Page 29 of Their Pretty Little Monster

“Like right now!”

Nyko howls with laughter. “Yes! It’s my hideout. The only place on this ship Killian won’t follow me so he can drag me into one of his grand plans.”

Killian snorts. “I’m not that desperate for entertainment.”

It’s strange to see Killian appear less stiff compared to him in Nightingale Village. Another reminder that beneath the pretty face, he’s still a monster, one who will do as he pleases to get what he wants. A predator will always be that, right?

“Thanks, I’ll do some exploring,” I answer quietly, turning my attention to the rest of them. “It really is unusual to live on such a vessel, but intriguing. I bet it must be awful during storms. Why don’t you move to one of the large lands I spotted on the world globe in the library?” I’m suddenly blushing from the explosion of questions that dribble from me.

Killian places his gentle palm on my knee to steady the bouncing.

“The sea keeps secrets better than most, and we’ve become accustomed to them,” Wolfe acknowledges. “Besides, that particular land is currently occupied.”

I wait, expecting him to say more, but he never does. None of them do. Strange.

Killian asks Wolfe about the weather we’re traveling into, but I’m too distracted by the monster slithering out from the side door to the room. Round, black body, one massive eye, and eight limbs–half of them scuttling on the floor, the others balancing plates.

My stomach flips, my gaze glued to them.

The monster reaches us and hands out the plates. I accept mine, and it gives me a slow wink. I’m sitting here, shaking slightly, thinking that it’s going to attack me.

“She’s showing her appreciation for taking her food,” Killian explains. “And wants to see you enjoy it.”

“Um, thank you,” I say, glancing down at my plate.

On my plate, there are some pinkish meat slices and a pile of blue, translucent spaghetti, which might be harboring bugs, seeing as one of the black seeds has wriggling antennae. Thankfully, there are also a few raspberries. I pop one into my mouth, grateful for something familiar.

I glance up at her and smile, then try to blink slowly, but she makes a grating sound and scurries back into the kitchen.

“You upset her,” Nyko muses.

Stiffening, I say, “I did?” Then again, my food did come with bugs. One is crawling across my plate now.

“You didn’t touch the food she cooked,” he explains.

“Oh, I-I’m not that hungry,” I explain, fiddling with the raspberries, pushing them away from the insect before I flick him off my plate.

“That’s Tidecreeper meat,” Killian insists. “I noticed how ravenously you devoured it back in the cave, so I ordered it just for you.”

“I’m not a fan of it,” Nyko asks. “That thing drools too much for my liking.”

“To be fair,” I begin, noting that Nyko hasn’t touched his food either. In fact, none of them have. “I only ate that because I was in shock.” It tasted good, I can’t deny it, but the idea also makes me gag.

Killian scoops his raspberries onto my plate. “I’ve arranged for a Veil Ritual to be held tomorrow night, so it will be an early start.”

I pause, the fruit halfway to my mouth, remembering him mentioning it briefly when we first arrived. “What does it involve?”

Nyko leans back, half yawning. “Why are we running that? We had one just a few full moons ago.”

Killian’s gaze narrows. “Stay out of it, Nyko.”

Wolfe’s reclined, barely paying attention to them, focusing only on me. My cheeks flush, a reaction I can’t control.

Nyko shakes his head. “Oh, is this part of our original plan, or something new you cooked up? Like that time you snuck off to that island without telling anyone and almost died?”

Killian shifts, his expression darkening, like he’s ready to leap across to Nyko.

Wolfe still studies me, licking his lips, as if I’m the meal he wants instead of his untouched plate. He has no shame, not hiding that he wants me to quiver under his gaze.

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