Page 61 of Grotesque Love

Apparently the architect who designed the manor originally added the grotesques and gargoyles to the design as protectors for the Clifton family. They were guardians tasked with keeping any malevolent beings at bay.

But as I delve deeper into the text, a sense of unease creepsover me. There are warnings scattered throughout the pages, tales of those who had dared to venture into the tower and never returned. Echoes of a dark presence lurking within its walls, waiting for unsuspecting souls to cross its threshold.

I shudder at the thought but can’t shake the feeling that there is more to this story than mere superstition. The sound of a door slamming jars me from my thoughts, and the book slips off my lap with a thud.

“Found you,” a deliciously dark voice rumbles. Mal stands by the door to the library, his huge bulging arms folded across his bare stone chest.

“M-Mal. How are you here?” I stammer, as everything I thought I knew about these monsters unravels. I thought they were a figment of my imagination but he’s real. Very real. He’s tangible and looking at me like he wants to swallow me up.

“Sun has finally set, little dove.”

Frowning, I glance out of the window, surprised to discover he’s right. It’s almost dark outside now.

“We’ve all been looking for you. And I’m the lucky one who found you.” The air around us crackles with tension as he stalks towards me, everything about the way that he moves screams predator. From the laser-focus in his eyes to the dangerous flicking of his tail, he moves with purpose, with one thing in his sights. Me.

“I think I should get a prize.” A mischievous glint dances in Mal’s eyes as he takes a step closer, his massive form dominating the small space of the library.

“Why were you looking for me?” I ask, getting to my feet. Mal’s expression softens slightly at the question, as if he’s pondering how much to reveal.

“You weren’t in any of your usual spots.” He pauses, looking around the room with an almost nostalgic expression on his face. “I’ve not been here in centuries…”

Centuries.

How old are these monsters?

“You weren’t in your usual spot either,” I blurt out.

Mal smirks. “Did you miss me, little hellion?”

“No,” I lie. “But you missed me taking a shower.”

“What a shame. We’ll have to dirty you up again, so that I can watch next time…but that’s not why I’m here. Jas has made you dinner again. Sax says you need to eat, build up your strength more.”

So itwasJas who left the portioned out soup in the fridge.

“I’ve eaten,” I tell him defensively.

He’s still slowly stalking towards me, pausing every couple of paces or so, making my heart rate spike the closer he gets.

“That must have been hours ago, Ari.” He shakes his head. “Maybe…”

“Maybe what?” I ask, holding my breath in anticipation at the gleam in his eye.

He cocks his head to the side, considering, and then shakes it.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me!” I plead. I meant for it to come out as a demand, but my voice sounds all wrong. Breathless and light. Eager and full of anticipation.

“Maybe, if you can’t remember to eat when we’re not around to look out for you, maybe you need to be punished until you do remember, little hellion.”

“Punished?” I manage to croak out. My heart races now. Punished? What sort of punishment would these creatures inflict? Is he joking or serious?

“What do you mean?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady despite the knot in my stomach that’s equal parts trepidation and excitement.

Mal leans closer, his eyes seeming to gleam with amusement. “We could tie you up and leave you there until you remember,” he suggests, his voice low and seductive.

Tied up? I wonder what he could be planning to do with me if that were the case. Does he mean to leave me there to starve or does he have some...other intentions?

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