Page 23 of My Monster’s Keeper

Becky

“ W HAT IS THIS?”

Puppy throws himself out of the bed and across the room, stalking the source of the outraged voice.

I sit up and scrub at my eyes, peering into the dark. “Puppy?”

“Diablos, go away,” Frost moans. “I’m tired.”

“Get up! Explain yourself,” the demon demands.

I roll over and curl into Wilder’s arms. He strokes my back and pulls the blankets up over my shoulders.

“Get out of the bed!”

“You told us to share one room. There’s only one bed,” I snap waspishly. “Let me sleep!”

Diablos pauses in his stomping.

“Puppy, no biting, the hotel will kick us out, and I’m nice and warm.”

The Grim rattles in displeasure but returns to the bed. I watch with one eye as he perches on the end of it, glowering at the big demon.

“Well, clearly, they are meant to sleep on the floor.”

“Don’t be cruel, Diablos. The bed’s big enough for everyone to sleep in. Don’t tell me you’re worried about what cocks I might put in me again.” I sit up. “I thought that conversation was done?”

“It is.” Diablos protests far too quickly. “All right, let’s do the pop quiz.” He clears his throat. “Capital of Australia.”

“I’m going to eat you,” Puppy says darkly.

“No one? All right, geography is a fail.”

“What is pi?”

I start paying attention to his questions, and my irritation grows.

“You’re getting on my nerves, demon,” Puppy hisses, and I concur .

“What kind of soil do you need to grow legumes?”

“Who cares?” Frost snaps.

“Another F,” Diablos says gleefully.

“What big cat animal can’t roar?”

“Diablos!” Stix snaps.

“Buzz, wrong!”

Fuck this shit. I am far too tired for this nonsense.

“Canberra. 3.14159. Well drained soil, and Cheetahs and Snow Leopards can’t roar. However, I’m not teaching them useless things. I’m teaching them helpful things.”

I get out of bed and go to the freezer.

“Like what?”

“Using bank cards, different humans and our shapes and colours. How to behave in public so not to draw attention. And how to torture someone who is annoying you in the middle of the night.”

I turn around with the ice dildo in my hands and smile at Diablos.

He stumbles back, holding his hands up. “I was just checking. No need to get violent.”

“My sleep is important to me, Di. I take any attacks on it personally.”

“I hear you.”

“Please leave and come back during daylight hours.”

Diablos grumbles. “You do remember that I’m in charge, don’t you?”

“Yes, you push the papers, we do the work,” I say with a yawn, climbing into bed. Frost takes the dildo and turns it into snowflakes.

“So pretty!” I coo.

Diablos stamps a foot.

“If you make it quake in my room, I’m telling Hartley what edging is.”

Diablos chokes. There’s a long silence. “You wouldn’t-”

“Just try me, beastie. I’m mean when I’m sleep deprived.”

“Fine, but we’re not finished yet.” He pauses. “Do your Fae know what edging is?”

Frost sits upright.

I squeeze my eyes closed, but I can almost feel the tension.

“What is it?” Frost asks suspiciously.

Diablos laughs like a damn super villain and vanishes in a cloud of sulphur smoke.

“No, don’t wake her, we can figure it out on our own,” Wilder murmurs.

“Here, look, click on that one,” Stix murmurs .

I burrow down into the blanket.

There’s a long silence, and then I hear them all get up and the bathroom door shut. The muffled voices arguing gives me a cold shiver. I roll over and close my eyes, determined to go to sleep.

At some point, I must sleep because the next time I open my eyes, it’s morning, and the four of them are heads down, watching something else on my phone.

I stretch and wander into the bathroom. When I come out, I’m met by four pairs of concerned and pissed off eyes.

“Hi.”

“Who is Davidson?”

My face drains of colour, and the world sharpens to a point. Stix’s concerned green eyes hold me captive.

“Where did you hear that name?” I rasp out.

“You were having a nightmare. You called his name, you were scared. Who made you frightened? Who scared you?”

My whole body breaks out like I’ve got bugs crawling on me. I can hear his drunk voice and smell him.

“It was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Of course, it matters,” Wilder growls.

I step around them, only to get pulled to a stop by cold fingers around my wrist.

“It’s over. And I don’t want to talk about it,” I snap and yank my wrist free.

They all look at each other and nod.

“Okay, but we’re here to listen if you want to plot murder.”

I feel stiff and unsure as I get ready this morning. “Come on, let’s get out of here again.”

We get dressed, and I take them to the museum. I used to come here on cold and wet days. It was free and warm. Plus, I liked looking at all the old things.

I talk through the animals, explaining why they live on separate continents and the different environments. I explain about how people use museums, art galleries, and libraries to learn.

I show them the history of my species, and, finally, when we stand beneath the huge, towering skeleton of the T-Rex does Puppy finally stop and go still.

His eyes get huge as he stares up at it.

Stix stands right behind me, so close I can feel his warmth. He leans in close, his lips near my ear .

“You’ve done really well, Becky Dawson.”

I inhale roughly. “Have I?”

“Yes.”

His fingertips graze the inside of my palm, and I instantly flex my fingers, allowing his to slide in between mine until our hands are pressed palm to palm.

I don’t look at him, but he moves to my side and stands shoulder to shoulder with me.

“He was a foster dad. Davidson, I mean. He was a monster, but everyone thought he was wonderful. I moved on, and I’m okay.”

“My sire hated me. I was a weapon to be aimed at his enemies until I got too powerful. He tried several times to kill me.”

“You survived.”

“So did you. Have you thought about giving him to a Grim to eat?”

I choke.

Puppy circles the dinosaur and then goes and presses the button, listening as a recorded voice starts the informative spiel again and lights up a screen with information and images.

“The past is the past. I don’t need to revisit it,” I say with a confidence I don’t feel.

“Okay.”

“I’m good.”

“Okay.”

I turn my head and look up at him. “Truly.”

“I know you, Becky. Look at you, you are amazing.”

Frost winks at me as he walks past and sends an icy wind to swirl around us.

Wilder is intently reading about the environments, but, every few seconds, he looks up and checks in.

“What is your home like?”

“Dark, scary. Everyone is a lot more vicious, and even the most defenceless being has more teeth than a human. I would never want to see you in my world, Becky.”

“Do you want to go back?”

“I thought so for a while, but I like it here. I like them.” Stix pulls a bewildered face. “Never thought I’d be saying that about the Fae, but I do like them. And I really like you.”

I bite my lip to hold in all the words that want to pour out.

“You like us, too, don’t you?”

I shake my head. “I shouldn’t.”

“But you do. ”

“But I do. You know, I’ve met some horrible people and seen some horrible things, but I don’t think you four even come close to that. I’ve never had friends before. Only Grant.”

“Well, you have us now, and we’re not going anywhere.”

If ever there were words that were my absolute weakness, it’s a heartfelt promise to stay with me. Damn those abandonment issues.

Still, I keep my eyes on Puppy as he and a little boy start bouncing around and shouting excitedly. The kid drags him to the other skeletons, and they start the process again.

Puppy is very much…like a puppy sometimes. The thought of not seeing the carnivorous asshole again makes me feel panicky inside.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”

“I mean it, poppet. Wherever you go, I go. I’m truly sorry, but you’re stuck with me now.”

That’s not the scary thought that he thinks it is.

I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. He’s smiling, and he looks happy. They can be happy here with me, right?