Page 70 of The Monsters Within

Last year was a slumber party. We stayed up all night eating junk food and watching movies. Well, most of us anyway. Harmony, who got her name in honor of her sweet personality and go-with-the-flow attitude, was surprisingly cranky when she didn’t get enough sleep. And who would have thought that Arsyn would be able to eat the way she did? That girl could put away some food!

I couldn’t wait to see what they had planned this year!

I ran down the stairs, a smile on my face. It was my fifteenth birthday. My fourth birthday with Val and the Nyght Nymphs.

I was excited to see what they had done this year.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, everything was quiet. They were hiding, and my smile grew. I just knew that at any minute, they would all jump out and yell surprise.

But as I looked around, I didn’t see any balloons. No streamers. No presents. I searched the house, and no one was here.

Where did everyone go?

The front door opened, and Syrena walked in. Her eyes landed on me, and guilt covered her features.

“Oh shit, Kytten. I’m sorry. I wanted to be back before you woke up.”

“Where is everyone?” At least someone remembered.

“They found her,” Syrena whispered as she set the grocery bags on the counter.

“Found who?”

“Val’s daughter.”

I swallowed as I stared at Syrena, not really understanding the magnitude of her words.

“Where’s Val?”

“Louisiana.”

“Why?” I asked, confused.

“Didn’t you hear me? They found her daughter.” Syrena didn’t look at me when she spoke. She was putting the groceries away as if it were just a regular day.

Did they forget about my birthday?

Val found her daughter and forgot about me.

“Kytten? Are you okay?”

My eyes snapped to Syrena. I plastered a smile on my face. “Of course. I’m so happy Val found her daughter.”

That was the first time I had lied to one of the women who had become my family. The first time I had pushed my feelings down.

I was happy for Val. Truly, I was. I was glad she found her daughter; I just didn’t want her to forget about me in the process.

“Here, put this in the fridge.” Syrena handed me the glass bottle. I reached out absently, and when she let go, it slipped through my fingers, crashing to the floor.

“KYTTEN!” Syrena rushed over and pulled me back. “Sit down, honey.” When she grabbed the mop and broom to clean up the mess, I ran back up to my room.

I sat on my bed and pulled the leg of my pajamas up to my knee. There, embedded in my shin, was a small piece of glass. As I silently watched the blood trickle down my leg, a scream tore through my mind.

The gentle knock on my door was quieter due to the screams inside my head. Syrena slipped into my room and sat on the bed next to me.

“Oh, Kytten, why didn’t you tell me?”

Her hand caressed my calf, and I didn’t think anything of it. Val always rubbed my back or my arm when I was upset or hurt.