Page 30 of Insidious Monsters
“Thank you.” Archie looked to the heavens. “I’m so hungry I think my stomach’s eating itself.”
“I have a solution for that.” Bertie popped his head around the door, holding up a bag. “Sandwiches on the house.”
* * *
The last thingI wanted to do was catch an eldritch, not now that I knew what happened to the new breeds. But like Nandi had pointed out, we could always skip calling it in and simply dump it back through the rift. Yeah, it was breaking protocol, but I would not condone experimentation on these creatures.
We tracked the beast across the city and located it hiding in a sewer pipe on the edge of Moonset Walk. A reptilian thing the size of an Alsatian and thankfully already in the crypto-guide. It snarled and growled but didn’t attack, making it an easy bag. It had to be a daytime one, which made no sense because Luphin had said the daytime creatures were hibernating. I’d have to ask him the next time I saw him, provided I managed to find his man.
I dropped the eldritch back through the rift it had come through. It loitered for a moment, sniffing the ground, and then made a beeline for the rift.
“Whoa, not that way.” I blocked its path.
It snarled at me, lowering its body in a menacing move. Oh, shit. I flicked out my blade and fell into a defensive stance.
“Don’t make me hurt you. Just go. Get!”
It held its ground, determination gleaming in its eyes. What the hell? It wanted to go back through the rift? I was so confused.
It lunged and I swiped, forcing it back.
It dropped its body and whined.
“Come on, dude, I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t let you back through. It’s not safe, okay?”
A low vibrating sound drifted toward us, teasing gooseflesh to life across my skin. The eldritch’s head whipped up, then it turned and ran away from me.
The sound came again. It sounded like a horn. I peered off into the distance, using my hand as a visor against the sun. Something was coming.
My pulse kicked up, stomach fluttering in warning as the dust cloud approached.
Nope. Not sticking around to check it out cos that would be dumb.
I took my cue from the eldritch and backed up through the rift and into my own world. No way was I letting curiosity kill this cat.
* * *
Telarion stirredas I tugged on fresh clothes after my shower. It would be sunset soon, after all.
“Sleep well?” I ran a brush through my damp hair.
What did I miss?His voice had that gruff, just-woken-up tone that made my stomach flip.
I filled him in on the cute eldritch and the arsey rift walker dude and our plans to question Margie the nomad this evening.
You’ve been busy.
“As always.”
Do you need me to come with you?
Need? No. Want? Yes. But heneededto feed. “I’ll be fine.”
His presence expanded as the sun set. I braced myself as he tore himself free from me. He stood with his back to me for a long beat before turning to tower over me.
I tipped my chin up, drinking him in like a thirsty desert traveler. “Hello.”
He gripped my jaw and leaned in, breath fanning across my face. “Don’t get into any trouble,” he growled.
