The Mayhem of Venereal Diseases
“Huh. Interesting,” I say with a nod.
I hum in thought, and though the idea of pages and pages of monstrous venereal cocks does sound fascinating, I turn to the right and run my thumb over that bookcase’s plate instead. I rub at the smooth metal, and it gleams like new when I’m done.
Encyclopedias of Realms
“No, thank you. One asinine realm at a time is more than enough for me.”
I swipe across a few more plates, walking slowly through the depths of the eerily quiet library. Until finally, two shelves from the back, it seems like what I’m looking for.
The Most Monstrous Beasts of Carnal
“Perfect,” I whisper to myself.
I don’t knowwhothe shadow man was in my room last night, but I might be able to find outwhathe was and where he comes from. And then it’ll be me who’s stalking up on him among the shadows.
The rows and rows of titles are all so strange, I’m not sure where to begin. I scan a few faded spines of books:
Headless Horses and Men, Bewitching Beauties, Panty Creatures...
I suppose it’s safe to say the shadow man from last night is none of those. But I didn’t see if he rode in on a headless horse either... wait, what the hell are Panty Creatures? My thighs shift nervously, and I vow to never glance inside the pages of that bizarre book to ensure I don’t give myself a newfound fear of pussy monsters.
A large softbound book just a few rows above my head catches my eye:
Things that Go Bump in the Night
Seems vague.
And accurate.
Dammit. Where are the books titledInky Shadow Drips that Create Sexy Monster Men in Your Sleep?
This will do, I suppose.
I step onto the bottom of the bookshelf for an extra inch of height, and with my arm wrenched high above my head, I flail aimlessly for the book in question. The colossal shelf doesn’t sway, but I still feel like a middle schooler about to get detention for climbing around on sacred Ikea shelving. It takes two fumbling tries, but the softbound book wiggles out of its spot with an embarrassing amount of effort and a whole lot of sweat on my brow. With a huff, I blow the hair from my face and flip open the first page before I’ve even found a seat at the front table.
Images of faceless creatures, Skinwalkers pictured in eerie, slender limbs, and pages and pages of Incubi fill my time for the next half an hour. Seriously, what is with people’s obsessive fear of sex demons?Oh no, the big scary man might give me multiple orgasms and then leave before morning without being asked. Whatever shall I do?
Probably sleep incredibly peacefully, that’s what.
All is silent, and I’m consciously thinking about how little time I have left before meeting Ivy after her morning classes. I have fifteen minutes at best. Twenty if I haul ass down to the first floor fast enough.
Either way, twenty minutes isn’t enough to get through this book...
A light wind catches my hair as I read. A heavy silence fills my ears. I’m very much aware of the room suddenly. And there’s a chill that has settled without a single crack of a window. My lashes lift from the extremely detailed picture of the Incubus cock spanning not one but two full pages.
Seems exaggerated but whatever.
A shadow crawls from one corner of the table to the other, stopping just half an inch from the edge of my open book. I notice it instantly. The hairs on the backs of my arms lift one by one. Still, I don’t react. I don’t look up. I keep my head down.
And wait.
Because my shadow man isn’t a thing that goes bump in the night. He’s very much alive and well in the morning sunlight too.
A spot of ink is his first move. It drips down from high above me and splatters at the tip of the elaborate drawing thrusting from page to page. The ink droplet is a rather nice touch if I do say so myself.
The moment a strand of my dark locks lifts, I know his curiosity has gone too far.