Page 76 of The Monsters We Are

The ethos . . . It was hard to put it into words. It was electric. Magnetic. Disquieting. Charged. Like the buzz of energy before a storm, or the unnatural quiet before an earthquake.

And fuck the grotto washot. Really hot. The humid air was so thick it felt heavy. It carried many scents, such as mildew and algae.

It seemed safe to conclude that she’d gone walkies in her sleep again. But towhere, exactly? What was this place?

Swiping her hands down the long shirt she wore, Wynter looked around her. An arched wrought-iron gate was wide open. The rudimentary carvings on one wall made her think of those that Cain showed her in his temple. Was that where—

Wynter jumped as muted male whispers floated through the air. Whispers from something sentient. Aware. Older than old. Powerful in a way she couldn’t describe. And it was urging her forward.

It was the same voice from her dream, she realized. And it had led her here.

Some of the things that Kali had told her during Wynter’s recent trip to the netherworld leaped to the forefront of her mind. They explainedsomeof what was happening here, but not all.

Swallowing hard, Wynter glanced back at the gate. She could head back to the Keep and wake Cain. Sheshould. Because this whole thing was goddamn weird. It was weirder still that he hadn’t already caught up with her and ushered her back to bed the way he usually did.

Yes, she should go back and ask him to—

An otherworldly breeze nudged her back, urging her forwards.

Crap.

Wynter nervously licked her mouth, able to taste the sweat beading her upper lip and the tang of minerals in the air. Pulling up her big girl panties, she took a few steps further into the grotto. The source of the humidity soon came into view. It appeared to be a natural hot spring, but it wasn’t like any she’d seen before. Whips of power bounced along the surface of the burbling turquoise water—crackly, sparkly, and beautiful.

The high concentration of power was like a beacon. She edged closer, careful not to lose her footing and slip on the wet stone.

Her pulse jumped as water briefly shot upward out of the well like a geyser. Cursing her raw nerves, she walked a little faster toward the spring.

The muted whispers grew louder, clearer, more frantic. And they urged her to put her hand in the water.

No, thank you.

She had the feeling that the little sparks of power skipping along the surface would pack a real punch if they zapped her. But the voice persisted, reassuring her that there was no danger to her here. Which didn’t actually succeed in putting her mind at ease.

Only one thing made Wynter consider granting the voice its request—although Kali was brushing against her, She gave off no cautioning vibes. The deity was all calmness and encouragement, seemingly relaxed about the whole thing.

“Fine, fine. Just so you know, Kali, I’ll be totally pissed if I get zapped or some shit.” Wynter knelt beside the steaming well. The insane heat it gave off rose up and flushed her cheeks. “Awesome.”

Steeling herself, Wynter pushed aside her doubts and reached inside the spring. She didn’t need to plunge her hand into the well. The water weirdly splashed upward and swallowed her hand.

A gust of otherworldly air washed over her face, communicating . . . something. Something she didn’t understand. Inside Wynter, her monster abruptly rose to the surface, but it didn’t take over. Itmeldedwith her.

She sucked in a breath as power punched into her, surging through her body so violently it bowed her back. Oh God, it was too much. It rattled her teeth. Stung her eyes. Bubbled in her blood. Buzzed against her bones. Made her heart gallop and her head spin.

She couldn’t move; could only stay still as the alien power arched through her like forks of lightning—flooding her with warmth, jumpstarting her senses, waking up her nerve cells, and electrifying her body.

And then it was over.

Her eyes snapped open as her monster slinked backwards in withdrawal. Once more herself, she shook her head hard to clear it. What the fuck was that?

Quivering, she brushed her dry palm down her face. God, she’d never felt so . . . awake. Present. Energized.Wired.

Swallowing around her dry throat, she pulled her other hand out of the water and stood. Which was when the spring began to ripple and splash like a goddamn Jacuzzi. She promptly backed up, only able to watch as lights began to flash like crazy beneath the water. The whips of power dancing along the surface began to wildly hiss and pop and crackle.

Wynter’s breath snagged in her throat, and her heart began to pound hard and fast in her chest. Oh, hell, what had she done?

*

Rubbing at his nape, Cain walked down the stone passageway en route to the chamber he shared with Wynter. Sleep had eluded him. His mind—currently a chaotic place of messy thoughts and relentless questions—simply wouldn’t rest. As such, he’d headed to his ledger room to get some work done.