Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
And now Pie, my Pie, is out here among them after I specifically told her that I would like to accompany her around the grounds from now on.
Of course, she didn’t agree to that. She just smiled at me, and patted my chest, and then gave me a kiss and called me ‘cute.’
Cute? I am not cute. I am the Monster of Saint Mark’s. She can call me ‘formidable.’ She can call me ‘grumpy.’ She can call me ‘mercurial.’ ‘Dynamic’ is a great describer of the monster that is me. She can even call me ‘beautiful,’ if she wants, though ‘cut and handsome’ is preferred.
But cute? No. I am not cute.
And I am not joking about her wandering the sanctuary alone these days. It’s… too much. And when I complained to Batty about it, he called me a name in a language I don’t even speak. But I got the gist of it. And while ‘crotchety’ isn’t a word I would typically use to describe myself—‘cut,’ ‘handsome,’ and ‘dynamic’ really are the winners here—it’s a helluva lot better than ‘cute’.
I’m just turning a corner in the maze of tombs when a monster carrying a squealing, naked nymph on his back goes racing past, clipping me in the shoulder. I spin, almost fall—thank God for cloven hooves—and then it almost happens again when two more monsters go by, their nymphs also shrieking with delight as their tits and asses bounce all over the place.
I sigh and look to the sky, asking for patience. “Do they ever grow up?”
“What’s wrong, handsome? Feeling left out?”
I turn towards the sultry voice coming from behind me and find Nysta—Tarq’s beloved woman—coming around the side of a tomb.
She isn’t walking though. She’s… like… slithering. It’s weird. Everything about her is slow, and seductive, and scorching. Like she’s trying to seduce the entire world. Even the tomb she’s backed up against.
The wood nymphs used to be my go-to girls. I really liked them when I was young and new. They were so exciting. Always naked up top. And the breasts on these girls? Nice. All of them. Don’t even get me started on their asses. Even when they’re clothed, they are sexy as fuck. They wear flowy skirts or harem pants made of translucent, pastel fabrics. And their long, waterfall hair bounces when they walk. The little bejeweled silk slippers on their feet really pull the whole thing together.
But they have legs. And by legs, I mean humanish legs. Not monster legs, like my Pie. And no horns, or antlers, or fur either. They are pure wood nymphs. A rare breed, actually, unlike the chimera. In fact, I think every wood nymph in the known universe currently resides here at Saint Mark’s.
They walk around here like they’re high on lust, batting their eyelashes, and swinging their hips, and puckering their lips. Practically begging any monster who walks by to bed them.
And Nysta is the most seductive of them all.
Everything about her is sex.
Which is fine, I guess. It’s just her nature. Wood nymphs are famous for their sex appeal the same way satyrs are known for their big dicks.
But come on. Turn it off once in a while, ya know?
“Good morning, Nysta.” Despite her constant cajolery, I am polite to her. She is Tarq’s woman, which means she is practically family. “Not feeling left out, but thank you for asking how I am. I’m looking for Pie. Have you seen her?”
“Pie.” Nysta taps her chin with a manicured fingernail. “Pie. Hmm. I don’t think I know a Pie.”
My eyes go lazy and low, so bored. “My woman. Pie? Remember her? She runs the magic in this place?”
“Oh, her. She was flirting with that bat-winged monster. I forget his name.”
“Batty?” I deadpan this, even though Nysta deserves to be mocked.
“Yes! That’s it. Batty. I saw her flirting with Batty over there.” Nysta waggles her finger in a random direction. “You better go break that up, big boy. That bat-man is sexy, isn’t he?”
“Um.” Yeah, that’s a big no. There isn’t a chance in hell that Pie is flirting with Batty. But Nysta is a pot-stirrer. She’s more than a troublemaker, she’s a provocateur. And more times than not, the people she’s prodding into action are willing to do her bidding.
I’m starting to think she’s using some sort of magic to make this happen. Like a spell to compel.
I decide this conversation is over. “Thank you.” Then I bow a little out of respect for Tarq. “Have a nice day, Nysta.”
“Hold on there!” Nysta slithers over to me and places a hand on my shoulder. It’s a light hand, very delicate. “I have been asking all over the sanctuary, but no one can seem to tell me how one gets to town.”
“What?”
“Town, monster. I would like to go to town. I have needs.”