Page 30 of My Monster's Keeper
I tear my gaze away and stomp out of the kitchen.
“Becky, wait!” Stix shouts out.
But it’s too late, the door slams open, and a terrifyingly huge creature explodes out of it, a thousand teeth in its huge mouth, opened and coming for me.
I’m going to die.
I squeeze my eyes closed and wish that maybe if I was going to get eaten, I’d want it to be Puppy. But, then I think of the Stix, Frost, and Wilder, and I hope that Diablos finds someone else who will treat them well. Someone who will feed them.
Finally, my voice works, a scream tearing out of me.
Chapter 9
Becky
It freezes solid a finger’s length from my face. I’m still frozen, holding my breath, when Stix lands. He grips my arm and yanks me into his long arms. I cling to him, keeping my eyes on the monster.
Frost walks around it and raps on the skull of the creature. “What is this?”
“Female Amshrilleeg,” Stix growls. “Her scent was in the air but covered with the male’s musk. We almost lost you, poppet.”
“There were so many teeth,” I say in a daze.
“I have more,” Puppy says happily. “I’m hungry.”
Frost glances at us and shrugs. “Eat, then.” The creature thaws, and before it can make a single sound, Puppy bites into its skull, causing a gush of blue fluid to hit the wall with a wet slap.
My knees buckle, but Stix holds me up.
“Interesting specimen.” Wilder cuts off a limb and inspects the leg.
Puppy growls and pounces, his mouth devouring the whole limb and half of Wilder’s arm. He closes his mouth with a smack and rolls his strange eyes.
Wilder pushes the Grim off his arm and walks towards the Prince.
“The creature should not be here. They are rare and locked up in the caves in Ableth.”
“What is Ableth?” I ask.
“It’s a place where we send the most dangerous of my kind. To them, it is Ableth, but my kind call it the Pit.” Stix says and rubs his cheek with a finger. His eyes are unfocused and lost in thought.
“So, it’s a prison for bad guys?” I clarify.
Three men tilt their heads to the side, considering that.
“Why, yes, I believe it is. Places to wait to be tortured or eaten. A prison. Ableth has another name,” Frost announces with amusement. “Well done, human.”
I narrow my eyes on the Fae prince. Is he mocking me?
“Shall we set this alight and leave? There is a thing called a burrito that I’m anxious to try.” Frost leans back on his heels and hums. “And spaghetti.”
He pronounces it wrong, but I don’t care. I’m too fascinated by the almost lustful expression on his face.
“Hurry up, Puppy,” Stix says and tightens his arms around me.
He starts walking, and I instantly get a little seasick. Puppy gives the floor a final lick, scurries for the wall, and vanishes up the side of it. I peer for as long as I can, but I can’t find him anywhere.
We get outside, and it’s like a shock to the system. It doesn’t feel real. The cold, clean air is a relief after the horrible stench inside.
