Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Callistina is no longer a queen but she is, and forever will be, a royal beast. Hell, who knows what kind of potential she’s got locked up inside her. What kind of god would I be if I didn’t uncover that potential?
I can’t let her go without fully exploring how I might use her.
Also, I’ve gotten used to getting laid every night.
When I come out of the bathroom it’s clear that Callistina hasn’t moved. So I pick her up again—limp in my arms—and take her into the bathroom, setting her down on the counter.
She sighs, but her head is hanging low and I’m fairly certain that her eyes aren’t even open.
“You like the bath, right?” I ask her, untying the wooden blocks from her feet. They drop to the floor, one, then the other, with a loud clunk. Then I take off the charred leopard-print coat and toss it out into the hallway. The antlers come next. I untie the string under her chin and lift them off her head. There’s nowhere to put them in the bathroom, so I take them out into the main room, kicking that stupid coat along as I go, and set them on the table.
When I get back to the bathroom she’s standing up, facing the tub, taking her dress off. She wears something different underneath the coat almost every day. Today she’s still wearing yesterday’s outfit, the bright-blue atrocity that is ten sizes too big.
She stands there, naked, with her back to me. Her clavicles and scapulae are clearly visible under her skin and even though I can’t see the front side of her, I know her ribs would be prominent if I could.
Has anyone been feeding her?
But it’s a dumb question. Who the hell would be feeding her? I’m the only one who pays any attention to her at all and I certainly haven’t bothered to feed her.
“OK,” I say, my head clearing, a course of action in place. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Callistina doesn’t respond, of course. Just steps forward and gets in the tub.
But I catch her catching my eye just as I pull the door closed.
It’s busy inside the diner. People, and monsters, and nymphs alike are all sitting around having dinner. I go up to the counter where a human waitress wearing a nametag with the word ‘Sassy’ printed on it smiles at me, pad and pencil ready to take my order. “What can I get you, sweetie?”
I sigh, not in the mood for the local color right now. “Two cheeseburger specials, well done, extra cheese.”
“You got it, hun. Would you like drinks?”
I nod, thinking. “Strawberry shakes.”
“Comin’ right up.” Then she turns and places my order on the rotating check-minder.
I turn and lean against the counter, taking the place in. These are my people and it’s still kinda weird. Before this whole Saint Mark’s thing, and the end of Tomas’s happily-ever-after game, it was just me here. Sitting in my bar, barely existing, as the neon sign outside crackled and sputtered to the beat of ‘Ball and Chain.’
Granite Springs and Savage Falls were two entirely different places, existing on two entirely different planes. But it wasn’t always that way. Long ago the fog was thin. That’s how these people started. I fucked some random human all that time ago, and the rest, as they say, is history.
All these humans are my descendants. Little bits and pieces of god in them.
My eyes find Darrel, who is sitting with the girl from the feed store, and I pause for a moment. Little bits and pieces of god and other things, obviously. The dragon girl is a precarious situation. One that might not have a happy ending.
But that’s a thought for another time. She looks normal enough right now. Of course, I did shoot her with an arrow just this morning.
There are many monsters in here too, most of them in groups of five or six, but a few have paired up with wood nymphs. I’m not exactly sure how many wood nymphs are left in town—a dozen maybe? Most of them elected to go back to the world where magic lives via Pie’s doors.
It’s unsustainable. That’s all I know. They are satisfied at the moment because it’s all new and different. But it won’t stay that way forever. If anyone understands the dangers of boredom, it’s me.
“Here you go, baby. Would you like ketchup?”
I turn and find Sassy packing up a white plastic bag with two takeaway containers. “Sure.”
She throws in a couple packets, then adds some mustard too, even though I didn’t ask for it. “And here’s your shakes.” She places them in a cardboard drink holder. “No charge, cutie-pie. Have a nice night.”
I nod my appreciation, then take the food and drinks and walk back to the bar.
Inside it’s loud and crowded. It’s quiet in here during the day, but at night it’s almost always rowdy. They like the drinking, and pool tables, and jukebox, and darts.