Chapter 17
It took me months to condition him to obey my orders. I knew it was important to do while his mind was still unsteady from the change. I refuse to feed him, making him hunt his meals. His skills need to be perfect if I ever want him to destroy the monster terrorizing my precious family.
When his prey escaped we learned something. One bite, and he rots the creature until they are nothing more than goo on the inside. The perfect ability for my monster to have.
If the mimic destroys him, so be it. As long as my monster gets one bite, revenge is mine.
That’s all that matters.
After six months, I shall name him Rot.
I’d given up on sleeping hours ago, because every time I dozed off, agonized screaming woke me.
The sound hit something primal inside me that didn’t want to die like that. Every time he screamed everyone went silent. The discomfort in the camp was its own entity.
A reminder of mortality.
It didn’t help that it was impossible to move at this time of night. Unless we wanted to venture through the monster’s backyard blind.
I focused on the book instead to try and stomach Drew’s misery. Not that the contents of this were any better. The last year’s worth of pages could be summed in a couple words; endless torture.
At least I wasn’t witnessing it in real time, I guess.
Shannon hadn’t been able to sleep either and read over my shoulder with drooping eyes. “Are we past the disgusting part yet?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s all three acts.” As the test went on, I could literally watch Levicy’s soul bleed out of the pages. She was probably less human than him by the end of this.
Darkness consumed her more and more each day.
Drew screeched as the next round of pain took over him. The smell was strong enough now that the entire camp smelled like a carcass had sat in the sun for too long.
“Up his morphine,” I told her.
She chewed on her lip as if she’d been thinking the same thing. “He’s at max dose.”
“You’re trying to save his breathing.” I didn’t finish my thought. She was trying to save one organ, when the entire body was failing. She already knew that.
“Yes.” Her voice broke, and I hated the way a frown tugged at her lips.
The rest of the camp had already packed up their things and were huddled around the fire, talking about the trek out of this god forsaken land. How they’d thoroughly enjoy running over this place with a steamroller.
“You should stay here.” Shannon swallowed harshly, tilting her chin toward the book. “It’s you he wants.”
I was reaching the same conclusion. He wanted the descendant of the creator of his own personal hell dead, but couldn’t because of whatever tethered us together.
Probably a safe guard Levicy made.
No. That wouldn’t make sense. She was dead, and he was fine.
I had to hope the answer was in here somewhere.
My eyes lifted from the page to meet Shannon’s gaze, communicating more than words ever could. Shame made her eyes glassy. Her view of the world fracturing in front of me. That what was right wasn’t as clear as she previously thought.
But I nodded in agreement with her assessment.
Gale stepped out of the shadows with a murderous expression on his face, making the both of us jump out of our skins. How long had he been standing there?
“How dare you suggest such a thing? Miss Fredricks I am ashamed of your lack of humanity. Just because you don’t like Talia, doesn’t mean to be so unethical.”
Guilt flooded her face. “I obviously don’t hate her.”
The need to protect her hit hard. “It was a fair conclusion. She wasn’t being hateful.”
He sneered at Shannon. “Everyone will be leaving tomorrow. No one will be left behind.”
Without another word, he walked away to talk plans with the rest of the group. We waited until he was out of our area to relax.
The screaming petered out, but it was only a matter of time before he started up again. In the meantime, the voices near the fire started planning this place’s destruction again.
He shouldn’t worry about someone who has nothing to do with him, the monster’s thought sounded clear as day in my mind, almost louder than my own. The flicker of rage boiled in my chest, like water threatening to flood over and burn everyone. It doesn’t matter. No one is leaving.
I flipped past some of the pages, trying to scan for any keywords that might be helpful.
He’s building something.
Something he disobeys me to do.
A foul nest made of bones and meat. If I attempt to approach it, he attacks me. That thing has more control over him than years of training. He’s a defect. I can’t trust him to obey if I unleash him.
Something in the magic has made him so loyal, that he forgets he belongs to me. No matter how many times I punish him after. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that it’s as he’s hitting puberty.
He speaks of his mate coming, as if he’s not the only one of his kind. That one day the perfect companion will find his offering and bind him for eternity.
I fear he’s lost his mind.
But every day he gets bigger and stronger, I won’t be able to survive challenging his delusion soon. So I’ll have to start from scratch.
Perhaps I should go younger next time. They’re more pliable.
The nest. We were bound simply because I accidently stumbled upon it? So it wasn’t something Levicy intentionally put in place. It could have just as easily been Shannon bound to him. This was a side effect.
So there might not be a way to undo it. I swallowed the rock lodged in my throat.
“He can’t let you leave then.” Shannon said the words I didn’t want to face.
I cleared my throat loudly, but it didn’t make my voice crack any less when I spoke, “For the record, he doesn’t intend to let anyone leave. It’s not just about me.”
Determination set in her mouth. “So what’s our plan?”
She was right about one thing. He wanted to destroy everyone, but he couldn’t be capable of letting me leave. No matter how much he despised me.
His feelings didn’t matter. He’d repeatedly showed that he needed me alive and well, and if the way he’d fucked me, until my head spun said anything, he’d waited for his breeder a long time.
The memory flooded me, and I pulled my top layer away from my skin to get some cooler air.
Focus on problem solving, not the delicious way his attention hurt. “You are the plan.”
“Me?” Her eyes went wide.
“You’re right. He can’t let me go. So I’ll be his first priority. While he’s dealing with me. Run. Don’t look back.”
“Do you think it will be that easy?” Worry creased her brow.
“It never is. Feel free to add some of your dramatic flourish where needed.”
She chuckled, but let her eyes drift closed. My eyelids grew heavy, but I flipped another chunk of pages forward.
The words were blurry, but I made out one more passage. The water shifted behind me, as if he was settling in to rest too.
I’ve tried numerous recipes, but Defect #3, also known as Rot, is the only one to survive the change. I fear I’ll never avenge my family.
Perhaps, I am damned.