Page 43 of Captured By the Monsters
SERA
Something strange was happening to me. A feeling I couldn’t quite describe was taking hold deep inside of me. It felt possessive and out of control, and I didn’t like it at all.
So much of my life had been out of my hands because of the way we lived in The Above, and so this was a very unwelcome feeling. My body’s reactions were the only thing that were truly mine, right? But my body felt like it’d been hijacked by whatever strange and wild thing was taking hold.
After talking with my monsters, especially Sylan, I’d learned that so many human women didn’t make it. This obviously was a fear of theirs, and I didn’t want to worry them that something was wrong with me by bringing this up. Not to mention the monstrous weight of their land and species being on the brink of dying out.
So instead of worrying them by expressing this change within me, I focused on the lovely gown that they had somehow had waiting here for me—these monsters truly were full of surprises—although I wasn’t sure how I was going to walk to the castle in the delicate dress.
They didn’t sound concerned, but they were much bigger than me and could cover far more ground. Also, they were probably really excited to just use their legs again, if I had to hazard a guess. I was happy for them, but if I had to choose between walking and flying, I think I might have preferred to be a Specter.
Exercising was not my thing.
“What are you thinking about?” Sylan asked, coming up beside me and tracing the pad of his finger across my shoulder, careful to not rip the material with his claw. “Your brow is creased. That means you’re worrying about something.”
A half smile tugged at my lips.
Of course he would have noticed this about me already. I hadn’t even been with them for three whole days, and it felt like they’d known me for a lifetime. Before I came to The Below, I would have never believed in anything such as fate. I created my own fate. What was left of it after it was taken from me by the leaders from The Above and the monsters from The Below. But now, I wasn’t so sure. I lightly touched the crystal around my neck before answering.
“How long will it take to get to the castle? I’m worried about traveling in such a nice gown and ruining it before we get there,” I admitted. That would be my luck, showing up and looking a mess in front of important people.
Sylan smiled. “Not very long. We’re not far away, and we are very fast in this form.”
“Faster than floating around as Specters?” I snorted, teasing him.
“Actually, you’d be surprised,” he answered cryptically.
“Well, I’m not that fast.” I reminded him and lifted the dress a bit to make my point. “I have small little human legs.”
Axton joined us and ran his claws through my hair in a manner that made me shiver. “Don’t worry, we’ll carry you if you get tired or can’t keep up, precious.”
I harrumphed indignantly, because Serafina Adler was fiercely independent, but deep down inside, I didn’t mind being taken care of when it came to these monsters. I quite liked the idea. They made me feel cherished.
When they mentioned the castle, it brought to mind a hazy recollection of when I first came to The Below and saw it looming in the shadows, in the gloom. In my head, the place was draped in mystery.
I wasn’t worried about going to the castle, not when I had my Trifecta, because I knew that my monsters would stop at nothing to protect me. How ironic that I felt safer here in The Below with them than I ever did when I lived in The Above.
Rowen came back out with a satchel. “Are we all ready?” he prompted while throwing it over his shoulder. I barely contained the giggle of this massive monster looking like he was carrying a purse.
It was already funny enough seeing them grumbling about wearing clothes, so this was the icing on the cake.
“Yes, it’s time to go.” Sylan took my small hand, squeezing it lightly. “Ready?”
I nodded mutely. My voice strangled in my throat at his touch, sending a jolt through me. What was meant to be a supportive gesture felt like it had awoken an inferno in the pit of my stomach. Carefully, I extracted my hand, trying not to draw attention to the action, but Sylan’s frown told me he noticed.
Forcing a smile to my lips, I tipped my head. “Lead the way,” I suggested brightly, trying to play off my reaction.
Sylan shared a look with Rowen and Axton that was heavy with meaning I couldn’t interpret. It felt like they knew something that I didn’t, adding more worry to my plate. But Axton diverted my attention by taking the lead, marching ahead of me. I followed, with Sylan and Rowen at my back.
This was the first time I was fully capable of observing my surroundings down in this new land. Before, when I had first come to The Below, I couldn’t breathe. The air literally was killing me. Then, after the crystal had picked my Trifecta in the cave, my monsters had wrapped me up in the shadows of their Specter forms, taking me to their home, meaning I didn’t see very much of Paratiisi.
When we walked outside, it dawned on me that I wasn’t wearing any shoes—none of us were—but the ground was soft, a cross between volcanic ash and sand. I leaned down to scoop some into my hand, pulling it close to my face and the faint glow of the crystal hanging at my neck. The sand glittered as if a thousand diamonds had been crushed and ground into it.
“How pretty,” I whispered, letting it sift through my fingers as it poured back to the ground.
“You should see this place how it’s supposed to be,” Rowen mused. “It’s a sight to behold.
My heart panged at the sentiment.
