Page 82 of Of Monsters Of Kings

How could King Take have anticipated that knowledge was what a new monster would particularly desire? I suppose he was once a new monster himself. “Your liege seeks to drive a wedge between me and King See.”

The three princes nodded.

Sanguine said after, “Why did we answer that?” The three princes exchanged a confused look.

“Does no one ask why twelve princes accept her so blindly!” Huckery’s savage snarl suggested he found these proceedings very bizarre—and more bizarre because no one else had mentioned the bizarreties at all.

He had a point. Here, twelve monster princes, three each to a different liege, and yet, here twelve princes together with orders concerning me.

“You’re right,” I murmured. “This is bizarre even by monstrous standards.”

I hadn’t been in a place to ask why prior to this, and I’d been busy learning what monstrous standards were—but my mind felt less like squeezing and pulsing than ever before, and more and more I could feel what might be normal for monsterdom and not.

So now, I took the moment to consider a few developments that were too impossible for my mind to consider before.

The hotel had changed quite drastically and magically.

My abilities had changed quite drastically and magically.

I woke from each slumber more ancient, and now I could see that my increasing abilities were reflected in the surrounding princes. I woke stronger like Change’s princes and faster like Take’s. I woke with greater awareness of action and consequence, and this was in line with what I assumed the power of See’s princes to be.

King See had connected that each of my ancestors sacrificed a body part to make me, but connecting the dots on this new matter wasn’t difficult in the slightest, and I could thank greater ancientness for that.

The answer was simple: The twelve princes here belonged to kings who’d returned their snuffing shares. With the return of each share, or coincidentally after each slumber forced upon me, I woke more powerful and my hotel altered to somewhat more of a beautiful garden sanctum.

One part didn’t add up.

I recognized new speed and strength and awareness, but those abilities only accounted for three of the four kings who’d returned their snuffing shares. I couldn’t see anything in me of Bring’s princes. There was no slime, no blob, no blink. So after all that thinking, maybe no connection existed between snuffing share and hotel and power.

Perhaps everything was due to a few slumbers.

“Bother,” I said.

“Is there something the matter, lady?” Sigil stepped forward.

I shook my head. “Just rather tired, Prince Sigil. I thank you.”

I couldn’t have said why at that moment I glanced at See’s three princes, nor why they looked at me, but a private thought and burning memory intruded soundly and suddenly between us.

Their liege had told me how last night would go, and he’d been right. Midnight stole across my cheeks. I’d resisted. I’d touched. I’d despised him, and then I’d used the thought of him until the glorious end. And now, in the presence of his princes, who’d witnessed all King See foretold—and him blinded by me, apparently—I was very aware of what their thoughts were. I’d learned something last night, however, and the ability to bring myself pleasure was something I felt grateful and in awe of.

“Tell your liege I thank him for the return favor.”

Has Been choked on his spittle. Is grinned. Will Be’s brows shot to the third level, and the rest of us watched as they floated down to return to his face again.

“What favor?” Huckery demanded.

He wasn’t alone, Gangrel and Hex echoed varying versions of his question. Many of the princes wished to know, but a wish might not be granted, so I ignored them in favor of prying open the letter.

I scanned the contents. Then a second time.

My heart sank before the ancient in me scooped the organ back into my rib cage.

“Lady Patch, what does it say?” Loup asked.

Sanguine sneered. “None of your business, beast.”

I read the letter a third time.

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