Page 100 of My Monster’s Keeper

That doesn’t make her less dangerous. If anything, her senses are now honed to a dangerously sharp level. It’s just here in the shadow realm. Everything else is more dangerous.

“Grim,” she says in a sibilant voice. “You called me forth?”

“Heal her,” I demand.

She floats over the ground, touching it only with her toes. She sniffs the air around my human and sneezes delicately.

“This will be a big undertaking. You will aid me.”

I let out a deep growl that rattles my chest. She dances away from me and returns.

“Take me to the human world.”

“No.”

“I would cease being food to those who dwell here.”

I consider it. I don’t feel sorry for her. That’s not our way. I do debate the threat she will present to my mate in the future. I weigh her value.

“Okay, I will take you there.”

“And let me live there. I will simply go into the world and disappear. We need not ever cross paths again.” She lowers her head, spreading her arms out from her side gracefully.

I whip my tail across before I can think it through and drag us all back to the Earth world. I let go of the Healer. She turns and peers around with sightless eyes. I make a sound of annoyance.

She refocuses on me and gestures to the grass. “Lower the strange creature so I can heal her. You remember how it works, Grim?”

I grunt at her and lower Becky to the grass. She’s almost grey now, her colour bleached away. I can feel the tremendous damage that’s been done to her fragile body.

“Do you want it partially healed or…okay, no? Full healing. This will take some hours.”

She lowers herself to her knees beside Becky and leans over her.

I step back, giving them space but not much. Stix appears at my side in a blink.

“You brought the Healer to this world?” Stix clucks his tongue. “I hope it works. She’s trouble.”

She’s trouble if you try to control her. If you allow her to be who she is, she will be calm and sensible. But Stix isn’t the Shadow King for no reason. He has no need to be with those who dwell far from his reign. Those of us who do not fit into his kingdom survive however we must.

Wilder and Frost walk up beside us and lean towards us. I can smell the anxiety pouring off them. It’s strong, the pain, too. Feelings are deep for Becky Dawson.

I wonder if she knows how deep.

“When can you heal her?” I snarl at Wilder.

“When the bond between us is consummated,” Wilder says in an icy tone. “She should be changed by all of us a little bit. Her life extended to match ours. She may take on some of our characteristics.”

“How do you know this?” Stix asks.

“I watched Hartley get shot a few months ago. He has some of Diablos’ powers. Diablos and I had a discussion about it.”

Stix whips his head back to Becky. “What did she get from me?”

Wilder shrugs and sits down, his eyes pinned to the Healer and our girl. Frost circles the space and crouches on the other side.

“How did that thing pass out of the Unseelie Oceans and into a river?” Stix grumbles. “And how did it know to go after Grim?”

Wilder shakes his head. “I have no idea, Stix.”