Page 82 of Their Pretty Little Monster

That’s when I realize my movements are being echoed by the shadow.

Frustrated, I shout, “Attack it! Don’t just copy me!” I thrust my fist forward in a commanding gesture.

The shadow lunges at the creature, its shadow fangs bared and sharp.

They clash, their bodies entwining in a terrifying tangle.

The two serpents locked in battle.

Wait… if it’s copying my actions…

As they roll across the floor, the shadow seems to gain the upper hand, its body somehow finding purchase on the serpent’s slippery scales. I’m glued to the sight, my fists curled tight. I drive my fists into the air in front of me as though it’s me fighting the creature.

They’re both a blur of speed and savagery. The shadow coils itself around the real snake, tightening its grip before sinking those long black fangs deep into the neck of our enemy. It thrashes wildly, its body convulsing in a desperate attempt to free itself.

I cringe, staring at it struggling, and can’t look away, terrified yet wanting that thing eliminated.

Slowly, life fades from its eyes, its movements growing sluggish, then stopping altogether.

As the shadow releases its hold, the limp body of the beast thuds heavily onto the stone floor. The shadow then glances over at me, its form flickering slightly. I lean against the wall, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

“I don’t know what you are, but thank you, and please don’t attack me now.”

Exhaustion and shock threaten to buckle my knees when I catch movement from the corner of my eye—a hidden door in the rock wall sits open with Killian and Wolfe standing in their monster forms, Nyko nearby, mouths all hanging open, eyes huge.

My heart skips. How long have they been there?

Nyko suddenly stumbles on his feet, moving more into the light.

I gasp at how pale he looks. Before I can even process everything completely, he sways on his feet, a hand clutching at his chest, and then collapses with a heavy thud that reverberates through the still room.

It’s the same moment the shadow serpent crumbles into a cloud of dust that drifts away into nothingness.

“Nyko!” I cry out, rushing over to him. The distance between us closes in seconds, but each step feels agonizingly slow.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

SAGE

Tears blur my vision as I grip Nyko’s hand tighter, my fingers intertwining with his limp ones. The sterile smell of the medical room fills my nostrils where he lies motionless, his skin unnaturally pale against the white sheets of the medical bed. Tubes snake from his arm and neck, connected to machines.

The moment he collapsed in the cave room, Killian lifted him and ran up here. Wolfe clasped my hand, taking me alongside him in a rush. No one said a word, but the fear, the panic, coiled around me because if Wolfe and Killian were scared, then Nyko was hurt bad… really bad.

Now, I look up at them, searching their faces as they stand on the opposite side of the bed.

“Please.” My voice breaks. “Tell me he’ll be all right.”

Silence stretches, heavy and suffocating.

“He’s strong, and this won’t keep him down,” Wolfe says, and I know he’s trying to be comforting, but I don’t miss the hardness in his voice, the worry in his furrowed brow.

Killian attempts to give me a weak smile. “He’ll be fine in no time. You’ll see.”

His words leave me shaking because I suspect I know… Truth is, I have no damn idea how, but I’m certain it has something to do with me and the shadow serpent back in the cave room.

The doctor, a monster resembling a stick insect with long, slender limbs and an elongated torso, moves with swift precision around Nyko. He adjusts the vials connected by thin, clear tubes to Nyko’s veins. He has a small round head, and its large, green oval eyes study Nyko, making a grinding noise as if he’s rubbing his teeth together.

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