Page 15 of Monstrous Lies

“Aku, why are you helping me?” I hear her stand and walk towards me. “Red, why haven’t you killed me?”

I don’t answer because I don’t know.

“Stay here, I will be back.” I almost rush from the room, shutting the door and locking it for her safety before I move back into my people’s tunnels to escape the temptation the little human presents.

To escape my own strange needs where she is concerned.

Aria, what are you doing to me?

NINE

ARIA

Iwatch him go, and the moment the door shuts, I sag in relief.

I instantly miss the warmth his large body gives off before I mentally slap myself. The almost seven-foot, fanged, clawed monster isn’t my friend. He hasn’t hurt me yet—in fact, he helped me, but that doesn’t mean he won’t kill me.

Or worse.

I can’t grow complacent, because that’s how you die, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s how to survive.

Standing, I rotate my arm, realising I have full movement back, bar a small twinge. His magic saliva is really something else. If humans ever knew, they would harvest them for it, which makes me understand their mistrust…slightly.

The monsters aren’t what I expected at all. They are not just feral beasts.

Well, he’s definitely a beast, with those huge fangs, dark eyes that make me want to misbehave, and knowing little looks, not to mention his lack of boundaries. But if the worst thing he does is lick my shoulder, then I’ll call myself lucky.

The same can’t be said for Talia.

She’s up there alone. At the thought, all of my humour fades, morphing to stark cold fear. It’s my job to protect her, and now she’s alone, above ground, and in the dark surrounded by monsters. I need to get back to her so I can protect her and get her home. Fuck the payment, it’s already too late for that, which hurts a little, but she matters more. As much as I wish I didn’t care, I do. She was kind, she was nice, and I got along with her.

She doesn’t deserve to die alone up there.

I have to get out of here and help her. Maybe I can convince Aku to help me when he comes back. I’ll just smile sweetly and explain. He seems rational and calm. Hell, he doesn’t even want to hurt me.

Soldiers… He mentioned he killed them, but they apparently attacked first. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I do know they didn’t kill me. Let’s hope it stays that way, but I can’t sit here like a good little human captive. I have a job to do, monsters or not.

Moving to the door, I test the handle but find it locked.

Fuck.

Okay, so I’m not leaving through the door. Not that I would want to without Red at my side. The others seem quite happy to kill me, and only his word stopped them. Their compliance could run out at any moment, so it’s better to leave now. Turning back to the room, I blow out a breath and scan every inch for an escape route.

The room is a mishmash of old human furniture. There’s a huge metal bed in the corner piled with pillows and what I can only describe as fur blankets. A huge eighties rug is spread across the concrete floor, and the walls are a grey brick with claw marks here and there. There is a single, buzzing bright light above, illuminating the space. Some of the wall is covered in road signs and old human band posters and pictures. There are boxes of junk in a corner, with old clothes, shoes, bags, sunglasses, and so much more. I move there now, searching for a new shirt, since mine is half ripped. Most are men’s clothes, so I pick the cleanest one. It smells a little musty, but it will be okay. Holding it up, I realise it’s a light grey colour with bleach signs and a motorbike on the front. Shrugging, I rip mine off and slide into it, tying it at my stomach so it doesn’t hinder my movements, since it trails down to my knees.

Facing the room once more, I spot an old, dented fridge in the other corner with a small, rickety wooden table before it and mismatched chairs. The whole room feels like a homage to the world frozen above. It’s kind of nice for a monster’s lair.

It has personality, that’s for sure, and for a big bad monster who was hunted and locked away behind a wall, Aku seems almost…normal, in love with humanity and its possessions. Or maybe that’s a trap that I’m falling into.

Just as I think that, I hear a commotion outside. My eyes go to the door as I move closer. I press my ear against it, trying to make out the muffled yells. There are some roars mixed in—the beasts are arguing.

But about what?

I hear the word human and my name. Oh right…me.Fuck. I listen harder, wanting to know my fate and Aku’s opinion.

“We should kill her before she tells them where we are!” someone yells, and I hear others agree.

“She doesn’t seem like them,” another defends.