Page 13 of Becoming Monsterous

"Nothing can ever be the same, but maybe it can be a better kind of different." He considers me. "Which reminds me—I planned on waiting to ask, but there are going to be a lot of monsters in there expecting an answer. Do you know yet if you're going to open the gates between the Shadow World and Earth to release us all from imprisonment?"

At this question, Angus and Aleron also stop to look at me.

And I feel the heaviness of my indecision, half-truths, and lies weighing down on me.

Chapter11

Ellie

Thankfully a familiar golden-haired summoner arrives before I have to answer the question. It's one thing to delay taking Aphrodite's powers and lie about why—it's another thing entirely to lie about something as important as freeing all of monsterkind.

Iwantmy men to be free. Hell, I want most of the monsters I meet in Occult House to be free, at least, of the summoners' cruel contracts and miserable torture. But freedom from contracts isn't the same as freedom to walk the Earth—something I'm certain won't end well for the humans in question.

As little as I have in common with my fellow mortals, I still don't want to see them swallowed alive by horrifying monsters. Especially now that there aren't all-powerful deities and demigods to protect them.

I wish there was some way to just... keep the people-eating monsters separate. Unfortunately the Earth is way too crowded to dedicate an entire continent to things that go chomp in the night. And if the Jurassic Park franchise has taught me anything, it's that apex predatorsalwaysescape.

Which means that the only option would be to keep all the monsters locked up for good. Something I know would disappoint my men, and something I'd rather not tell them until I'm sure there are no alternatives.

Lise's interruption is welcome indeed.

"I'm glad I found you. Come with me—all of you, in fact, come with me. I have something important to tell you."

She grabs onto my arms and steers me away from the dining hall, down a dim, twisting corner—and my men follow, though Aleron looks peeved to do so. No doubt that's his resentment of summoners flaring to life again.

Lise, however, is different. She's been cursed with a monster of her own. And she's never treated me wrong or led me astray.

"There was a huge disturbance just now—though I'm not sure why I'm telling you when no doubt you felt it. Aphrodite was just here, wasn't she?"

I nod. "But we put her back in the Shadow World, and she's going to stay there. At least until we figure out something else to do with her."

"Good, good. I knew that was her I felt, and I'm glad she didn't like, take over your body or something." She throws her arms around me in a back-breaking hug that ends just as quickly as it begins. "But that means you weren't here to see what went down, right? And it's been... a lot."

"Tell me." I glance at my men. "Tellus."

Because there is an us, isn't there? A messy, complicated, yet to be definedus.At least, I hope there is one.

Lise takes a deep breath, and launches into an explanation of what we missed.

"So, basically... there was a big disturbance. We all felt Aphrodite's presence in one way or another, though it was blink-and-you-miss it quick. Around the same time, startingbeforeall those gooey love emotions started, I saw dozens of ghosts just up and flee Occult House."

At my puzzled look, she explains, "Ghosts like it here. All the mystery and drama. Not to mention Dorian Grey and Jean Kincaide are constantly summoning them and speaking to them. So when they ran off to haunt other places, I knew something was up."

Aleron snorts dismissively. "So what if we lost a few ghosts? That's nothing. The spirits come and go as they please."

Lise shoots him an annoyed look, then turns back to me to continue her explanation. "The other thing is, the statue room. I was going past it on the way to my rooms to grab some spell ingredients when I saw thatevery singlegorgon statue was turning to flesh. I figured that would end poorly, so I went inside, barricaded the door, and was preparing to whisk them all away to the Shadow World when they just... up and turned to dust."

"Dust?" I blink at her. "Are you sure they didn't turn into sand or something? That would make more sense for stone."

"I'm sure. They turned to fleshfirst,then to dust. Like every unlived year they'd spent as statues caught up to them all at once. Though plenty were monsters, and they shouldn't have aged and died that quickly... it was like they were cursed or something."

That's... less than reassuring. Though maybe I have an explanation. "Lise, do you sense anything different about me?"

"Like what?" She frowns, looking me up and down. Then her eyes widen. "You didn't take Aphrodite's powers from her, did you? Oh, please tell me that you did! We could use that kind of power on our side."

Instead of answering—because I'm not sure I can deal with much more pressure around this issue—I step back and let my gorgon warrior form flow over me.

The height. The hair made of snakes. Golden shimmering skin, and eyes that I'm sure must glow with power. Lise gasps as she takes it all in, then grins and holds her hand up for a high five.

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