Page 52 of A Very Monstrous Desire

“A child?” Theo asked.

“No. They do not have children like we do. They are fully formed when they emerge from their egg sacs.

“Then…”

They shifted slightly, and the rage responded by doing the same. Its wings fluttered and the beauty washed over it once more. It looked like an angel. If Baku had told him that was what it was, Theo would have believed it.

“I have never seen one of them just…watching,” Baku whispered.

Theo desperately wished he hadn’t seen one at all. To now be able to match that face up to the mournful cries he had heard…well, Theo could have gone his whole life quite happily never having experienced that. “What should we do?” he eventually asked,

“We have to kill it,” Baku replied. “There is no other choice.”

“How?”

“They are motivated only be the need to consume,” Baku said softly. “You need only show yourself, Theo, and it will come for you.”

“And then?”

“When it lands on you, I’ll stab it through its heart.” He paused. “That one will not come for me alone. I’m too big for it.” Another pause. “This is the only way, though I do not like the idea of putting you in danger. I promised myself I would not.”

“I’m soon to face the queen alone,” Theo said softly. “That ship has long since sailed.”

Another shift from the rage, almost like it could hear them, and maybe it could, and the beauty faded again, and a horrible anger shone through. It looked like a devil now.

“You’re going to be right here,” Theo said though he wasn’t sure if he was asking Baku or reassuring himself.

“The moment it pounces,” the monster replied and despite the fact Theo had said no kisses, Baku leaned in and placed one on Theo’s forehead. The action sent a shiver of pleasure through Theo. It was almost enough to banish the fear. “I will protect you,” he said.

“I know,” Theo replied.

“You are mine,” the monster added. “You have been since I saw you on that army base.”

Theo was not entirely sure he agreed with that but did not think now was the time to argue about the timeline of their relationship. Instead, and taking a deep breath, Theo moved out from under the canopy of the tree. His heart was racing. It would easily be in the one-fifty plus, and Theo didn’t think it had ever gotten that high before. He was sweating slightly as well even though it was a cold, wintery afternoon. His stomach churned.

Theo was scared.

But he was also resolved.

There was no choice in this. And he had his monster to protect him.

He stepped into the clearing above which the rage was perched. The tree it was in was infested with those same silver insects. Theo could feel a couple of them in his hair.

He moved slowly but still Theo felt like his footsteps were ridiculously loud on the crunchy forest floor. He kept his eye on the rage as he moved, and it was just a heartbeat before the rage’s eyes fixed on him.

His very green eyes.

He was so beautiful.

It made Theo ache just to look at him.

But the rage did not respond. It stayed there in the tree, surrounded by hundreds of the silver insects, none of which tried to bite or hiss at it, and it watched Theo, slowly, almost curiously.

Theo came to a halt, knife in hand, and he could feel Baku somewhere behind him, the monster’s presence, ready and waiting.

Theo looked at the rage.

It looked at him.

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