Chapter 1

Cerys

Istood staring at the new line of prisoners walking down the corridor, a variety of monsters who"d broken the laws of the human realm. I had no way of knowing what they had done or how violent their crimes were. I"d find that out later. But it could range from simply entering the human realm, which was illegal for some types of monsters, to all out mass murder. They stood in a line of angry faces and straight backs. You couldn't afford to appear weak in a monster prison, so they always arrived trying to seem big and intimidating. Once they were processed and left in general population, it was a chaotic free for all. The guards were all human and didn"t really want to get involved with monster fights unless it was strictly necessary. So, they kept their distance and left the prisoners to it. I didn"t blame them. Even with power-damping collars on the prisoners, it was a risky job. I turned back from the window to the other therapists sitting around the gray damp room.

"Well, looks like we have a fresh batch to worry about."

"We"ve barely gotten a handle on the last lot," moaned Serena, stretching out in her small wooden chair.

She"d been working with an orc who had an anger problem, and it was taking its toll.

"There just aren"t enough of us."

I faced the exasperated voice in the corner.

"I know."

I grabbed my files and flopped down into a chair to look over my current client notes. There were barely enough hours in the week for this. My body felt like weights were strapped all over me, pulling me down into the ground. I gulped down my coffee and took a moment to let the burn of the hot liquid in my throat ground me. The door to the therapist's lounge opened and Mrs. Cospire, our boss, strolled in with a handful of new files.

"Here we go," muttered Serena.

"Ladies and gents, new assignments. The usual intensive introduction to the prison for this week, and then on to weekly slots."

She passed folders out. Some therapists opened theirs immediately, diving into the information with a keenness that I couldn't relate to. Some simply held the folders reluctantly for a while, looking as tired as I felt. Mrs. Cospire looked at me for a moment.

"Are you okay, Cerys?"

The words were those of a caring person who was interested in my wellbeing. The tone was of someone who had stumbled upon an inconvenience.

"Yes, yes, of course."

"I"m not convinced. You seem down."

Everyone else shuffled awkwardly in their seats or looked away. Our boss had never really gotten the hang of the concept of privacy.

"I"ve been here a while, and this wasn't my first choice of assignment. That"s all."

Mrs. Cospire sniffed and seemed to be on the verge of rolling her eyes at me.

"You're our newest therapist. Sometimes it takes a while to find your mate. Until then, you must work where the seers put you. After that you can be a therapist wherever you like. You know that," she clipped with finality.

I nodded and forced a smile. She swept out of the room, seeming satisfied with her minimal contribution. The door closed behind her and it felt like a heaviness lifted instantly.

"You"ll find a mate soon. Then you'll be able to leave. I"m sure of it," whispered Serena with what I'm sure was meant to be a reassuring smile.

I don"t want to find a mate in a monster prison.

I tried to smile back, but I could feel my face twitch with annoyance anyway. Her face fell slightly, and I knew I hadn't hidden my feelings at all. She was excited to meet her mate, and I didn"t want to make her feel judged for it. But I wasn"t, and I didn"t want any of this. Goddamn seers and their meddling in our lives.

"I"ve got a drus. What the hell is a drus?" shouted Darla.

"It"s a male dryad," I said.

"Oh! Never even heard of them," she muttered.

Everyone began chatting in small groups about their new clients. I sat quiet and alone. Like there was a gap between me and them that I couldn't quite bridge. I reluctantly opened my folder, and the first page was a photograph of a humongous beast. I held the photo away from me as if that would help me comprehend what I was looking at. It was so dark it was hard to make out features. But it was huge. With horns.

The fuck?

"Oh, you got a hybrid, that"s rare!"

Serena was practically on my lap out of nowhere, trying to lean in and look at my folder. Apparently, whoever had been in hers hadn"t interested her that much and she had already discarded it on a table.

"A hybrid? Isn"t crossbreeding forbidden by most species of monster?"

"Yes, that"s why they are so rare. Looks like a cross between a minotaur and a camazotz, maybe."

"A what now?"

"Like a type of bat creature. They hear through vibrations like bats do. When their ears are flopped down, it separates bones in the ear canal to muffle sounds so noise doesn't overwhelm them. Apparently even people have vibrations, and camazotz can hear them!"

Serena bounced in her chair.

"Well, that would explain the big ears. How do you know all this?"

"I'm just interested in these sorts of things. Sorry, I know I can be a bit much," she said, her enthusiasm turning to embarrassment. I reached across and squeezed her hand.

"Thanks. You seem to know everything, Serena. It's really helpful. I feel so out of my depth here sometimes."

A broad smile broke across Serena's face before she finally turned to look at her own folder.

I slumped in my chair and peered at the picture trying to figure out the details on the grainy print out. He was big and covered in jet black fur, not brown like most minotaurs. Large bat-like ears stood in front of giant curved horns. A snarl covered his face. He looked terrifying, and butterflies formed in my stomach.

I scanned the details on the arrest sheet.

Murder.

Nausea swirled in my throat. I"d been given small, easy, non-threatening monsters so far. But it looked like I"d been dropped in the deep end this time. I was going to need more coffee.