Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

SAGE

W armth coats me, and for a brief moment, I believe I'm back in my bed, waking from another insane nightmare about the world falling apart. Along with the warmth, there's the sudden reality of my bed never feeling this hard and the unmistakable crackling snap of fire—something distinctly absent in my bedroom. Couple that with a smell, rich and meaty, and the tearing sound of something chewing in food, and I flip my eyes open, pushing myself to sit upright so fast that my head spins.

I'm greeted by a small fire that blazes in front of me, its tongues licking upward, casting ominous shadows on the glittery cave walls. With it comes a knot in my stomach, tightening—the one that tells me this isn't a dream. I'm really here, in this monster world, and the reality of it crashes through me with such force it nearly rattles my bones.

The Viscount sits nearby in human form, knees bent, his arms resting on them as he gnaws on some kind of cooked meat, tearing at it like a beast with his teeth. More of it hangs at the side of the fire, speared on the ends of sticks.

His shredded midnight-black shirt and pants still cling to him and cover plenty to not be flashed by him… Maybe a result of the lizard or him busting out of his clothes when he transformed into his monster form. In all honesty, I'd seen it in a flash and paid no attention to his clothes to remember.

My own clothes feel only slightly damp now from the storm. His dark hair, cascading around that strong face, is slightly damp, telling me I've been passed out for a while.

Those vibrant eyes are on me, studying me, and when I look at him, all I see is that large blue monster fighting with swords.

Or had I imagined him that way? I'm not entirely sure what to trust about my mind.

"You're finally awake," he states, smacking his lips.

"I saw you… you're a monster… blue." My attempt to laugh comes out like a strangled sound. "Isn't this the part where you tell me I was hallucinating?"

He chuckles, and it vibrates oddly against the cave walls. "I could tell you that you were hallucinating, but I doubt that would help your current state of disbelief."

My mind twirls with an overload of information. The scent of meat wafts to my nose as I watch droplets drip from the cooking meat. My stomach betrays my confusion with a grumble. At home, having meat was a luxury, and what little I could buy was used on medicine for Mom. Just thinking of her has my breathing quickening again.

"Hey," he says, his voice pulling me back to the present. "Take a deep, slow breath, or you'll make yourself pass out again."

I draw in a shaky breath. "It's… it's just so much. Nothing prepares you for all of this."

"That's true," he replies nonchalantly, taking another massive bite of his meat and chewing thoughtfully.

Watching him eat, there's something unsettling yet fascinating about his intensity. Something primal and animalistic. I'm breathing heavily again.

Meat juices drip down his chin, and he casually wipes it away, the sight somehow making my mouth water despite my brain screaming that it shouldn't.

"Wh-what are you eating?" I finally manage to ask, my curiosity piqued despite my fear. I involuntarily lick my lips.

"Want some?" He's already grabbing one of the sticks with a sizzling piece of meat on one end from the fire and leaning closer, handing it to me.

Accepting it, I sniff it hesitantly; it smells gamey and rich. He couldn't have hunted something ordinary like a rabbit out in this storm, could he? I doubt bunnies exist out here.

"You've cooked the lizard creature, haven't you?" My voice is barely above a whisper, my skin crawling at the thought, especially remembering the creature drooling.

"I saved you the best part… pieces of its heart," he declares, almost proudly in how widely she grins.

Bile hits my throat, and I pull it away from my mouth. "I can't eat this."

"Why? He was about to rip you apart as his meal, so instead, you enjoy the spoils of our win."

"Right," I say, the sarcasm dripping. "Because none of this is weird. You being a monster and eating lizard hearts after you slay them." My words are precise, aimed with purpose. "And you're no Viscount, are you?"

He chuckles, wiping his mouth again with the back of his hand. "The truth is, I am what you call a monster, though in my world, like you call yourself human, we are Shadowfen. And I am a Viscount on your planet, recently appointed as Nightingale Village's new leader after the last Choosing Ceremony."

I toss his words around in my mind— Choosing Ceremony, monster, Viscount —implications of something sinister. Does that mean Alina isn't safe? It leaves me shuddering, but there's nothing I can do about it when I have my own set of problems.

I picture him fighting the sea lizard and now eating it like a caveman. Yet, when I look at him, I'm reminded of how scared everyone in Nightingale Village was of him.

My thoughts bounce back and forth in my head.

"Many things aren't what you think in your village," he murmurs. "Your previous Viscount and those foolish Barons withheld information from everyone in order to control you. But that's fine. Things in the village will change."

"So, monsters rule the villages?"

"Well," he pauses for a moment as if determining what to tell me. I suspect he's holding a lot of secrets from me. "Cain, a monster, is the Elite City King who rules over the Elite City and all the humans who live there. These families are Elites, or royals, you could say, and each of the villages, like Nightingale Village, reports to them. You have a right to know as you are not returning there."

I swallow hard at his certainty, except he has no idea how hard I'll fight for my mother, the only family I have left.

"How will you do this, if you're here? I had no idea monsters still remained in our world after the Day of the Choosing, or could even become Viscounts."

He shrugs. "In some rare cases, we can step into positions of human authority, and as I mentioned earlier, I will return to your village soon enough. They'll barely notice my absence. Time works differently here than in your world. One of your days is a month for us here."

My mouth drops open, unable to comprehend how that works, yet I'm instantly thinking of my mom and how I have more time to work on getting back to her without her being alone for too long. I'll be back before she has time to miss me…

He continues, explaining how monsters come and go through their own portals on the day of the ceremony to collect their Offerings—humans like me—before taking them back to their world.

"Most humans view us as Gods," he says, the corners of his mouth curling upward, clearly enjoying the idea of being revered.

He takes another animalistic bite from his meat, and never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined a God devouring a lizard so savagely. An extremely handsome God at that, but still savage.

"I-I don't know what to say." There's a torrent of information in my mind, feeling as though it's going to explode with all these revelations.

"But enough for now. These aren't matters you need to worry about anymore. Now eat. You'll need your strength," he instructs, his tone softening slightly. "The rain's eased outside, and the Howler is making its way over to pick us up."

"Howler?" I echo. Reflexively, I nibble on the meat skewered on my stick. My reaction is immediate—I flinch, pulling it away, but not before I've bitten off a piece and swallowed it. A sigh escapes me because, much to my dismay, I love the taste. It's sweet, salty, and fatty. How can a drooling lizard taste so good?

"Sea vessel," he clarifies, pulling me from my musings about the surprisingly delicious meat.

"Oh! And the… Howler is taking us to your home?" I ask, my curiosity spiked.

He pauses, a strange expression crossing his face, a slight crease at the bridge of his nose.

"The vessel, Howler, is my home. We live on the sea, for now, anyway."

I blink at him, processing this new information.

"So, like pirates." I offer a lopsided grin, my mind conjuring up images from one of my mother's storybooks.

"I guess, if that's easy for you to picture it," he answers nonchalantly, then bites into his food.

I watch him for a moment, only to realize when I glance down at the stick in my hand that I've eaten mine without really paying attention. He hands me another meat stick, and I shake my head, but he insists. Reluctantly, I take it, admitting to myself that I'm weak for lizard meat, no matter how absurd that sounds.

Compared to what I've gone through today, I'm not even shocked anymore.

"So, then, what about you? You're delivering me to a monster in your vessel, then returning to the village to act like a God?" I fail to keep the sarcasm from my voice. It must be that I've already faced my death a couple of times today that I'm speaking so boldly to the Viscount… except he's Killian, a monster.

He pauses mid-chew, his expression unreadable for a moment before a wry smile curves his lips.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," he admits, setting down the half-eaten skewer he started on. "My role as a Viscount isn't just a facade; it's part of a larger effort to help humans, to ensure things run as fair as possible. If the current structure of villages and ceremonies falls apart, monsters will take over Earth, along with as many Offerings as they want. And it won't be long before your kind is extinct."

I swallow the meat in my mouth, almost choking on it. "You're joking, right?" I sputter out.

He shakes his head, his expression serious, lips taut at the corners. "No, it's the truth. It's what the Elite family has implemented to prevent chaos—by having regulated Offerings once a year. The sacrifice of a few saves an entire race."

I try to digest his words. The idea that a few should suffer for the many is an idea that sounds logical in discussion, but when you're one of the few, it feels terrifying and unfair.

"And me? You never answered my question," I press, needing to know where and who I'm being delivered to.

Just as he opens his mouth to respond, a sudden, blaring sound erupts from outside, cutting him off.

I flinch, my heart leaping into my throat. "What's that?"

"The Howler's here. Quick, we need to move," he says urgently as he jumps to his feet and begins extinguishing the fire by kicking dirt onto the flames.

I hurry to assist, scattering earth over the remaining embers until the light winks out, leaving us in semidarkness. He's got his orb light on as I chase him out of the cave. Once I reach his side, his hand grips mine firmly. But I'm trembling about what will happen next to read too much into his behavior.

We pass the carcass of the lizard, its body sliced open and disturbingly still. I avert my eyes, focusing on the cave exit as my stomach churns with unease.

The blaring sound continues, and Killian moves faster, dragging me alongside him.

As we reach the mouth of the cave, daylight floods my vision. The rain is still falling, but it's eased to a trickle. I'm momentarily blinded by the natural light. When my eyes finally adjust, I'm staring at a massive globe vessel.

The Howler floats on the water a fair distance from the shore, and I can't for the life of me see how we get on board. It's enormous, its surface opaque like mist, making it impossible to see inside, yet the balconies that curl around the outside are clearly visible, suggesting the vessel has over a dozen levels, maybe more.

Killian's hand squeezes mine lightly, and I glance up at him. The overwhelming explosion of constant surprises makes me lightheaded once more. He looks at me with a smile, one that's disarmingly kind, and my heart flutters despite my better judgment. I remind myself he's a monster, yet I find myself drowning in those sharp blue eyes.

"To answer your earlier question," he begins. "You're here because I've chosen you as my bride."

I gasp, instantly pulling my gaze from his.

He chuckles.

My stomach plummets as if I've stepped into thin air, my body trembling, and I think I might pass out again.