Page 39 of Demon: Monsterverse
Issa draggedme out of bed, much to my chagrin. Human women worked during certain blocks of time, and the rest of it was ours. I’d only been here one night and couldn’t deny the relaxed vibe of all the women I encountered. Stifling my yawn, I stumbled down the eight flights of stairs.
“I want to give you the rundown of the city before your first shift tonight.” I nodded, my eyes burning. I couldn’t sleep last night at all. It didn’t help that the girl I shared the room with snored, but at least I’d bathed and had a few new sets of clothing. “Also, if you encounter a creature that won’t leave you alone, say you belong to someone. Don’t pussy foot. Some crazy fucker can force a bond between you if he takes a liking to you.” Bond? What in the hell was a bond?
The dragon at the door swept his gaze over Issa and me as we passed him.I swallowed the slew of questions I was about to launch into. Cool air brushed across my face as we stepped into fresh air.
I rubbed my arms and nibbled on my lip as I looked side to side. A large shadowy cloud loomed in the distance. I don’t know how or why, but I could feel the maliciousness from the cloudy puff. I swallowed hard.
“What is that?”
Issa grimaced and lowered her gaze to her feet.
The beating of wings rang in my eardrums, and a large bulky form slammed down beside Issa, and the ground vibrated with his landing.
“Our protection,” she muttered, and her expression soured.
“Quickly,” he grumbled. His skin was gray. Gray, gray, not bluish gray like Tenebrous.
And his flesh looked hard as granite, the planes of his face broad, edged, and rough.
Gargoyle.
“Do you hear me, Issa.” How was the girl not trembling under his glare? It wasn’t directed at me, and it shook me.
“Yes, yes, Vane, I hear you,” she snapped and tipped her chin up, tugging me to walk after her.
At the edge of the brick buildings, the space opened to a cobbled street ... and a sidewalk in both directions which led into the remnants of what I would assume was part of Los Angeles. I gasped, pivoting. The front of the building behind me was tall and “Library” was scrawled across the front. Two swinging doors adorned the front, and the open sign remained. My chin tipped up to the large clock at the top.
“A clock.” I had not seen one other than in the scripts in our village. “W-why does everything look ...” Put together, how it was before—I didn’t know how to phrase it. My chest throbbed seeing structures and materials similar to the world I lived in.
“Feels like our world, doesn’t it?” Issa grinned at me, and I blinked to clear the moisture. It really did. Nostalgia smacked me across the face, and I cleared my throat, trying to get control of my emotions.
The low hum of chatting pulled my attention down the street where a group of humans and one monster strolled in the opposite direction. Was that one of those tree monsters? Holy shit, it was.
“Let me show you my favorite café.” Issa tipped her head to the building on the other side of the street. There was no sign on this one and it seemed to be the same structural design as the library.
I followed her, clasping my side. My wounds burned more this morning than last night. That demoness had done a number on me.
The gargoyle remained near her, his gaze sweeping around. A long flowing material flitted around his body, fitting his large body perfectly. They had to have someone tailor them for their shapes and sizes. There were even slits for wings, and ties held the back together beneath the gray aggressive-looking wings.
The gargoyle stepped inside and held the door open for Issa. I quickened my stride, blinking the dots that sprouted in front of my eyes.
Inside was lit up by glowing lamps, even though the windows allowed the hue of outside to shine through.
Large monster-worthy tables spread in front of the counter where a red-eyed bug-looking creature filled cups.
I blinked but tried to keep my face expressionless. It was too strange for my brain to comprehend, so it was time to get my mind distracted. We scooted into a booth near the entry.
“When you said a bond can happen ... what does that mean?”
“If they share their essence”—she cleared her throat—“for an extended period of time with one human in multiple ... ways, it ties their life forces together, which means the human’s aging slows. That sounds great and all unless you’re bonded to an evil one that hurts you. One of my friends escaped a situation like that.” Issa wrinkled her nose as if recalling the details of her friend’s experience. “But there are undeniable benefits—if you get a good one.” I was definitely subjected to a few of those perks.
My face warmed and the heat spread down my neck. This was too much for my brain.
“What is the time frame?”
Was I now tied to Tenebrous? My heart thundered in my ears.
“Half a year is the consensus observed with other pairings.” A stab of disappointment sliced into my chest because there was no way I’d been with him that long.
