Page 12 of Knox

TheRealisticRomantic:Worse. Much worse.

BookBoyfriendLover69:Worse than a lawyer? Is that even possible?

Adrian took a deep breath, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

TheRealisticRomantic:So… remember that scene in the latest chapter of "Monsters of Veridia," the one where Knox shows up at the Shadow Court?

BookBoyfriendLover69:The one where he’s all brooding and powerful and promises to make the Shadow King beg for it? Yeah, I remember. fans self

LiteraryLion:That’s not what happened.

TheRealisticRomantic:Anyway… imagine that scene, but instead of the Shadow Court, it’s my bedroom. And instead of the Shadow King, it’s… my grandmother, except he’s not making her beg for anything. She made him tea.

LiteraryLion:Hold up. Are you saying…

TheRealisticRomantic:Knox just crashed through my skylight. Literally.

A beat of silence followed, the digital equivalent of his friends staring at him with wide eyes and open mouths.

Then, the chat exploded.

BookBoyfriendLover69:WHAT?!

LiteraryLion:No. Freaking. Way.

BookBoyfriendLover69:Pics or it didn’t happen!

Adrian stared at the screen, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. This was insane. He was actually talking about this like it was normal. Like it was something that happened to people on a Tuesday night.

TheRealisticRomantic:I’m serious! He’s here. In my apartment, chatting with my grandmother.

BookBoyfriendLover69:Omg omg omg! Is he like a really hot cosplayer? Details, Adrian! We need details!

LiteraryLion:This is either the best prank ever or you’ve officially lost your mind.

TheRealisticRomantic:I’m starting to think I’ve lost my mind too. But… he’s real. I mean, he looks real. He talks real. And he has these horns…

Adrian trailed off, the memory of Knox’s transformation flashing through his mind. The molten gold of his eyes, the heat radiating from his skin, the undeniable power that had pulsed through the room.

BookBoyfriendLover69:Horns?! Like, real horns?

TheRealisticRomantic:Real horns. And they’re… kind of amazing.

Adrian buried his face in his hands, his cheeks burning with shame. He was gushing about demon horns to his online friends. They must think he was losing his marbles.

LiteraryLion:Let me get this straight, a stranger crashed through your skylight, dressed up like Knox, and now he’s in your livingroom making nice with your grandmother?

Yeah, Adrian had to admit, that sounded awful.

TheRealisticRomantic:Actually, I think my grandmother has gone to sleep now.

LiteraryLion:Why are you letting this stranger stay at your place? Seriously, Adrian, this is fucked up.

LiteraryLion—his actual name was Leon—was probably right about that. Why was Adrian going along with all of this?

Adrian rubbed his face, mentally going over everything that had happened to him that night.

TheRealisticRomantic:I let him go earlier, but then he nearly got run over by a car, like he had no idea what the fuck a car is. He would have gotten himself killed out there!