Page 12 of Stone Temptation
“Don’t worry,” I said, “she’ll buzz off soon.”
My body shimmered green.
“Luke…” The monster appeared in the window behind Maren.
Maren huffed, turning to face the snaky stalker. She waved, blowing her a kiss.
“Be gone, abomination!” the nightmare yelled.
Maren flipped her the bird. “Unless you want a face full of fish, I suggest you find a snake pit to dive into.”
I chuckled, triggering the ire of the monster.
Snaky went to punch the window but pulled back, knowing better than to touch gargoyle-tempered glass. If she touched it, or any part of the building, she’d get a painful response, seeing as buildings were also infused with the same magic. Gargoyle statues lived on every home, every building, channeling magic into the structure. There was one around the back of my lighthouse, facing out to sea.
Creepy little thing.
Buildings were more at risk to damage by monsters, seeing as the bulk of gargoyle protection went into human bodies. But it didn’t happen very often.
“How dare you threaten me, abomination! I am?—”
I closed the blinds. We all knew what she was.
“Blah, blah, blah,” I mumbled.
“Luke!” Snaky wailed.
Maren floated into the air, moving as if she were really under the sea. “I think I should escort you to work.” She glanced at the door.
“You don’t have to escort me anywhere. I’m good.”
“I’d feel better.”
No point in arguing with Maren when she’d made up her mind. “Okay. Thanks.”
Green light gleamed across my body again, warning the snaky thing to keep her distance.
Keys in hand, I left my lighthouse.
Salty air slapped me in the face with icy hands, the sea roaring behind me. I hurried to my car, so ready to get the heated seat going.
At least it wasn’t raining or snowing.
Two turquoise motes flew past my face, drifting as if they were the most innocent particles in the world. Yes, so cute until they dropped a monster in your garden.
Maren manifested before me. While monsters were plucked from a nightmare, mote spirits, like her, came from the other end of the spectrum. In Maren’s case, she resembled the character of Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Complete with red hair, a sea-green tail, but she wore a black leather crop top—no seashells on her chest. And she was definitely not prone to bursting into song or rescuing princes from treacherous seas.
She hated water.
“One moment, darling.” She did a sweep of the lighthouse’s perimeter.
And she really hated water.
Go figure.
Monsters despised mote spirits. Regarded them as impure abominations to undermine their ‘incredible’ race, born from motes tainted by sin or whatever quasi-religious crap they spewed.
It wasn’t that deep. Motes made things. Sometimes bad, sometimes good, often chaotic, and all a part of living in this world.