Page 5 of Love & Monsters
Had anyone realized I disappeared yet? Did my friends, family, or coworkers notice I hadn’t returned home from my run or missed work? Was anyone looking for me?
Although by now I felt entirely drained of fear and anguish, there were still tears dripping from my eyes and a tremor in my limbs. My entire life was lost if I couldn’t find a way back, but how could I? Terrifying creatures surrounded me, and I didn’t know how I got here in the first place.
My hope died, and I think a part of me did as well.
The demon guards in red armor walked silently through the city. Wherever we went, I could tell the citizens moved out of their way as quickly as they could. If they didn’t, more than once I heard a guard shove someone out of the way. Shouting and growling, they snarled and snapped at each other like wild animals. Even if they spoke and I could understand them, I needed to remember that these weren’t humans. I shouldn’t expect them to act like ones.
It wasn’t until we reached the front gate of the manor the pale demon spoke of that they placed me back on my feet. At first, I wobbled, unsteady after being carried for so long. The guard who carried me quickly snatched me up by the back of the neck to guide me through the massive black iron gate onto the manor property.
Under different circumstances, it would have blown me away. The architecture was spectacular, and the size alone took my breath away. This manor was equivalent to a massive gothic styled mansion. All the stone was the shade of charcoal, and the massive stained-glass windows were shades of rich greens and dark blues. Gargoyles leered down from the pointed towers. I couldn’t be sure if they were simple stone or living creatures in this world.
Only the guard guiding me continued to the two massive black doors with wrought iron inlays. The other five stayed behind in formation. I felt better that they did, but a new bundle of nerves twisted in my gut as we approached the doors. My mind raced with too many thoughts, and I hadn’t had a single moment to untangle them yet.
It didn’t matter.
The guard shoved a door open, and he ushered me inside. I had seconds to glance over the dark interior and smooth stone before movement on the grand curving staircase across the front foyer caught my attention. It was the pale demon again, descending the stairs and looking over at me with mild interest.
How had he beat us back here?
“Ah, right. The human.” He landed at the base of the stairs and stroked a clawed finger over his chin. “It’ll need a bath and then, after his meal, I’ll present it to the Lord.”
He seemed to talk to himself more than me and the guard. Before saying anything else, he snapped his fingers and waved his hand in my direction.
“You may leave,” he ordered the guard. “I’ll take things from here.”
The guard let go of my neck and dropped into a deep bow before popping back up. In seconds, he whirled around and turned to leave. I was too frozen to turn and watch him. My eyes glued to the blue eyes that assessed me.
“A human,” he sighed. With the guard gone, he dropped the hardened demeanor from his face. Now he just looked bored, maybe slightly weary. “If I’d left you in the market, someone might have eaten you by now.”
Was he actually talking to me?
“Do you want me to say thank you?” The words tumbled from my lips before I could stop myself. I bit my tongue when his eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. Now gleaming with something like dark curiosity.
“Oh, no. You shouldn’t be thanking me. If the Lord likes you, I don’t imagine you’ll have a delightful time with him.” He shrugged. “But there hasn’t been a human in our realm in over two hundred years. If someone ate you before he had a chance to see you, there would have been a massacre. It’s exciting to see a human, though I think you’re a bit underwhelming.”
Now he walked around me, looking up and down my muddied running clothes and scratched, raw skin. He was frighteningly tall, and I didn’t enjoy how close he was as he observed me.
“Great. Underwhelming,” I muttered under my breath. The demon huffed and snapped his fingers.
The sound of shuffling feet to the right stole my attention, and I turned my head to see a smaller female demon in a tight black dress and crimson apron step out of the shadows. Her skin was as dark as ebony, and her waist length hair was as light as snow. She had two small horns on her forehead, pointing backward and violet eyes.
“Yes, sir?” She kept her eyes on the floor, avoiding the pale demon’s gaze.
“Take this thing for a bath and put it in something decent for the Lord to view after his meal. Be careful with it. If he likes it, then it’ll be a new pet.” When the servant nodded her head, he seemed pleased enough to turn around and walk off without sparing me a second glass.
“Follow me.” Her voice was soft as she spoke, and she wasn’t much taller than I was. I gnawed my bottom lip for a moment and debated going with her.
“What if I don’t?” I shot back. Could I turn and make a run for the door while no one else was around?
Then her head whipped up, and she smiled. But there was something wrong with it. Her lips continued splitting across her cheeks, and slowly, a horrifying mouthful of fangs appeared. “I think it’s best you come with me.”
I didn’t talk back again when she closed her mouth, and those teeth went away. It was enough of a threat, and I didn’t need another reminder that monsters surrounded me.
Even the maid might eat me if I stepped one foot out of place. I had to let my mind wander into a void and drop my emotions at the door if I was going to survive. For now, I would follow and wait.
The entire manor was the same. Dark, gothic, broody. There was no sunlight to come through the windows, and for the first time, I noticed the wall sconces and all the candles on the chandeliers. It was enough for me to see, and I guess I could be grateful for that.
Taken through several hallways, I noticed the ebony demon taking me to back quarters in the manor. Along the way, we passed other servants who looked on with wide, glowing eyes. My mind fled, and I stopped trying to make sense of what happened around me.
