Page 117 of My Monster's Keeper
He looks like he might have been crying, but I can’t tell. The streaks on his cheeks glitter like ice.
“Frost?”
His eyes snap to me, and he lifts the plate and starts to lick it.
“We need to talk.”
“Go away.”
“Not a chance in hell. This hiding nonsense isn’t going to work for me.”
“You would become another frozen statue in my world? You’d risk it?”
“You won’t hurt me, Frost.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “Of course, I will.”
I glare at him. “So, you’re not even going to try?”
He crawls towards me so suddenly I can’t move. His face is ghastly white, and his teeth are sharpened to points. “I am Fae. I am a prince,” he says in the most ethereally beautiful voice I’ve ever heard.
I’m frozen as he places his ice cold palm to my face. It takes three seconds before it starts to ache, another second before I try to move away, and then I’m gritting my teeth, holding back a cry.
“See? I’ll hurt you.”
I grab the back of his head with my free hand and fuse our mouths together. My cheek floods with heat, and I cry out at the relief and sudden change in sensations.
He pulls back, gripping my chin and turning my head this way and that. “No mark.”
I stare at him, wondering how I could ever have been scared of him. He reaches out and drags me into his arms.
“Emotions make me lose control,” Frost murmurs. “I might burn you or freeze you.”
“Do you know they say you can’t experience love without experiencing pain?”
Frost goes still, and I replay my words, wincing as I realise what I’ve said.
“You love me.”
I don’t want to confirm that. I’m still not sure if they’ll stay with me or if they’ll abandon me like everyone else.
But I need to take a chance, don’t I? Grant would tell me to take a chance.
“I do love you.”
“WORKIES! Here, little demons, come to papa, I have some workies for you!”
Frost's head snaps towards the entrance to his ice kingdom, and he snarls.
“Come, my little lazy shits, it’s time you got off your fat little tookus’ and do some nice little workies. Hey! Puppy! Stop that! Do not growl at me like that. Bad dog. Bad.”
“Oh, shit,” Frost murmurs and covers his face with his hands. “I’ll get you a new kitchen, I promise.”
My eyes widen, and I struggle free of Frost and throw myself towards the hole. I let out a shriek as the ladder I step onto wobbles and finally tumbles to the ground in four pieces.
Shadows snap out of the walls and catch me just before I hit the ground.
“Huh. Thanks, Stix!”
