Page 23 of Mated to Monsters
She huffs but does as she’s told. Finally.
The skin of her fingertips has been cut by glass and wood, but the salve makes quick work of her injuries. The split nail is deeper, and takes more time to knit together under the magic of the paste, and she hisses in pain. But soon enough, it’s gone, leaving only rosy flesh and delicate white nails.
I surrender her hands and she tests them with wide eyes. “What is that stuff?”
“Just a salve,” I answer, trying to ignore the fact that she is still sitting on my lap, and hasn’t thrown herself off of me yet. An uncomfortable twinge spurs that errant appendage between my thighs.
My next words come harsher than I intend. “Get off of me.”
I think I see an injured look pass over her face, but she obliges instantly, still teasing the nail that had been mended. “Have you ever tried not being rude?”
“No,” I say simply. “I don’t have time for pleasantries.”
In truth, it is because I am used to my hounds. I never much bothered with the others in my caste, and am glad to be dismissed as the Kennel Master and left to my own devices. The Ur’gin are good company. The rest are… a nuisance.
But not her, I find myself thinking, she’s fascinating, in her own way.
I lower my gaze to the paperwork in front of me so it doesn’t stray to the human again. The document is sufficiently ruined, and I’ll have to start over on the paperwork for Breeder No. 7. I pick up my quill in an attempt to salvage the mess. And yet I’m not irritated like I thought I’d be. This human keeps me far too distracted for that.
She’s doing her best at maintaining the silence, but it’s only a matter of time before she grows impatient again. From the corner of my eye, I can tell she’s already going a handsome shade of red. It’s endearing, and I wonder if all humans have that ability.
Finally, I grace her with a look. “What is wrong?”
“Everything,” she says immediately, lowering her gaze as if meeting my eye would be distasteful. “I don’t even know where we are.”
I cock my head and simply take her in. “Ti’lith.”
She glances at me from under her lashes. “You said that before…”
“I did,” I say, crumpling the ruined page and throwing it into the corner behind me, then pulling out a fresh sheet from a drawer. “It is our city.”
“Ti’lith,” she repeats slowly as if tasting the words. “And is everyone like you?”
She must be talking about the Trolvor she saw in the hallway. I let out a long sigh and surrender my work for another time. This human is the bravest of the lot, and I admit that I feel obligated to give her an explanation, though she’ll never hear me say it. “No. We demons come in many shapes and sizes.
“The ones you saw before are Trolvor. They tend to guard the King and his assets, which is why they are stalking the halls near the cells.” I pretend to lose interest, though I’m waiting for her to speak.
Just as I anticipated, she does. “What about you?”
My quill freezes over the fresh page. Is she so interested in me? I doubt it, but I amuse her anyhow. “I’m a Volvath. We’re fighters that leave the magic to the Soz’garoth, but we still have some chaotic energy inside of us.”
Her eyes widen at this tidbit of knowledge. “That’s what I’ve been feeling…”
I ignore her remark and freshen the tip of my quill.
“You said before that there are no humans here, right?”
I don’t answer.
“Why? Is it so inaccessible?”
At that, I issue a shrug, falling too easily into conversation with her. I hate to admit that I rather enjoy this back and forth. She thinks I am more knowledgeable than I am. “Only the Soz’garoth can transport anyone between here and the ground continents.”
“Ground continents?” It seems unconscious that she draws forward. “What does that mean? Aren’t all continents fastened to the earth?”
I finally rest all my attention on her. “Not this one. This is the floating island of Glamoleth.”
Her expression changes to one of wonder. “Tell me everything.”