somewhere out of sight, and the guard mutters something under his breath.

We aren’t waiting long when a large bird-like creature walks into view, and my mouth drops open. The creature stands taller than the winged centaur guards beside me, and while it has a curved beak and beady eyes like that of a chicken, rainbow scales cover its body instead of feathers, the colors seemingly always changing in the light. The creature pulls a crystal carriage with an open top, and as it comes closer, it takes me a moment to realize its fiery tail is made of fur rather than flames.

Whoa. I wish Shade could see this.

A male coachman sits at the front of the carriage, presumably the individual named Wendel, and with his hooked nose and bushy hair he almost looks comically like the creature. He smiles kindly at me, and I grin back, feeling the tiniest bit happier about this whole situation.

That is, until one of guards opens his mouth. “Get in,” barks the one who’d called out to Wendel, and I try not to let his bad attitude ruin the moment. It’s a strange sensation being called the future queen while also being treated as if you’re less than dirt. Then again, I guess they think I’m going to die soon anyway.I would dwell on that morbid thought if I actually thought it was going to come to that. For now, I ignore the grouchy male and open the carriage door, sliding onto the plush leather seat.

“Welcome, welcome,” Wendel says, still smiling at me, but the guard barks another impatient order, and Wendel quickly closes his mouth, facing the front.

Wendel says a few soothing words to the bird creature, and as the animal starts forward, the two guards move to either side of the carriage, matching the steady pace. We approach two widecrystal doors, which open automatically when we draw near, and then we’re exiting the stable and moving beyond the palace walls.

What the—?I knew we were underground given what Shade had said about the tunnels, but I’m really not prepared for the city of The Haven. Craning my neck, I gape at the massive concave ceiling that’s far above us and lined with white crystals. The stones are arranged in a pattern that reminds me of scales, and they glow, giving off warm, luminescent light. Around us, the road is also made from crystals, though these have been shaped and arranged together like a mosaic artwork. The small houses up ahead have been constructed in a similar fashion, the oddly shaped crystals neatly stacked together to form the walls and roofs, leaving no house appearing the same.

We’re not far from the palace when the streets become thick with citizens walking about, all of them in their non-centaur forms with cuffs around their ankles. Some turn and bow to me as we pass, but most avoid looking in my direction like they’re determined to pretend I don’t exist. Had we been back in Seral, this would have been seen as an insult, but here, the guards act like it’s expected behavior. Not that it bothers me. If anything, I feel less obligated to smile back at people, and I’m happy to spend more time marveling at my surroundings. King Celzar might be cruel, but his city is magnificent.

Another cart pulled by a bird creature starts to pass us, and I’m admiring the rainbow scales of the animal when a lively voice chirps in my head.“Hullo!”I blink, turning to my side in surprise, only to find my trusty guard still staring sternly straight ahead.

Frowning, I convince myself I must have imagined it, and it’s not until I hear the voice again that I realize it’s the bird-creature pulling my carriage who’s speaking in my mind.“Yes, yes. Here we are, another day. More walking. Always walking.”I noticethe slight tingling sensation in my mind now that I’m aware of what’s happening, and excitement makes me sit up in my chair.We leave the other carriage behind us, and everything is silent for a short while until we go to pass another carriage, and I hear,“Hullo friend!”

I watch in fascination as both bird creatures subtly dip their heads to one another as they pass by, and it’s not until the other creature is some distance away that I say,“Hello?”like I’m the one who’s responding to the bird’s greeting.

The carriage jerks to a halt, and the creature swivels its head, peering back and staring at me with beady eyes.

I lift my hand and give him a little wave.“Nice to meet you, friend.”

The bird cocks its head in surprise.“She speaks. How does she speak?”the creature rambles.

Unaware of what’s happening, Wendel nervously pats the bird’s neck. “C-come now. Can’t keep the king waiting.” At that, the creature starts walking again, but it leaves its head to the side like its determined to keep an eye on me.“Strange. So strange,”the bird mumbles.

“Yes, I speak,”I say when the creature has a steady gait again, and this time aside from a misstep, the bird doesn’t stop walking.“It’s nice to meet you,”I say, politely.“I’m Blake.”

“Blake? Blake?”the creature repeats.“Must not talk to the Blake.”

“No, Blake is my name,”I explain.“Do you have one? A name, I mean?”This is honestly one of the most exciting things to happen to me since I was kidnapped, and I can’t help but keep talking.

There’s silence for a moment, but then the creature replies,“Pask. Pask is my name.”

“Pask,”I say with a nod.“I like it.”

“Who are you, Blake? You are a stranger, new queen-to-be. You shouldn’t be here.”

I frown.“You’ve heard about the wedding, huh?”

“Oh yes, we all talk. The king just does not listen. But Wendel does. Yes, he does.”

He reaches back to nudge the driver with his beak, and I grin when Wendel smiles and rubs the bird’s neck affectionately.

“So…you’re happy here?”I ask Pask, still trying to figure this place out.

“Happy? Strong word that. Very strong word. No, we’re stuck. We’re all stuck.”He pauses for a moment then goes on.“No wind. No sky. No sun.”He ruffles his huge wings, before tucking them in tighter against his back.“No, I would not say happy, but safe from the witches, yes. No witches. Horrible witches.”

I think about the ruins of Perstalia and stare around at the life bustling around us.“But this place is incredible,”I say.

“It does not matter,”Pask replies thoughtfully.“We are not free. Not even my Wendel.”He lowers his beak and sends me an image of the large cuff around his right leg.

---