Page 136 of An Inheritance of Monsters

“Thank you,” I told Elizabeth. I understood why she or the monsters had never told me anything now.

With the words of the covenant written into me, I would never dare speak a word of it for fear of losing my monsters, and they were all I wanted.

She patted my hand, and the two monsters who had remained—Xiar and Nadhu, the stormyV’uthliand the man-likeKlee—escorted her across the sands, presumably to the doorway that opened on her room.

But before she disappeared from sight, I raised a hand, jumping up and down. “Wait!”

Elizabeth looked back, her hair gleaming like silver through Xiar’s shadows.

“Thank you for Crispy!” I bellowed.

Elizabeth laughed, disappearing into theV’uthli’s shadows.

We were finally alone.

I turned to Rask and found that Zirin was with us now. He stood on powerful legs, arms flexing as he looked at me.

There was no sign of any Dagonites left; the sea had completely calmed, the waves lapping gently once more.

The Elder One has gone back to sleep for a hundred years, Zirin said.He is sated with sacrifices.

“But there will be others.” Voraal took my hand, his shadows wrapping around me. “However, you are no longer obligated to live on the other side of the door. You may stay with us in the Void for as long as you like. There are no humans to answer to, only ourselves.”

“And mates to be kept out of trouble,” Rask growled. He took my burned hand gently, turning it over with his claws.

For the first time since the Fuseli Comet had come to life overhead, I laughed with real feeling, feeling as light and carefree as a dandelion puff. “I swear that tiny burn won’t kill me, Rask.”

“We will not have to find out.” He picked me up, his claws razoring through my skirt. “Because you are ours to care for now.”

Ours to protect, Zirin added, wings rustling.

Voraal became a whirlwind of shadows, eyes glinting. “Ours to fuck.”

I sucked my lower lip between my teeth, biting down hard. Somehow, the aches didn’t seem so bad the minute heat flared in my belly, the monsters all looking at me with fire in their eyes.

“Then you’d better get working on those,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around Rask’s neck.

Voraal twined a lock of my hair around his fingers. “You are ours in all ways… for eternity.”

Chapter40

Juno

Rask carried me to the temple, running over the island of the Void and cradling me as carefully as possible.

He brought me straight to the bathing chamber, all three of my monsters hovering around me protectively, letting out deep snarls of anger at the sight of the blood on my face and around my wrists.

Despite his size and new, longer claws, Zirin held my hands delicately, turning them this way and that.

I’m gladhewas sacrificed to the comet, he said coldly, wings shuddering with rage.Or I would have brought him to my father, to cast him screaming into the abyss.

“Ooh,” I whispered, managing a smile despite my aches. “You sure know how to talk dirty to me, Zirin.”

But I didn’t say a word of protest as Rask sliced away my ruined dress. He made a noise of interest at the sight of my black stockings, plucking at the lace band around my thigh. “I like these on you, little mate. You will wear them again, so you must take them off.”

I grinned to myself, but it became a wince as I leaned down to roll the stockings down to my ankles and peel them off.

“Not yet, Juno.” Voraal’s hands were cool on my skin as he raised me back up, pressing his fingertips to my temple. “You must be healed from your ordeal.”

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