Page 31 of Of Monsters Of Kings

King See had appeared calm and accepting upon viewing my monster form, and he’d even called me beautiful. I’d gone to the immortal king with a screaming mind, and he’d smoothed out the nasty wrinkles. How was I meant to be human one day, and a monster the next, though? I couldn’t bear to see the horror I’d become. I couldn’t do it now. Maybe never. That decision was as much an act of self-preservation as locking up the necessities.

I counted the tea towels next, then the dish cloths and teapots. Three nights of restlessness had achieved one thing. I’d tallied most of what was here. The issue—my situational instability—was that I didn’t officially own these things. The princes dropped me here, but hadn’t clarified what I could and couldn’t do. I could greatly anger King See by overstepping and selling his possessions. Theft was not looked upon kindly in Vitale.

Sighing as I did so, I tucked the clipboard under my arm and left the laundry room. The last place to assess was reception.

I crossed the courtyard, ignoring the lush, black hellebores that had sprung out of nowhere to cover my mother’s grave three nights ago. The flowers gifted otherworldly elegance to my mother’s resting place. I could appreciate that without squeezing my mind too much about the how.

“Good evening, mistress,” someone called from beyond Reception.

I looked to where a large man lurked on the other side of the rope barrier strung up by King See’s princes. “Good evening, sir.”

What time was it? I’d hate to scare him with the sight of me once dusk arrived.

“Tell me, what’s happening to Hotel Vitale? I had heard it shut down, and now I see a fair lady tending it.”

He wouldn’t think me fair soon. “Hotel Vitale is under new ownership,” I answered, unsure of what better to say.

“Does the new owner have any intentions?”

“That’s his business, but he would not like anyone else here. His skeleton crew have closed it to all.”

I’d intended the mention of a skeleton crew to worry him away, but the man tilted his head. “All except you.”

“Why, yes.”

“And who are you, if I might ask?”

Head tilting was quite a monstrous affair, it occurred to me, and a human would’ve heeded my warning about skeleton crews. I could conclude that this man wasn’t human, and I had a suspicion he wasn’t alone. “You may not.”

His brows shot up. “You have rather a delightful way of speaking. I might unhook this stanchion.”

The man unhooked the barrier and dropped the rope on the ground.

I backed up a step as he walked closer. “I warn you, sir. Return to the road. You shouldn’t trifle with the new owner.”

“I’m aware of who bears trifling and not. I will decide what side of this stanchion to occupy.”

I clenched my fists as he closed the distance to stand before me. Dusk was nearly here. I should get inside. I couldn’t risk anyone, human or otherwise, spreading word about the new stitched-up horror at Hotel Vitale. Yet I couldn’t allow this man to poke around and take what he would.

“Toil, who have you met?” A second man appeared and walked over the rope on the ground.

There was another.

Toil glanced at me. “A lady who does not give her name. Sigil, do you know her?”

Sigil stood beside his friend. “I’ve never seen her. Why is she here when the hotel is closed?”

“That is what I wondered. I came along as bid and simply found her here. She does not care to divulge what the new owner plans with the space.”

Sigil frowned. “The new owner. You mean?—”

Toil elbowed him in the stomach, and Sigil coughed.

I took a breath. This was looking decidedly monstrous in nature. These two men behaved a lot like other men I’d met in this exact spot. “Is there another of you?”

The two men focused on me, and I made sure not to lock with their eyes and give myself away.

“There is another,” said a man from behind. “How did you guess? I’m Hex.”

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