Page 14 of Monsters In Her Head

Ryu almost snapped at Ira then seemed to think better of it. With much effort, Ryu blew out a breath, the air flickering with flames before him. “Fine. What do you suggest?”

Playing with the meat on his plate, Ira smiled secretly. “If you cannot go to the source, go to the one who cares about her even more than you do.”

“I don’t care for her,” Ryu protested.

Ira ignored him and continued, “The princess may not care for her well being but her maid surely does. If we implore her to help us then I’m sure that we can find a mutually beneficial solution to our problem.”

“And you think she’ll help us?” Desmond cocked his head to the side, adjusting the armor on his shoulder. “She doesn’t exactly trust us.”

“For the sake of her princess, she will.”

Both of his brothers stared at him for a long minute before Ryu announced, “Very well. Since it was your idea, you can persuade the maid to assist us.”

Ira didn’t so much as protest. He was used to his brothers pushing the difficult tasks in his direction. Majority of the time they didn’t even realize he was orchestrating it to be that way.

If Ira became endeared to the handmaiden then he would have someone on the inside to the inner workings of the princess’s mind. That, in itself, was far more valuable than any hardship he would face convincing the older human female to help them learn their secret language.

“Very well.” Ira sat his plate and goblet to the side and stood. “I suppose the task goes to the smartest and cleverest of us. I will try not to fail you, brothers.”

They threw bits of meat and vegetables at his back as he made his way out of the dining room. They could be so ungrateful.

Chapter 9

Sweat poured down mybrow and tickled the small of my back. I hadn’t perspired so much since I learned to sneak out of the castle when I was thirteen. The way Beautine was looking at me, I had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last time.

Three days of being stuck in this training room with its high domed ceiling and hard walls lined with every kind of weapon imaginable and I didn’t feel as if I was getting much better. My body hurt in all the wrong ways. Muscles I’d never used before screamed at me in protest.

“Hands up.” Beautine commanded me, her lips moving slow enough for me to keep up while she showed what she wanted me to do. “Don’t let me through your defenses.”

I pursed my lips, concentrating on my stance, my movements, even the way I breathed. Beautine told me everything counted when you were fighting. Since I didn’t have one of my senses to rely on I had to make up for it with all the others.

“Feel the air move around you.” She thrust a fist toward me, letting me feel the air shift with her movement.

Automatically, my body moved to avoid the fist coming at me.

Beautine grinned, nodding. “Again.”

---