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“Take him,” the blue/black monster calls and I realize another monster is waiting, this one with shiny gold antlers and a ridiculous costume. Is he a warrior or an exotic dancer?

I turn to the blue/black monster and manage to mutter, “Bianca?”

“She’s safe,” he says with a fanged smile. “You’ll see her in a moment. Thank you, Sir, for raising such an incredible woman with so much love. We are all grateful to you.” He’s beginning to fade, becoming almost transparent. “Remy, go.”

The other monster salutes him. “You should have been First Knight, Nico. You are the bravest and best warrior and monster I’ve ever had the privilege to know.”

The blue/black monster—Nico—seems surprised, but he looks away as though he hears something calling him. When he locks eyes with the other monster, he says, “Honor my family.”

Then Nico vanishes completely and I turn to see the shock on the other monster’s face.

“This is a ridiculous mode of transport,”Exotic Antler Monster Mandeclares about my golf cart, before scooping me up like a tiny child and racing in the other direction.

Chapter37

Bianca

Middle spoon once again. My arms surround Bastien, my face resting on his feathers as my tears and sobs continue. Pennie’s perfect warmth, steadying presence, and strong arms envelop Bastien and me. It’s different than before, considering Pennie and I are wearing clothes, and Bastien is now mine, but this spot in the world already feels familiar and safe.

I can’t wrap my brain around this loss and yet I can’t miss the irony. The day I found my adventure—my future even—I lost my past. I want to scream and rage, but I’m trapped in thoughts of just how alone I would have been had this happened without my monsters to hold me, cherish me,loveme.

I don’t know if what they feel for me is actually love and I have no idea what I feel for them. But this sense of rightness, this connection, makes all other questions seem like meaningless chatter. You don’t have to stare at a thing and dissect it to know what it means—though that’s exactly what I did with all my other relationships. They never felt like this though, so maybe they needed measuring and discarding.

Remy wasn’t wrong. Irreversible decisions should never be made in a rush, but the key of my life fit into Bastien’s lock and now our song is forever. I can’t regret that. I won’t. All my life I’ve been waiting to truly belong somewhere,tosomeone. No matter what else happens, I will never be alone again and neither will Bastien.

“The queen can’t take Bastien from me now, right?” I ask through sniffles.

“No,” Archie says, his voice solid. He’s not on the bed with us, but he’s sitting in the chair watching over us. “Bastien is yours.”

I sigh and rub my face against his feathers, our song slightly playful even at this solemn moment.

“Thank you,” Bastien whispers.

“Thank you, my Bastien.”

A crash above causes Pennie’s hold to tighten, while Archie jumps up and hurries toward the stairs.

“What is it?” I try to turn, but I’m too protectively squished between them to move.

For a moment, Pennie’s body tenses, but then he encourages me to release Bastien and pulls me with him as he stands beside the bed.

Once on my feet, my attention turns toward the commotion and my mouth drops open. Remy rushes down the stairs toward where Archie is waiting. Remy’s carrying a man… he’s carrying mydad.

My dad groans. He’s grey, his eyes pinched shut against the pain. My feet are frozen and my mind locks down. Pennie hurries toward the monsters, taking charge as Archie and Pennie carry my father directly into the healing pool.

Bastien’s arms surround me and I can’t stop my body from trembling as I move toward my father.

He’s in the pool.

Completely still.

Is it too late?

Wasit too late?

“Dad?”

“Give him a moment, my Lady,” Pennie says from his place in the pool where he holds my father.