Page 151 of My Monster's Keeper
Puppy skids to a stop beside me and stares at the rock.
“He’s in there?”
“Yes,” I murmur. I can feel the stone heating, but I’m worried about hurting him.
“I would prefer my cage.”
I do a double take. This is a fate worse than the cage? No. I have to get him out.
A loud whistle steals my attention. “What was that?”
“Ah, dinner to go,” Puppy growls happily.
I watch as he darts towards the wall and climbs up as easily as he came down. A huge chunk of stone breaks off and drops to my feet.
Yes. It’s working.
Another few seconds later and half the left side falls off. The side of Stix’s face appears. I let out a sob of relief, but it’s not over yet. I don’t even know if he’s okay. Inside, I continue sending fire and ice through the stone. Finding the weak points and ripping them apart.
I glance up again, and Stix’s eye is open, and he’s staring straight at me. Green eyes glow in my direction.
“I love you, too!” I say to him.
Another chunk from his mouth falls off. He twitches his lips but remains still. Above me, a war wages. I have to trust my Grim.
Puppy howls in pain.
“PUPPY!” I wrench my head around, but I can’t see the top of the cliff. I can’t see him.
I look frantically around and spot Pitch staring up at the cliff top.
“Pitch. I need Frost and Wilder,” I say to the cat, hoping she understands me. “Please go get them and bring them here!”
Stix’s dark eyes glow with a rage I’ve never seen on him before. He struggles to move his arm, but it isn't until I get a huge blast of ice into the cracks that he lifts his arm and shoves the stone off of him.
A light appears beside us, and I look up to find Frost and Wilder coming through. Their eyes land on the battle. They look at me. Stix crumpled on the floor, and they soar up the side of the cliff.
I close my eyes and crouch beside Stix.
“What do you need?” I whisper.
“You. I need you,” he says, and then he kisses me.
Chapter 42
Puppy
Idon’t think I’ve ever been this enraged. I throw myself up the cliff, using my front paws to propel me forward and my hind legs to catapult me up. It makes me look like I’m flying.
I can see the fear in their eyes. The stink of their terror in the air. The Grim is coming for them. They know. They should run, they waver, eyes widening, tiny squeaks of sound erupting from empty lungs, and then it’s too late. I throw myself straight through my first kill.
I hit the ground on the other side as his bodily remains fall to the ground. Blood and gore drips off me, and I casually spit out the heart. Only a mark of true disdain for my enemies to waste food. Another indication they will get no mercy.
A tall, willowy female with antennae screams and runs, but I slap a rock into her skull, blowing half of it away in a spray of rosy chunks.
A huge bear with seven limbs roars at me.
I cock my head to the side, flex my talons.
