Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
“Protect them? The walls protect them. I feel that it is my job to maintain order.”
Batty snaps at me. And once again, I don’t need to speak his language to get the gist of it. He’s telling me to do that, if that’s my job.
“I will,” I retort back. “You watch.”
“OK, boss man.” Pie chuckles and pats my chest.
I point at her. “Do not call me cute.”
“Fine. I’ll call you Grumpy from now on. Grumps. Let it be known”—Pie raises her voice—“that the monster formally called Pell is now called Grumps!”
Batty says, “Muffler.” Then he and Pie both break down in a fit of snickers.
I sigh, so annoyed with this day and the sun just barely came up.
Batty flies while Pie and I drive the truck. The weather is cold and there’s a little bit of snow coming down. But it’s the fog a few miles outside of town that really gets my attention.
“Is this normal?” Pie asks, leaning forward and squinting as we crawl through the thick haze.
“It is now. I’m pretty sure it means the entire town has been glamoured.”
“But the fog? I don’t get it. It’s like that same fog before I put the ring on.”
“Hmm.”
“Do you think it means we’re in some kind of in-between stage?”
“It’s possible. But I can’t say for sure. I’ve only ever seen the fog around Saint Mark’s.”
“But you said that Grant glamoured the town, right?”
“I assumed he did. To make them forget about us. But there was never any fog involved.”
“Well, this has to mean something. We need to figure it out.”
“Yeah,” I agree. But it comes out as a long, tired sigh.
“You really have been grumpy, Pell. What’s up?”
“What’s up?” I just look at her for a moment. “Really?”
“You hate the monsters.”
“I don’t hate them. I just don’t want them around. I miss the old days when it was just me, and you, and Tomas.” I shrug. “Is that evil?”
“No.” She giggles a little. “Not evil at all. But don’t you think that the whole point of the sanctuary is to… you know… provide sanctuary to wayward monsters?”
“I would think that. Maybe. If there wasn’t a door inside my tomb that leads to a monster prison in an alternate, upside-down parallel universe. Maybe we’re keeping the world safe from those monsters and that’s why it’s a sanctuary? Maybe you’re assuming too much when it comes to the new residents?”
“Maybe,” Pie agrees. “But either way, these monsters need our help. And the wood nymphs were your idea. I wash my hands of Tarq. I know he’s your friend, but I don’t trust him.”
I sigh again. We have had this conversation about Tarq a dozen times, at least.
“I’m not complaining about the nymphs, Pell. Or Tarq. I’m not the boss of you, either. So you can be friends with anyone you want. But I would like to register my hesitation with this whole ‘king’ thing. And I’m not going back to Vinca. Ever. I don’t like it. I don’t even care if I’m from there, I live here now. I’m staying here.”
“What about Callistina?”
“What about her?”
I shoot her a look. This look comes with one eyebrow raised. “You haven’t been back down to the Bottoms since the day you put her there.”
“So?”
“Don’t you think you should check up on her?”
“Not particularly.”
I raise that eyebrow again, side-eyeing her as we crawl through the fog.
“What?”
“You put your sister, the Queen of Vinca—who is kind of a spectacular lioness chimera, I might add—”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Nothing.”
“You think she’s pretty.”
“She’s not my type. You’re my type.”
Pie makes a face. It’s a wrinkled one and comes with narrowed eyes. “I’m gonna let this go, but I’m taking notes.”
I stop the truck, take her hand, and place it against my chest, my heart thumping under the pressure of her hand. “Pie Vita?”
“What?”
“This heart belongs to you. And while Callistina is a striking specimen, a woman…” I shake my head. “A woman she is not. Because women, even strong women such as yourself, are soft. They are not made of sharp edges. They are made of curves, and whispers, and long quiet moments.” I remove her hand from my heart and bring it up to my lips, kissing her knuckles. Pie smiles. Maybe even melts a little. “So to be clear, Callistina is not, and never will be, a threat to my love for you. No matter what she looks like. And this is all beside the point because the point is… you need to go down there and—”
“No.” Pie narrows her eyes and pulls her hand away. “I’m not ready for that.”
“But that’s where all the answers are, Pie. Don’t you think we need those answers?”
“You just want to get rid of the monsters.”
I can’t deny this, so I don’t bother trying.
“And besides, you haven’t been back to Vinca, either.”