Page 34 of Morsel

For a second, I tune into his ranting. His voice drags on. “Which is why we should always ask?—”

“But I can overpower them,” I interrupt.

Artemis’s eyes widen to the size of summer sausages. Is he shocked?

Or maybe he’s afraid.

A thrill creeps through my body and fills me with adrenaline. I like scaring him.

“Them?” he asks. “What do you mean? Are you talking about overpowering women in general or specific women?”

“Her,” I correct myself. “Mona.”

Ever since my mother died, I’ve stayed back. Kept quiet. Bounced around. I’ve avoided the government, but when it comes down to it, I’ve played by the rules. I’ve done the right thing. And at thirty years old, I’ve earned the right to control someone like her.

Artemis rattles on in disagreement. I block him out. He leans back, away from me. A stem of smoke rises from his cigarette, and I smirk this time. Mona doesn’t smoke, and that means her lungs are still good. Her organs are fresh for me.

The memory of my mother lying on the kitchen table fills my mind. Her stomach wound was caked green, and her mouth was empty. A cave. A hole I could reach into to take what I needed.

The tongue is one of my favorite organs.

I wonder what Mona’s tongue tastes like.

“All of us are driven by our primal instincts,” I interrupt his unheard monologue. I look down at Artemis. “Food is the main drive for survival. And with my size, I’m capable of getting what I want out of prey, including Mona. That’s part of why Mona is attracted to someone like me. I’m not afraid of society’s expectations.” I sneer. “I’ll get it fucking done.”

“In a way, you’re right,” Artemis says slowly. “This is roleplaying though. It’s simply a game to her.” He lifts his shoulders. “Mona likes conquering the unexplored, and that’s all this is. We’re not actually going to eat her.”

I laugh, but it hurts, like his words are stabbing me in the lungs.

He’s right. Humans aren’t supposed to eat other humans.

Maybe Mona does have power. Since the first time we met in that art gallery’s bathroom, warning bells have chimed, telling me to stay away from her. Those bells get quieter every day.

Maybe she’s going to eat me alive, chew me up, and spit me back out like everyone else has.

Maybe I’m okay with that, as long as I get to eat her too.

“I should get going,” Artemis says. “You should too.”

I throw my bag strap over my shoulder. “What about the fire?”

“I’ll put it out.” He angles toward the front of the house. “I’ve got to fly out for work soon, and I’m sure you know how she gets. Take care of her while I’m gone, all right, kid?”

His hand slams onto my shoulder, his teeth clamped down in a smile, like a patronizing asshole. He can’t be that much older than me, and yet he says his words like he has the supreme authority over her. Like he owns Mona.

I grind my teeth and nod anyway, then I head through the house to the front door.

I’ll take care of her, all right, just not in the same way he would.

Chapter 13

Taking care of Mona is difficult when she makes me wait.

I’m working on our project. Patience, love. Wait for me, she texts.

Like a good soulmate, I do. It’s kind of pathetic to let her lead the situation, but I’m not stupid enough to risk everything for a text message that gets on my nerves.

Instead, I go to her lectures each week and raise my hand when she asks questions. She never calls on me, probably because she thinks I’m auditing, but she keeps eye contact with me, as if she’s lecturing solely for my benefit.

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