A Monstrous Claim by R.K. Pierce

Author:R.K. Pierce [Pierce, R.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-03-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Twelve

Devyn

The schedule at the mansion is sporadic, and most of the time Elio or Azarius are sent to run errands for Rafe at the drop of a hat, but over the next week I’m able to somewhat adjust to a routine. Every morning, everyone except Rafe meets in dining room for breakfast, which is normally prepared by Elio.

I tried helping once, but I wound up asking questions the whole time while he cooked. After that, I decided to stay out of the kitchen.

“We had several maids for a long time that handled the cooking and the cleaning,” Azarius explains to my left as Elio serves everyone a pile of beige and green slop with mashed potato consistency. “But once the Malevs started migrating this way, they got nervous and disappeared. Probably went farther West to the closest city.”

“But what about the woods?” I ask, poking my food with a spoon. “I thought you said no Malevs have ever made it through.”

“That’s right. They haven’t,” he says, bobbing his head up and down. “But fear makes people irrational. It distorts truths and can implant a false reality in your head if you aren’t careful. They feared the Malevs more than they feared Rafe, and they acted on it.”

“Have they met Rafe?” I force a laugh and mumble under my breath. “I’d take Malevs over him any day.”

Elio snickers, but his serious expression quickly returns. His metallic skin glistens in the light cast by the chandelier overhead as he moves around the room, and his wings are nowhere in sight. “You’re right to fear him, but the Malevs cannot be taken lightly. You’ve only seen one. If you saw thousands creeping toward you at once from the horizon, you would understand their fear.”

Thousands.

Up until now I’ve never considered how many Malevs exist in the realm, or even how many monsters live here. My limited knowledge of the realm had me convinced the entire place was a barren wasteland, home to a few monsters scattered here and there.

Now, I know I’m wrong.

“That sounds terrifying.” A chill slips down my spine at the thought.

I have no doubt that Azarius, Elio, and especially Rafe can hold their own in a fight, but there’s no way the three of them could take on an army.

I also doubt the trees would do much good against that many.

Anxiety kills my appetite—not that my food’s mushy appearance was helping any—and I push my plate away.

“Don’t worry about it,” Azarius says. He reaches over and plants a reassuring hand on my thigh beneath the table. “Rafe is putting together a legion of monsters to fight them. By the time we get everyone involved, it’ll be a breeze.”

I know he’s only saying the words for my benefit, and I try to cling to them, but the unsettling feeling in my stomach remains.

“How soon do you think that’ll happen?”

“It could be today,” Elio interrupts, taking a seat across the table from us. “It could be three months from now. We don’t know for sure.

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