Page 42 of Hot Monster Summer

The weight of his words settles over me. “You’re saying Ihaveto choose one of you?”

“Eventually, you will,” he confirms. “Or choose none and return to your human life, carrying the memory of what might have been.”

The thought of returning to my everyday existence—apartment hunting, bills, explaining to friends why myengagement ended—seems impossibly dull after what I’ve experienced here at the cabin in the middle of nowhere.

“What happens if I don’t choose?” I ask. “If I just… keep seeing all of you?”

Caspian’s tentacles tighten slightly around me, betraying a tension his face doesn’t show. “I don’t know. The balance might break,” he says quietly. “We’ve maintained peace because we each have our domain, our purpose. You blur those boundaries.”

“So I’m basically Helen of Troy, except with monsters instead of Greeks,” I mutter.

His laugh is unexpected, a rich sound that vibrates through the water around us. “You know your history. Yes, in some ways. Though I’d like to think we’re more civilized than those warriors.”

“Are you?” I challenge. “Because from where I’m standing—or floating, whatever—you three are acting pretty territorial over a woman you just met a couple of weeks ago.”

“We are what we are,” he says simply. “Beings with ancient instincts. But also capable of reason, of patience.” He smiles. “Maybe not Kaelen.” His hand cups my cheek. “Of letting you decide your fate.”

We float in silence for a moment, the ruins glowing below us.

“I should go back,” I finally say.

“Of course.” He guides me upward, his tentacles propelling us smoothly through the water toward the surface.

As we rise, I watch the underwater ruins recede beneath us, its glowing beauty fading into darkness.

When we break the surface, the night air feels cool against my skin after the womb-like warmth of the depths. The moon has traveled across the sky during our underwater interlude, now hanging low over the western treeline.

“Dawn approaches,” Caspian observes, guiding me toward the shore with gentle tentacles. “The wolf will be prowling, scenting you on the wind.”

“Let him prowl,” I say, feeling suddenly defiant. “I’m going to bed. Alone.”

Caspian’s smile is knowing. “As you wish. But remember, Lily—what we’ve shared has changed you, just as what you experienced with the others did. You carry a piece of each of us now. Nothing will ever be the same.”

He brings me to the shallows, where I can stand on my own. As I emerge from the water, I notice my skin still has that faint, subtle, but unmistakable iridescence.

“When will this fade again?” I ask, examining my arm where the glow pulses just beneath the surface.

“By dawn,” he assures me. “Unless you wish otherwise.”

I shake my head. “One thing at a time. I’m still processing… everything.”

He nods, remaining in deeper water as I walk to where I left my robe. As I bend to retrieve it, I catch sight of movement at the forest’s edge—amber eyes watching, a low growl vibrating through the night air.

Kaelen.

And just beyond him, nearly invisible against the trees but for the faint glow of flowers on his shoulders, Oren.

Both watching, both aware of exactly where I’ve been and what I’ve done.

“Great,” I mutter, pulling my robe on with as much dignity as possible while dripping wet and faintly glowing. “The welcoming committee.”

“They’re drawn to the change in you,” Caspian calls from the water, his voice carrying easily across the distance. “My essence mixed with theirs creates… interest.”

“I’m not doing this right now,” I call back, tightening the robe’s belt with a decisive tug. “Tell your monster buddies that I need sleep and space, and the next one who shows up uninvited gets a face full of whatever household cleaner I can find under the sink.”

Caspian’s laugh ripples across the water. “They hear you. Whether they’ll listen is another matter.”

I turn toward the cabin, head high, very aware of three pairs of eyes tracking my every move. The sensation should be terrifying—three ancient monsters watching me like I’m the last cookie in the jar—but instead, it sends a forbidden thrill down my spine.

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