Page 78 of Monsters of Desire and Nightmares of Passion

The first thing I register when I open my eyes again is a dank, pungent scent that makes me want to puke. I no longer feel the fingers of the lost Shadows prodding at me, and my pain is less. My body still hurts, but from a different kind of pain, more like a throbbing in a far-away corner of my mind.

Why did I wake up here?

Where exactly is here?

Using the last resources I have, I try to open my eye, but barely manage to glimpse my surroundings. That stench. Damn, it makes me want to puke.

“Shhh.” The sound of the voice is familiar, just like the touch of the large, clawed hand resting on mine. “It’s going to be all okay, Ivy.”

“Mrez, is Khal dead?”

I feel a deep sense of loss I can’t explain, a burning pain that pulls at my entrails and makes breathing difficult.

“Shh. Get some sleep. You’re safe.”

My grip on Mrez’s hand becomes harder. “No. I want answers. What happened in the cave?”

One of Mrez’s tentacles plays absently with my long hair. “You were hurt, badly. Khal saved you. He scarified himself and served as a distraction to give us time to escape.”

“No.” My heart beats like crazy. I want to go look for him

“You’re not well enough to get up. Rest.”

I push myself up. Mrez stops resisting and helps me to stand. It allows me my first chance to look around this place.

It’s a shed with walls made from dirt and roots that are close to crumbling. The entire room is dark. Plants grow on the broken walls. There are no windows. Shelves cover one wall, packed with jars. Shiny, yellow fluids move in them. Curiosity is a bitch. What is this, a mad professors lab?

“What is this place?”

“This is The Healer’s hut. It’s very... natural,” Mrez whispers.

I agree. I could have used many adjectives that sounded less complimentary, but I have no idea if The Healer is close by. I don’t want to insult him or her who’s responsible for my returning to life.

Something that sounds like slithering snakes over dry leaves approaches. Fear and the stench of sulphur are the first things I register before noticing anything else. The air which is already hard to breathe now feels like burning coals shoved down my throat.

The entity that stands in front of me is the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life. The face of the hooded creature is hard to watch. It looks as if it is made from hundreds of small patches of skin badly healed together.

Mrez holds my hand. Velvet floats above me, barking.

It looks me in the eyes. Its expression changes from a frown into something I assume is some sort of smile.

Mrez says something in their language. The creature I assume is The Healer emanates strength. He looks at me and takes my hand. I suddenly feel warm and safe, yet at the same time the sensation chills me to the bone. I’m tempted to get the fuck out of there as fast as humanly possible.

Its silver eyes look so different from Mrez’s deep, red, burning eyes. These appear like two coins in the moonlight. Their cold energy makes me shiver. The eyes are the worst thing about his face, they felt cold, as if they could freeze me down to my core. And that face. My guys are not traditionally handsome, but I have grown to love their monster faces. But this guy…. He makes me want to grab a meat cleaver and start chopping at him. It looks so tense. Pieces of skin are stitched together. I can see the scars left by the thread and needle. Was he involved in some type of accident? Or is this his normal face, the face he had when he was born? I’m tempted to touch the edges of his broken skin, the various textures and colors mixed up in a strange way.

Nothing about his energy is friendly. His body is tense. Strong muscles coil under the robe he wears. The robe is as broken and tattered as his face.

His gaze fixates on my face, as if he expects some sort of answer to appear written all over my features.

“Ivy,” says Mrez. “The Healer wishes for a few minutes alone with you. I’ll be outside. Call me if you need me.”

Velvet barks. The Healer says something to Mrez. It sounds harsh and rough. Mrez grabs my tiny follower with one of his tentacles and wraps her close to his chest. I nod. I’ve become adept at reading Mrez’s body language. He’s stressed out by the situation but needs to comply.

“It’s okay, Mrez.”

Mrez leaves, stopping for a few seconds in the doorway, blocking a pale light. I sense the tension in his body before he walks out of the room.

The skin on The Healers face seems tense. Its color is as ashen as the walls. The robe covers his bulky body. The hut seems too small for this tall, large person. Why doesn’t he reside in a bigger place?

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