Page 84 of The Monsters We Are
Just the same, she didn’t like withholding things from Cain. She hadn’t told him exactly what happened in the run-up to Abaddon rising from the hot spring. She’d let him believe that it wasallKali. Wynter really didn’t know how to tell Cain about her part in it. Or even if sheshouldtell him.
Back in that grotto, she hadn’t expected that her actions would cause the sleeping Ancient to wake. Yes, she knew more of Kali’s plans now, but the deity had leftsomegaps; promising to fill them in “eventually”. Kali certainly hadn’t revealed Abaddon’s Resting place. Wynter hadn’t even so much as suspected that he would be Resting in the water. She’d thought he’d be in some kind of tomb somewhere.
“What’s wrong?” asked Delilah, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Something’s bothering you.”
Wynter felt her nose wrinkle. “I need to work through it in my head.”
“You don’t need to do it alone at all,” Delilah protested. “We’re your coven. We’re here for you. And nosy as hell, so please share.”
“Yeah,” said Xavier. “Also, it’ll make you a total hypocrite if you do that thing you used to do where you pull inward.Youchew a chunk out of our asses whenwedo it.”
That was more because their idea of secrets tended to be things that could lead to issues for the coven, like selling dodgy potions for instance.
Anabel reached toward Wynter, setting her hand down on the table near hers. “Let us help you sort through whatever’s firing through your brain. We might be able to help.”
Wynter sighed. “What I tell you can’t leave this cottage.”
“You know better than to think we’d betray your confidence,” said Delilah.
Xavier leaned forward, planting his folded arms on the table. “Tell us.”
“Okay.” Wynter straightened her shoulders. “So, about Abaddon . . . I think I woke him. Or my monster did. Or we both did.”
Xavier cocked his head. “What do you mean?”
“The Ancients have been working at it for weeks, but they couldn’t manage to wake him,” Wynter explained. “Last night, I went sleepwalking again. As you know, Cain usually pulls me out of it. This time, he didn’t. I just snapped awake.” She licked her lips. “I was in Abaddon’s Resting place. Though I didn’tknowit was his Resting place. Not at first.”
“The voice that comes to you in your sleep led you there?” asked Delilah.
“Yes,” replied Wynter. “And it also spoke to me while I was awake this time, telling me to touch what I later realized was Abaddon’s . . . bed, shall we say.” She didn’t want to saytoomuch about how Ancients Rested. “Next thing I knew, my monster surged forward and joined with me somehow.”
“Joined?” echoed Delilah, concerned. “What do you mean by ‘joined’?”
“I don’t know exactly. But it was like our souls melded for a moment.”
“Whoa,” said Anabel with a jerk of her head.
“I know, right?” Wynter bit her lip. “It’sneverdone anything like that before. I felt its power pour into me as I touched Abaddon’s bed. And then he rose.”
“In short, your monster used you to wake Abaddon,” Xavier concluded.
“Seems like it.” Wynter licked her lower lip. “And I think Kali told it to. She relayed some kind of message, but I didn’t understand Her words—it’s not always easy to make out what She’s saying when She’s in this realm; it’s like Her voice has a thousand echoes and they all mingle crazily. Looking at the situation now, I don’t think I was supposed to understand what She said. I don’t believe She was talking to me. I believe She was addressing my monster.”
Anabel frowned. “So, what, She wants to help the Ancients?”
“Kind of,” replied Wynter. “I spoke to Her when I died after being shot by those vampires. But it wasn’t just a quick hi. She told me a few things; things She insisted I didn’t share with anyone, not even Cain or any of you. But She didn’t mention anything about wanting me to wake Abaddon.”
“She hasn’t made you privy to all Her plans, then,” mused Hattie.
“It seems that way.” Wynter was sort of used to it at this point. “I don’t know whether I should tell Cain about what part I think I might have played in waking Abaddon.”
Delilah’s brows drew together. “Why? You think he’d be pissed at you?”
“No. It’s just . . . He’s uber protective of me.” Understatement, but whatever. “He doesn’t like anything happening around me that he doesn’t understand.”
“And he’s not going to understand how your monster joined its soul with yours,” Delilah understood.
“Idon’t even understand how it did that.”