Page 32 of Monster's Mistake

“Why wouldn’t I be thinking about it? That was a good kiss and I’ve just been sitting here with not much else to occupy myself, I’ve been thinking about it,” I point out.

“I turned you into stone, Meic.”

“Yes, I did notice that,” I respond. “What of it?”

“I thought you’d be mad about it,” she whispers.

“What? Why? It was an accident.”

“Because I’m dangerous.” Her whole face hardens as she says it, but I can tell it’s not aimed at me. She’s angry at herself for how the situation went down. “This is why I don’t want people to touch me.”

Understanding dawns on me. “So they don’t get close enough for your snakes to bite.”

She nods and wraps her arms around her knees, leaning back against the wall.

I want to go over and comfort her, to tell her that it’s okay and that I’m not angry about it, but I don’t think that’s what she needs right now.

“Look, I get that it’s scary,” I say slowly. “But we’ll work it out.”

“Work it out?” she squeaks. “Frank bit you.”

“It didn’t hurt,” I respond, reaching up to where the snake bite is and rubbing my fingers over it. I actually think the marks themselves have gone, probably healed over by the stone. Or maybe by the potion that undoes gorgon magic. I’m going to have to thank Ceithin for the part he played in helping me break out of that. As much as I’m not blaming Nati for anything, it wouldn’t have been fun if I’d been stuck here for hours.

“That’s not the point, Meic,” she counters. “What happens when he bites you again?”

“We’ll get Cethin to brew another potion. Or maybe there’s some kind of anti-venom. At least until Frank likes me and doesn’t decide to bite me.”

“Meic...”

“What?”

“Maybe this is a mistake.”

A strong surge of something that feels a bit like ghoul-hunger but isn’t rises within me. “We are not a mistake.” The words come out as more of a growl than I intend them to.

Surprise fills Nati’s face. “I’ve never heard you talk like that before.”

I clear my throat. “Sorry.”

“You sounded so certain.”

“I am certain.” I get up and go over to her, sitting down beside her. I raise an arm.

She hesitates for a moment, but then leans in, putting her head against my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Frank is sulking because I milked him.”

“I have so many questions,” I murmur.

“It needed to be done for the potion.”

“I don’t even know how you’d milk him.”

“The same way you’d milk any other snake,” she responds, as if that actually answers the question.

Once I’m alone, I’m going to have to look up videos of snake milking so that I can understand, because there’s no way anything I’m imagining is remotely accurate.

“If he’s sulking then I’m probably safe,” I respond.

“And I have another vial of potion.” She pulls it out of her pocket to show me. “Cethin made two.”

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