Page 199 of The Monster and the Masochist

‘Finally… something to sink my teeth into…’ the terrifying voice purred. Driven by pure terror, I dove behind the planter, immediately curling into a tight ball behind the tall, twisting leaves.

I clutched my silver charm tightly as I peeked around the base of the plant, and my breath caught as I watched all the shadows of the room gather to form a tall, twisting mass of darkness.

Samwell wasn’t chasing me anymore. He was staring at the mass of darkness with as much terror as I was. We both watched, frozen, as the smoke solidified to reveal the form of a tall, beautiful woman.

She looked like a princess… but not the kind from a storybook. She looked like the kind of princess who would ride into battle on the back of her dragon, laying waste to swathes of men foolish enough to challenge her.

With her dark hair and armor born of shadow, she was both the most beautiful and terrifying thing I’d ever seen.

Her brown eyes surveyed her surroundings, and they burned with a fury so violent I found myself shrinking away in fear.

But the fury wasn’t for me.

It was for Father Samwell, and I gasped as the smoky shadows seemed to pulse, outlining the form of a great, dragon-like monster that curled protectively around her.

The creature was all smoke and shadow, but as it moved, I caught glimpses of sharp teeth and claws.

It was massive.

What was that thing?

‘Such a small, pitiful creature… ‘ the monster rumbled, though it sounded thoroughly unimpressed.

The woman hummed in agreement.

Both the princess and the monster stared at Father Samwell as he cowered before them, and the woman’s lip curled up in disdain.

“Somehow I was expecting him to be bigger,” the woman mused, and I gasped as she took a fearless step toward Father Samwell.

Samwell roared in fury, and suddenly, it wasn’t my principal facing off with the woman and her monster, but a demon.

As if shedding a mask, Father Samwell’s face warped and twisted into something ugly, and I cried out a warning as the evil creature launched itself at the beautiful woman.

The evil man moved so quickly, I knew the princess didn’t stand a chance.

The bones in his fingers snapped and popped as they elongated into deadly claws. Terror ricocheted through me as he reached for her throat with terrifying precision.

“Look out!” I screamed, but the princess didn’t seem concerned.

She frowned, glancing to where I was hidden behind the snake plant, and I cursed myself for distracting her.

But… it turned out there was no reason for me to worry.

As my principal rushed forward, the woman moved to intercept his attack with smooth, lethal confidence.

She wasn’t afraid of him, and I soon learned why.

Shadows gathered around her hand, and I watched in awe as they solidified into a sharp, deadly knife.

In one swift movement, the Princess slipped past the screaming, evil man.

She moved so quickly I could barely follow her, and I gasped as she effortlessly kicked out his knees.

He crumbled to the ground, and before he could right himself, she fisted his thinning hair and jerked his head back to expose the long, pale line of his throat.

“The way my wife talks about you… I was expecting some huge, scary monster.”

The princess whispered these words directly into the vile man’s ear as she reached around him to press her dark blade against his pale throat.