Page 45 of Protected By Monsters (Everwood Demons 1)

And I had my monsters too. My hellhounds.

But what was the point of this Academy? Sure, I learned more about myself, gained powers, and was taught all sorts of things.

But when I graduated, then what? There was definitely more at play here.

I groaned as I closed my eyes and snuggled into my pillow.

That didn’t matter right now. I was getting way ahead of myself.

And I was tired. My brain had been working overtime to deal with everything. Not to mention that I had to stay up until midnight tonight.

My stomach tightened at that thought.

I sighed, focusing on my breathing and taking deeper breaths.

A meditation technique I’d picked up after my mother died. I’d been prone to getting riled up, and having some kind of anxiety attacks.

I was surprised none of my hellhounds had brought it up.

My hellhounds. That whole term still sounded weird. I didn’t own them, and yet I couldn’t stop thinking of them as mine. I’d always referred to them as my monsters, but they were hellhounds. I couldn’t help but still be stuck in the way of calling them my monsters though.

And when the others had laughed about their antics, a part of me wanted to defend them, even if it was only said in jest.

No. Back to breathing. I needed some rest. I needed to be awake for tonight, so even if all I wanted to do was mull over things, I needed to let it all go.

Just breathe. One deep one in, one deep one out.

I walked through the strange wasteland, my bare feet silent as I carefully eased my way through the warped trees. They had no leaves and looked charred, all bent and reaching up from the ground like wicked claws, desperate for a touch of sunlight.

What an eerie place.

My feet left footprints in the black ashy dirt, and I glanced around the desolated area, at the black mountains around me and the deep red sky.

What was this place?

I continued onward, drawn to something further ahead. It called to me, urging me on, beckoning something deep within me. I obeyed, trudging on and kicking up the black ash around me, not caring that it was staining my feet.

The strange, ghastly trees thinned out, their curled limbs and broken trunks slowly fading away, and I found myself in a small clearing.

I caught my breath, drawing up short as I spied the man standing beside a pool of chilling red water rimmed with black stones. He was gazing down into it intently, and I shifted uneasily. Who was this man? What was this place?

“Your hellhounds have kept you safe. I’m beyond pleased with that,” the man said, his back still turned to me.

His grey hair was slicked back, and he wore a stunning white suit. A strange choice for this ashy place, yet not a speck of ash or dirt marred the pristine white.

I glanced down at my own attire, having not even noticing it before. A gothic black dress with intricate embroidery. Not too shabby.

“Who are you?” I demanded as I carefully circled around him, wanting to get a look at his face. It was him. The strange pull I felt was drawing me to him, but why?

The man turned and clasped his hands before him as he gave me a slow once over.

His grey beard was neatly trimmed, and those blue eyes were masked well, but I saw a twinkle of… delight? Joy?

“You look well, Lily,” the man smiled warmly at me before he let out a relieved chuckle.

“So you know who I am. Who are you?” I asked again, glancing around carefully, my eyes drifting over the sparse, lifeless expanse of ashy wasteland and crippled trees. “And where is this place?”

“You have so much of your mother in you,” he said with a sigh.

I blinked, my throat closing up as I took him in. That chiseled face masked by his beard, the worn lines on his brow, yet not a mark on that pristine white suit.

It was impossible. How could it be?

“Everything will make sense, in time. You have a remarkable destiny awaiting you,” the man said as he stepped forward.

He eyed my pendant and reached out to touch it gingerly. His smile was soft and tender, and my heart hammered at his closeness. Something about him was familiar, but I couldn’t place it as he pulled his hand away from my pendant.

Those eyes met mine, the deepest blue I’d ever seen. They pulsated with a deep navy as he smiled wider at me, moving to rest his warm hand on my shoulder.

“Daughter.”

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