Home for Horny Monsters

Mike was dead.

Well, not all the way. Opening his eyes to the blinding light coming through the curtains, he realized that the sensation of death was no more than the events of the last two days catching up with him. He groaned, sliding out of bed and sitting on the floor. His legs wobbled beneath him, muscles protesting his attempts to stand. His head pounding, he stumbled into the bathroom, leaning against the bathroom sink.

“You’re a mess this morning, aren’t you?” Naia’s head and shoulders were visible in the tub, her body magically hidden in three inches of water.

“Yeah. I feel like I have the flu.” Mike stripped off his boxers, inspecting his body in the mirror. The tiny cuts were all scabbed over now, but the bruise on his hip had gotten larger, turning an ugly yellow. Some more bruises had appeared along his thighs, and his stomach muscles were sore from last night’s activities. “Can I get some hot water in that thing?”

Naia vanished, the tub rapidly filled with steaming water. Mike climbed in, lying on his back as the tub filled around him. The water level climbed, and Naia reappeared beneath him. The back of his head was between her breasts, her body acting like a giant bath pillow. Mike closed his eyes, Naia running her hands gently across his shoulders and ribs.

“What do you need from me, lover?” Naia asked, her hands wandering across his body.

“Just keep doing that. It feels good.” Mike’s head was pounding, his neck and shoulders super tight. He thought back to the events of yesterday. “Please tell me yesterday was the exception?”

“Excuse me?”

“Well, I was attacked by the Mandragora, nearly eaten by it, saved by a gargoyle, fucked by a gargoyle, nearly incinerated by a fire elemental, made up with Cecilia, boned a banshee, and came up here to get caught in a game of orgasm volleyball with you.” Mike held up an arm, looking at all the scratches. “For starters, none of that is believable. At all. How does so much happen in one day?”

“You’re getting wound up,” Naia muttered, stroking the water’s surface. Thousands of vibrating fingers beneath the water found the sore spots on Mike’s body, gently pushing against him. “Your body needs to rest if you’re going to heal.”

“Ow, shit. That hurts, but it also feels good.” Mike put his arm down, trying harder to relax. “Seriously though. Was every day this hard for Emily?”

“No. She had a few bad days early on, though, that much I remember. She did have one day so bad that it led to her becoming a shut in.”

“Tell me more. And keep doing that.” Mike sighed, pressing against Naia’s body. The water fingers twisted beneath him, and he could feel tightly wound muscles relaxing. “I’m curious to know if she was as big a screw up as I am.”

“I can do better than that.” Naia placed her fingers along Mike’s temples. “How about I show you instead?”

“Wait, wha-“

-

Emily slid out of bed, her white nightgown creeping up her thighs, revealing pale blue panties beneath. She stretched, golden curls tumbling chaotically around her shoulders. The birds outside were singing love songs to one another, and her window was open, wreathed in vines that had sprouted pretty flowers.

“Why good morning, my dear.” Emily lifted one vine away from the sill, planting a delicate kiss on its green flesh. The Mandragora shivered in delight, several more flowers opening in response. “I’ll come down and visit with you later, sweat pea.” The vines, content that Emily was up, withdrew, closing the window quietly behind them. Emily stripped off her nightgown, scratching her breasts as she went into the bathroom to pee, pulling her panties down and off, leaving them on the floor.

“Naia?” She called. There was a splash from the tub. Wiping and flushing, Emily walked to the tub where Naia waited, her breasts bobbing along the surface of the water.

“Good morning, lover.” Naia moved away from the edge, allowing Emily to enter. Emily sank into the warm water, letting out a loud sigh. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a dragon.” Emily lifted a silver bucket from the side of the tub. She pulled out a brush, shampoo, soap, and a rag. “Last night was a lot of fun. I’m so glad I was able to get so many of us together in the garden for a movie.”

“I liked the plot. It was fun seeing all the moving pictures, but I thought it was kind of sad when the witch melted because she got wet.” Naia flicked the water, magic bubbles sprouting all along its surface. “I think Tink might have taken your projector apart after everyone went to bed, by the way.”

Emily rolled her eyes. “That figures. Those projectors aren’t just expensive-they’re very hard to come by. Rotten little goblin is nothing but trouble.” Soaking the rag in water, she washed her arms and chest with soap. “If I don’t keep her busy, she’s liable to take apart the whole damn house. Do you remember when she took apart the fridge to see where the cold air was being stored? I feel like I need to start buying her puzzles just to keep her busy.”

“That isn’t a bad idea.” Naia moved closer to Emily. “Us monsters like to be kept busy.”

“Indeed you do.” Emily placed a kiss on Naia’s soft lips. “Let me wash my hair first.”

“Or you can let me do it.” Emily obliged, turning her back to Naia. Summoning a large water sphere, Naia swirled it in circles over Emily’s head. Emily added shampoo to the mix, creating a giant, frothy sphere that twirled her hair in place. The sphere broke, dropping suds into the water. Emily used the silver bucket to rinse her hair out, squeezing the remaining soap out. Naia helped too, long delicate fingers tugging at Emily’s locks.

The suds and bubble made the surface of the water impossible to see through. With a mischievous grin, Naia slid below the surface, vanishing from sight.

“Naia?” Emily rubbed the water from her eyes, a grin of her own forming. Sure enough, she felt them-hundreds of gentle fingers, working their way up her legs. Grabbing onto the side of the tub for support, Emily gasped as Naia’s mouth navigated Emily’s blonde curls beneath the water. “Oh, yes Naia!, yes!” She grabbed Naia by the back of the head, guiding her in between her legs.

Naia’s tongue swirled expertly in and out of Emily’s snatch, fingers gently running up and down Emily’s thighs. Naia broke the water’s surface, kissing her way up Emily’s stomach until she found her lips. Several water fingers teased Emily’s pussy and ass-Emily slid up and down the tub’s curved inner surface, moaning into Naia’s mouth in delight. 

Naia broke her kiss, fixing Emily with glowing eyes. “Don’t forget about me, lover.”

“I’m sorry, Naia.” Emily’s lips found Naia’s once more, but now her hands were busy with Naia’s breasts. She pulled at Naia’s nipples, tugging them the way she knew Naia liked. Naia’s soft moans echoed her own, Emily’s fingers circling Naia’s pearl. She softly rubbed its smooth surface, toying with the place where Naia’s flesh transitioned from hard to soft. Naia gasped, breaking the kiss between them.

“I love it when you do that,” Naia told Emily. “I love everything about you.”

“I know you do. But I know something that we both love.” Emily raised one leg over Naia’s, bending it to pull Naia in close. Their vaginas were touching now, Emily’s tangled bush against Naia’s smooth folds. “I’ve got a busy morning ahead. Shall we skip ahead a little?”

“How can I say no?” Naia used her other leg to grab around Emily’s waist, pulling her close to slowly grinding her pussy on Emily’s. Naia’s pearl was hard enough that Emily gasped every time it pushed against her. They started slow, Naia grinning at Emily with every sudden outtake of breath. Their mouths found each other once more, Emily grinding down on Naia as the water fingers teased her ass some more. 

“You’re being a bitch,” Emily finally told her. “Stop teasing me.”

“Oh, fine.” Naia flicked the water. Water spouts formed, squirting water in finger-eight patterns before settling beneath the surface, the water jets caressing the empty spaces between them. Emily cried out, the sensation similar to sitting beneath a tub’s faucet. Chronically horny, masturbating with the faucet had been the first thing she had done upon arriving at the house five years ago. When Naia had appeared, she had been so close to an orgasm that she just accepted it when the nymph had fingered her until she burst.

The powerful water swirled, the two women shoving against each other, the bathroom full of moans. Wet breasts rolled across each other, hands explored, and loving kisses were exchanged between moans. Emily came first, holding her breath, blood rushing to her cheeks and chest before letting out a loud gasp. Naia came shortly after, a loud moan that echoed off the walls. The two of them went limp in the bath, holding each other in the water.

“It’s too hot,” Emily muttered. They broke apart, Naia touching the water, her magic cooling it down substantially.

“Here, let me help you with your hair.” Naia brushed out Emily’s blonde curls. If Emily were to leave before getting it styled, it would turn into a giant rat’s nest. Naia sang a song for her in the old language, making a braid that started above Emily’s right eye and wrapped around to the back of her neck. Emily returned the favor, knowing full well that Naia could simply alter her hair to look any way she pleased. Still, it was soothing to watch and feel her greenish-blue hair pass through her fingers.

Leaving the tub, Emily put on black panties and a white, lacey bra. Digging through the closet, she picked out a cute, yellow sundress that went to her knees. The weather looked perfect for some gardening, and the greenhouse looked like it needed some work. Walking out into the hall, she ducked to avoid…

-

“Holy fuck!” Mike’s eyes snapped open, gripping the edge of the tub. Naia held tightly to him to keep him from sliding away.

“Shhh, shhh, calm down,” she told him.

“What… what just happened?” He asked.

“When Emily first came to the house, I did the same thing to her that I did to you. My soul lived inside of her, so I thought it would help if you could see what she went through.”

“That was more than just seeing!” Mike said. “I was Emily. I felt everything she did, including…” his face became red. “God, that felt amazing! Does it always feel that good? Oh. Shit.” His softening dick was still leaking cum.

“It can.” Naia smirked. “Do you want to keep watching? You seem a little worked up.”

Mike laughed. “I’m not upset, I just couldn’t figure out what was going on. It was like I was me, but I also wasn’t. I had free will, but it was actually Emily doing the thinking, but I thought it was me.” He tilted his head sideways on her chest so that he could see her better. “Why did you stop, by the way?”

“Geas. We encountered something in the memory that is still protected, so my memory simply ends right there.”

“Wow. The geas is no joke.”

“You’ve got that right. Here, settle down.” Mike put his head back between Naia’s breast, staring at the ceiling. “Let’s see if I can get you back to after the blocked memory.”

-

Emily climbed the stairs of the basement, tossing the bag of bones into the trashcan next to the counter. A little green shadow tried to bolt away from the kitchen table, but Emily stepped in front of her before she could get away. Hands on her hips, she scowled at the little goblin. Tink wore a little girl’s blue dress, her hair braided into pigtails. She held her hands behind her back, staring down at the floor.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Emily asked. “I saw the mess you left in the garden.”

“I’m really sorry about the projector,” Tink said. “I just wanted to know how the magic box work.”

“And because of that, we don’t have a magic box anymore. Everybody is quite cross with you.” Tears flowed slowly down Tink’s cheeks now, but she remained silent. “You need to find a way to make it up to everybody. Something big, something that will make everybody forgive you.”

“I’ll try, I’ll try really hard, you’ll see!” The young goblin walked out of the room, sniffling to herself and wiping away her tears. Emily sighed-the goblin was such a pain in her ass. She was covered in dirt most of the time, and insisted on living in the weird crawlspace below the garage. Picking up a pail full of raw burger, Emily walked out back, blowing a kiss to Naia, who was floating in the fountain. Naia caught the kiss, blowing back one of her own. Walking to the greenhouse, Emily shook her head. The Mandragora’s vines had pushed the door open in their impatience.

“Hey there, sweet pea.” The vines twitched, unraveling like a giant bundle of snakes. One large vine slithered its way to her, sitting up like a dog. Emily rubbed her hands along its leafy surface lovingly, the vines all shivering in delight. She tossed chunks of raw meat to the plant, which coiled up around each one, dragging it back into the greenhouse. She eventually handed the big vine the bucket, which carried it away, closing the door of the greenhouse behind it. Off to the side was yesterday’s pail, licked clean by the Mandragora. Emily picked up the pail, swinging it casually as she carried it back to the house.

Abella swooped down from the roof, landing gently on the grass. The gargoyle folded her wings against her body, creating the illusion that she wore a cloak. “Emily. There is someone in the front yard staring at the house.”

“That’s weird. I wonder who it could… oh no.” Emily knew exactly who it was. Dropping the bucket, she ran through the house, pushing her way through the front door. Cecilia stood at the top of the steps, her arms spread wide to prevent him from going any further.

“Garrett.” The man on the front walk wore a black blazer over a white button up shirt with dark jeans. His hair was combed back, his gaze predatory.

“Call off your watch dog. I’m only here to talk.”

“I’ve got this, Cecilia.” The banshee threw Emily a dirty look before vanishing. “I thought I told you never to come back again.”

“Well, I’ve changed my mind.” Garrett’s face was particularly smug today. Emily couldn’t help but notice that the thin, academic man she had once known looked stronger somehow, like he had been working out. He was far more attractive than the last time she had seen him two years ago.

“You don’t get to change your mind. Not after what you did.” Upon inheriting the house, Emily had spent a couple of years traveling the country, trying to track down research on the monsters that lived within. Garrett had been an expert in European mythology, and during one, drunken night of fairly tepid passion, Emily had invited him to come back with her to see her home. It hadn’t been a mistake at first, but Garrett quickly became obsessed with some of the books in her library. What was supposed to be a chance to allow Garrett to pursue his life’s work had turned into an obsession regarding the magic that her monsters possessed. She came home one day to discover that Garrett had tossed some sort of salt into Naia’s pond which had weakened her, trying to force her into a sex act to gain the Nymph’s Blessing. Emily had Abella break Garrett’s arms, but didn’t have it in her to drown him in the fountain.

 “I think you’ll find that I get to do a lot of things now.” Garrett walked toward the house, his eyes on the windows above. “I see your zoo is still as nosy as ever.”

“Don’t be an asshole. You aren’t staying long.”

“Oh, I think you’ll find that I’m staying for as long as I want.” He was close to the steps when Abella landed on the ground in front of him. A deep growl crawled its way free of her lips, her claws ready to rip Garrett apart.

“You need to leave.” Emily crossed her arms. “Or I will have Abella make you leave.”

Garrett smiled at Abella. “You’re going to wish that you had taken me out when you had the chance.” An ivory wand slid from his sleeve into his hand. Abella lunged at him, but a single tap on her stony hide froze her in place, a thin sheet of ice forming over her entire body.

“Garrett?!?” Emily’s arms fell to her side. “How did you do that?”

“The simple knowledge that monsters are real really turns your mind, you know. Every bit of mythology became my instruction manual. I used the last of my money to travel Europe, looking in every nook and cranny, finding entire dungeons beneath castles, mere feet away from where tourists tread. I discovered beings that have hidden for centuries, adding them to my collection, discovered truths that you could only imagine.” Cecilia appeared now, the air filling with electricity and frost. Garrett threw a handful of powder at the banshee, making her puff out of existence. “Every monster in this house is just another specimen to be collected, another knick-knack to store away, to take out and study. You see, I’ve uncovered truths about the creatures here, about the things this home has hidden away.”

“You can’t-“Garrett pointed the wand at her now, the end of it glowing. Her breath left her body, taking with it any thought of standing up to Garrett. She was barely even aware that she stood in the yard, dimly noticed the man in front of her. She was devoid of any thought of her own.

“I can do anything I want. You will do anything I want. You are simply a meat puppet, waiting to obey.” Garrett slid his wand into a pocket in his jacket. “The monsters here will do as I wish, starting today. This house belongs to me now.” Unzipping his pants, he ran a hand down Emily’s cheek. “Suck my dick, Emily.”

Emily’s mind was a fog of pleasantness, suddenly consumed with the idea of how happy it would make her to suck Garrett’s dick, take it to the back of her mouth, swallow all of his cum. Kneeling, she gently rolled back Garrett’s foreskin, licking his glans and running the tip of her tongue over his urethra.

“Yeah, that’s right,” he muttered. “I’m going to use you like the whore that you are. I’m going to sell your ass to anybody who wants it, for whatever price. Do you like how that sounds?”

“Mmhmm.” Emily’s only job was to agree. It brought her immense joy.

“This is making you wet, by the way.” The moment the words left his mouth, her pussy became a sticky swamp, begging to be filled. “In about a minute, you’re going to beg me to fuck you.”

She slowly counted backward from sixty, opening her mouth to drag her lips up and down his cock. It seemed like there were a million reasons she shouldn’t be doing this, but for the life of her she couldn’t remember what or care why. Struggling for answers, she reached sixty, popping his dick free of her mouth.

“Please. Please fuck me!” She turned around, lifting her dress and slipping off her panties. She rubbed her hand seductively over her round ass, teasing her slit with her fingers. “Please, do it, fuck me, do it now, please, Garrett, please!” Tears sprang to her eyes when he just stared at her, a smile on his face. “Garrett, please, fuck me now, fuck me!” She slid her fingers between her labia, spreading them wide to reveal her juice-flooded pussy. A thick, sticky thread of lubrication dangled from her, her pussy throbbing in anticipation. “Please, Garrett, I’ll do anything!”

“Oh, I love this.” He placed his dick on the top of her ass, playfully slapping at her buttcheeks. She ran her hands over her breasts now, pulling at her nipples, her universe centered on the idea that Garrett’s dick would soon pierce her, making her complete. “Every time my balls touch you, I want you to cum.”

“Yes, please, just do it, just OH!” Garrett slid inside her, balls deep, and she came, her whole body shaking. Moaning loudly, Garrett pulled his cock back out, laughing, then pushed back into her.

“OH! OH YES!” She came again, her legs nearly giving out beneath her. Garrett laughed, slapping her ass as hard as he could.

“I knew it! I knew you were a slut!” He pounded her relentlessly, his balls beating against her like a moth against a lit porch light. “And all of your monsters, those freaky abominations inside, they will learn to fear me! I have real power now, the power to make them obey!” The magic spell he cast held strong, which meant that Emily came over and over again, her heart frantically beating just to keep up. Each orgasm piled on top of the last, waves of passion that now threatened to drown her in their magical strength. In the back of her mind, what was left of her consciousness screamed for help, realizing that her body couldn’t take much more.

“Wait!” Garrett shoved Emily off of him. She collapsed on the deck, barely able to move, grateful to comply with his new directive. “I want the nymph to see this.” Garrett had always been obsessed with Naia, who had refused to have anything to do with him. In hindsight, that should have been the first warning, but hindsight was only good when you still had options remaining. Panting on the porch, her chest on fire, Emily was officially out of options.

Garrett grabbed her by the hair, pulling hard on her braid. “Crawl, but just enough that you move. I want you to drag a little.” Emily said nothing, but assisted just enough that Garrett pulled her through the front door of the house.

“Daddy’s home, you little fucks!” Doors slammed and shadows fled, but Emily could only look at the floor as the house erupted in chaos.

-

“We’ve encountered another block.” Naia frowned at Mike. Mike blinked at the ceiling, then wiped moisture from his eyes.

“That guy fucked me,” He said. “He fucked me and I couldn’t do anything about it. He used that wand of his to make me want it. I feel all twisted up inside. Emily’s memories are my memories, but they’re not, so...” Mike shivered.

“Those are her feelings, and they will fade. He fucked Emily, not you. You’re fine.” Naia kissed Mike on the forehead. “The threat of being forced to fuck is a woman’s curse. Never forget that.”

“Why are you showing me this?” Mike asked. “Why would you show me something so terrible?”

“So that you can see that even Emily made mistakes.” Naia touched his head. “On your worst days, I want you to remember that everybody has their own burdens to bear. Now relax.”

“I don’t think I can handle much more,” Mike admitted. “I feel like this is too much.”

“Emily had to deal with it. You need to see how it ends, or you’ll never feel like justice was served.”

Mike sat in silence for several seconds, unmoving. Closing his eyes, he let out a deep breath. “I trust you, Naia.” She placed her fingers on his temples once more. 

-

 They shoved through the back door together, blood running down Garrett’s arm and a piece of Emily’s dress torn away. Garrett swore, using his wand to seal the bite mark on his arm back up. Pushing Emily to the concrete in front of him, he stared at the fountain where Naia stood, waiting.

“Let her go,” Naia said. The water behind her had formed into several tall water spouts, each of them tilting toward Garrett, swirling menacingly. 

“Or what? You’ll get me wet?” Garrett drew his wand. Naia unleashed a blast of water intended to knock him off his feet, but Garrett froze the water and the contents of the fountain with a beam of frost from his wand. Naia screamed, the water freezing in place around her legs, pinning her in place.

“No, damn you!” Naia tried to yank herself free, and Garrett laughed.

“Oh yes. You had some fighters inside, and they all lay motionless, just waiting for me once I’m done with you.” Garrett pulled his dick free of his pants, erect and pointing at the sky. He dragged Emily to the fountain, climbing inside to stand next to Naia. “You’re going to give me the Nymph’s Blessing, or I will kill Emily and bury this fountain.”

“You can’t!” Naia said.

“Oh, but I can!” Garrett pointed his wand at the house. “And none of you can stop me!” Faces disappeared behind curtains, the monsters in the house hiding in fear. “The creatures in this house will serve me, but it has to start with you. Give me the Blessing that I may become the rightful owner of this place, or I will murder every single one of you!”

“Emily? Emily!” Naia waved her hands frantically at Emily, who couldn’t move. “Please, help, somebody!”

Garrett laughed. “Oh yes! I am so glad I came for you first! Scream, cry, beg! I want to hear it all!” His wand glowed, causing icy hands to grow from the ice, pinning the nymph in place. “Every last one of you will bow, and I will use your gifts to collect even more of you. I left here a man, and I return a wizard. Now watch me become a god.”

The icy limbs forced Naia to bend over. Garrett laughed, Emily blinked, and the whole world came to a crawl. Garrett released Emily, stroking his dick with one hand while keeping his wand pointed at Naia with the other. “I can keep you alive for quite some time, just like this. How many times will I be able to fuck you before you give in?” He slapped his dick against her ass.

Tink scurried out from beneath the bushes, scrambling across the ground on all fours. She was fast, silent, and Garrett was too busy staring at Naia’s ass to see her. Leaping through the air, she collided with Garrett, knocking him off his feet.

“Who the fuck are you?” He shouted, wrestling with the angry goblin. Punching her in the head soon proved worthless, so he fought to aim his wand downward, but it was too long-he accidentally fired a spell into the ice below, causing it to explode, icy shards spraying everywhere. He punched her in the face several times, causing her grip to loosen, allowing him to force her down and away. Aiming his wand to vaporize her, he realized his sudden mistake as Tink suddenly shifted her weight.

Tink bit down on his dick with needle sharp teeth, sinking her claws into Garrett’s thighs as she tried to shake him like a dog shakes its prey.

“AHHH!” Garrett misfired his spell, shattering one of the ice pillars nearby. Tink ripped her head away from his crotch, taking part of Garrett’s manhood with her. She spat it out.

“How dare you! How dare you attack my family! I’ll kill you!” She shrieked. Garrett curled into a ball to squirm away from her, but Tink wasn’t having it. She leapt on him again, fighting to take away his magic wand. It was pointed at her head when the spell was cast, a blue blast of energy that knocked Tink through the air and into the side of the house. Falling behind the bushes, the goblin disappeared.

“This can’t be happening, it can’t!” Garrett dropped his wand, holding what was left of his injured dick, groaning into the ice. “I worked too hard for this! I will grind you up into a paste you worthless bitch!” He noticed the shadow fall over him, looking up at his attacker.

“Die, you fucker.” Emily stood over him, the spell broken. She held up a chunk of ice the size of a basketball and brought it down on his head, smashing in his skull.

-

Emily stood outside the greenhouse, Garrett’s dead body lying in the grass.

 “Sweet pea!” She called, opening the door. The Mandragora vines appeared, coiling around her arms lovingly. She was covered in Garrett’s blood from trying to drag his heavy ass all the way through the yard. It had taken her some time to empty his pockets-he had been traveling with so many jars and vials stored in magic, room sized pockets inside of his coat. “I have a meal for you!”

“Help us get rid of the trash,” Abella added. She stood next to Garrett, holding his magic wand. The Mandragora slithered across the yard, wrapping gently around the dead body. A thin vine rose to shoulder height in front of Abella , who handed over the wand.

“Make him disappear,” Emily said, wiping tears from her face. The plant wrapped several vines around the magic wand, dragging it and its owner away into the greenhouse. Emily shut the door behind it, falling to her knees. The tears came in torrents now, soaking her face.

“Don’t cry.” Abella wrapped her arms around Emily’s shaking shoulders. “Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay.”

“I put everyone in danger. Tink saved us, even though I was so awful to her. I almost lost this place because I couldn’t keep my knees together! And now they’re saying Tink may never wake up. It’s all my fault!”

“Everyone make mistakes. Do a good job and make up for it. Like Tink.” Abella used the edge of her wing to wipe away Emily’s tears, the leathery stone surprisingly soft. Emily could only look at the gargoyle through her own tears, a parade of regrets marching through her mind. 

“Okay. I’ll do a good job. Just like Tink did.”

-

Mike stared at the ceiling, contemplating what had just transpired. He could remember the cold rage, the helplessness, all of it, Emily’s tears down his face, soaking her blouse.

“What happened next?” Mike asked.

“Tink recovered, but as hard as her little head is, the injury did something to her brain. She’s just as smart as she ever was, but something happens between her brain and her mouth. It was almost a decade before she could string any words together in a sentence. Because of this, Emily almost never left the house again. She figured that, unless it was an emergency, she would take care of the occupants of this place. Garrett was a mistake. Anyone who comes inside of this home becomes a part of this place in one way or another. It’s why he was able to walk in without any trouble.”

Mike remembered the blood on Garrett’s arm. “Well, some trouble.”

Naia nodded. “I’m no fighter. Many of us aren’t. That’s your job. You are our bridge to the outside world. If that bridge should fail, it can spell our doom. We fight if we must, but that was never what this place was about. It is meant to be a home, not a keep. That goes double for our caretaker.”

Mike leaned his head back, looking into Naia’s bright, blue eyes.

“Emily made her mistakes. I know I’m going to make a ton, too. But I swear I will do my best to keep this house safe, for all of us.”

Naia leaned forward, her lips gently touching Mike’s.

“Consider that an oath, lover.” She kissed him again, her lips soft. Mike caressed her cheek with his hand, basking in the silence of the house.

The doorbell rang. Mike swore to himself, getting out of the water.

“If I find out Tink ordered pizza again…” He stopped himself, a thin smile on his lips. “Well. If she did, I hope she picked something better than pineapple this time.”

-

Elizabeth sat in the old, wooden chair in the library. It was uncomfortable, and creaked every time she shifted, but wood was required. The tome she perused was old, likely to fall apart at the slightest provocation. She turned its pages slowly, copying the letters within. Simply snapping pictures of this magical tome would never work, the resulting image always blank. Every time she finished copying a page by hand, the ink on the old page would disappear, its magic released. She slowly transcribed the ancient tome into a leather bound book, arcane symbols swirling above her writing surface as they infused the new page with magic. The world around her was still, the result of a spell of silence.

Sarah stormed into the library, throwing a book of her own. It was odd to see her daughter behaving in such a manner, doubly so to see her rant but not hear it. Elizabeth finished transcribing her current page and set her quill down. Stoppering the vial of human blood she had been writing with, she snapped her fingers, breaking the spell.

“-and to top it all of, some asshole hacked our website and my profile picture is a giant dick!” Sarah kicked the book, launching it across the room. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“The spells in that book are worth millions,” Elizabeth chastised her. Knowledge dating back millennia had been lovingly transferred to its pages eight decades ago. “It is not a thing for you to treat so lightly.”

“Oh fuck it. We’ve had the knowledge in this book memorized for centuries.” Sarah aimed another kick at the book, but it shot across the room, landing gently in Elizabeth’s hands.

“Not everyone in the Society has memorized them. It would do you good to remember that just because you are my daughter does not mean that you will be protected from the others. The Society is a democracy now, and I am beholden to the consequences of a group vote.”

“Ha. Only fools would dare to challenge my magic.” To make her point, Sarah scorched the floor with a small blast of lightning, causing Elizabeth’s ears to ring.

“And only fools throw tantrums such as yours. Now tell me what has you so riled up, my child.” Elizabeth found the spot for the book, sliding it into the gap where it belonged. The whole bookshelf gave off a blue glow, a powerful spell that would neutralize anyone curious enough to take the book without permission.

Sarah lifted her shirt, revealing the skin just below her breasts. A dark stain, like soot, was smeared across her belly in roughly the shape of a fish. “My fire elemental was destroyed, and now I can’t wear a bikini for a year!”

“We can make you a new fire elemental,” Elizabeth muttered, examining the mark. Sarah had trapped the elemental beneath her skin, a magical tattoo that was freed at her whim. Elizabeth had borrowed it from her in an effort to get it to ride into the Radley house with Mike, to kill him if he turned down their offer. Upon its demise, it had left behind a third degree burn on Sarah’s stomach. Already the flesh was peeling off, revealing soft muscle tissue beneath. “Daryl can fix this for you.”

“But I liked that one.” Sarah dropped her shirt, throwing herself into one of the chairs, crossing her long legs. “It’s the principle of the thing. I summoned that creature over a century ago. It was like a pet, and there’s no way that idiot could have done it on his own. No fucking way he could have extinguished it.”

“So in response, you want to treat the books in our collection like garbage?” Elizabeth examined the tome on the table, stroking its pages. “I’m half tempted to turn you into a weasel for a week.”

“You always were mother of the year.” Sarah turned sideways on the chair, kicking her legs impatiently. “There has to be something we can do. You tried to play nice, we offered him far more than the house is worth.”

“And there is no way he could have taken out the elemental on his own.” Elizabeth frowned. “It’s obvious that he has discovered at least one of the house’s secrets.”

“You don’t suppose-“ Sarah sat upright in her chair, clutching her amulet. “I mean, he couldn’t have…”

“The guardians of that home have been there for decades. We would have known if they had found it. Garrett would have known. Maybe even the whole world would know.” Elizabeth stood, crossing the room to her daughter. “You told me earlier that we shouldn’t have bothered trying to do things diplomatically. The longer we wait, the more power he will draw from those… things. We need to send something into the house that won’t easily be spotted. Something that can get in and out without a trace, something that the creatures in the house can’t defend him against.” She held out her hand. “I’m going to need the blood sample.”

“You mean this?” Sarah grinned, pulling a leaf from her bra. It had a single spot of blood on it, a tiny red spot on an otherwise ordinary leaf.

“I saw you pull it. He almost saw you too. That should have been our first warning. Despite our glamours, he didn’t fall for charm, whimsy, or distraction. He is obviously warded.”

Sarah laughed. “You can’t remember the last time a man didn’t fall all over himself to impress you, can you?” She handed the leaf over to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth stared at the bloodspot, a murderous grin on her face. She walked across the room to a portrait on the wall, a picture of the Society’s founder. Behind the painting was a safe. Typing in the passcode, she withdrew a glowing ruby from the safe. Holding the two objects side by side, the ruby glowed brighter, illuminating the cruelty in her eyes.

“Yes, well neither can she.”