Page 134 of Their Pretty Little Monster

“A portal?” Wolfe gasps my exact sentiment. “Since when can you wield such power?”

The King smirks, puffing out his chest. “You think you’re the only one who has such abilities?”

The old man who summoned the gateway glances at us in a nonchalant way, as though he’s completely disinterested in the King’s politics. His arms remain outstretched, assumingly holding the entrance open.

“The portal is workable within a small distance of itself, only within Blight, and?—”

“Let the quest begin,” the King roars, talking over him and patting him heavily on the shoulder.

“So, are we doing this?” I ask my team. They all nod instantly, even Sage, and as much as I wish she weren’t forced to join us, we’re going to make it work.

“Let’s move,” Wolfe commands.

The false King stands tall, watching us with that same smug grin, thinking he holds all the cards.

We walk forward. Having stepped through so many portals, it’s second nature to me. Nyko has Sage by hand, and they walk through the portal behind Wolfe. I take one final glance at the King grinning, and I step through, fucking hating him.

Stepping through feels different this time. Normally, I sense nothing but a rush of darkness, like plunging into an abyss. This one, though, has a lingering buzz, like the magic’s still working out the kinks. I stumble out—more like being spat out—and the portal snaps shut behind us.

Wolfe takes the lead, followed by Nyko and Sage, then me at her rear.

The air here is different—heavier, filled with the scent of earth and moss. Shadows dance around us.

“Well, this is fun,” Nyko says.

We’re all glancing around to find ourselves on a narrow patch of grass. An explosion of trees spread in every direction, and we discover we’re standing at a higher elevation than the stone walls that surround the city, and far below, the city sprawls out. We can’t see the King, the trees blocking our view, but we’re far from him.

Sage is scanning the shadows, her hands clasped across her stomach. I can’t blame her for being afraid. She’s not a warrior and hasn’t been trained to fight. I move closer to her.

“It’s going to be all right.” I wrap my arm around the back of her shoulders. “Just stay behind us when we encounter it. Find a hiding spot and wait there for us.”

“Unless I find a way to use my ability, then I can help.” She shrugs, uncertain herself.

“All the help will be needed, and I know you can do it.”

She’s giving me a lopsided grin, and I hug her, adoring her savagely. It’s a cruel thing to have an ability that’s playing recluse. When we come into our monster forms and abilities, it’s at random ages, and sometimes, they linger just below the surface for years before they take full effect. We’re born into human bodies, then we grow into our true forms.

Nyko turns to Wolfe. “You study creatures. Tell us what we need to know about these fucking Nythrax. What is their weakness?”

He’s rubbing his chin. “There honestly isn’t a lot of research on them as they are loners and extremely territorial. Plus, nearly impossible to destroy.” Wolfe’s amber eyes grow fiery. “They’re also rare, and their only known enemy is the flying Dryvolith because its claws are strong enough to tear through the hide.”

“So we’re fucked is what you’re saying?”

Wolfe scowls, and I’m grinding my teeth because this is going to test us to our limits.

“We’re going to have to get creative. Get it trapped, tied up for starters. Now, let’s get moving.” His hand flicks to farther up the mountain where there’s a cave peeking out through the dense forest.

“I need to tell you something,” Sage suddenly announces with a sense of urgency in her tone, pausing us.

We all turn to face her.

She takes a deep breath. “My sister spoke to me in my mind yesterday. She showed me visions… our father hurting her, threatening to kill us before letting us move into the kingdom.”

Wolfe’s brow furrows. “What else?”

Sage swallows hard, her breaths deepening. “I saw him shoving her, calling her useless, and saying something to the effect that he would rather see us dead than allow us to take over. If he finds out she told us, he’ll likely kill her. I didn’t say anything because we knew he’d be this way, but my sister’s been on my mind a lot.”

My jaw clenches, and I tighten my squeeze on her. “Fucking bastard.”

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