Home for Horny Monsters

Hey all!

Bit of a delay between chapters, but that's the holiday season for you! Hopefully, this one finds you in great spirits.

New to this tale? This is the third book. I would start at Chapter One for best results, or even Chapter 13, otherwise none of this will make sense. There's plenty of sex and fantasy in those chapters to appease your inner demons :)

If you enjoy this chapter, give those ratings and reviews, I love them! The slew of positive comments has been wonderful for me to enjoy, and they definitely help when I have those self-doubts.

Last, if you are one of the many readers who have thanked me for this tale because it's helped you through a difficult time, I want to thank you back for telling me. I've had my share of real-life drama this year, and every time I've been frustrated or defeated, I've read one of your letters and said "I'm Annabelle "Fucking" Hawthorne and if I can help this person deal with their cancer/divorce/death in the family, then I can do anything!"

2018 was a wild ride. I look forward to seeing you in 2019!

Going Deeper

The search for Jenny commenced immediately. Mike, Tink, Beth, and Cecilia searched the known rooms of the home while Abella searched the perimeter of the house. The fairies had split up for their own search and Zel was busy inspecting the front room for any other clues.

Mike was checking under his own bed, a cold sweat on his brow. While he was certain that Jenny wouldn't blame him for this, the doll was known to be volatile and would see the destruction of her house as the ultimate insult. He was also worried that she had been taken by the rats, not sure what they had planned for her.

"Mike!" Zel's voice carried from downstairs, and he banged his head on the underside of the bed. He scrambled out, rubbing the back of his head once he stood. At the top of the railing, he leaned over to look at the bottom floor.

"You find something?"

"Come down and look." Zel's voice carried from the living room. He ran down, jumping the last three steps. Zel was on her back, her body stuffed into the fireplace. Just the lower part of her face was showing, her upper body covered in soot.

"What did you find?"

"This." Zel lowered herself, her arms still up the chimney. Her face was red while she pulled, her arms dropping a few inches at a time. She was making quite the mess already, but with one last pull, it rained soot and ash down on top of her, a black cloud billowing out across the room. Coughing, she held up a large mass.

"What the fuck is that?"

"A rat." Zel grabbed the bundle and unfolded it. He grimaced when the dead creature's mouth popped open, its tongue hanging out. "It was stuffed up the chimney. Sideways. Wait... yeah, its head isn't facing the right direction either."

Mike swallowed the lump in his throat. That would be Jenny's doing. "She doesn't happen to be up there too, does she?"

A red light burst from the chimney, landing on the floor by Zel's feet. Carmina landed at Mike's feet, a cloud of soot billowing from her upon landing.

"Nope. The chimney is clean." She grabbed her antennae and shook them with both hands, scattering more ash. "No rats, no doll."

"Shit." Mike helped Zel stand up. Her tail was now black with soot, and she had dark smears along her cheeks like warpaint. "Any clues where they went?"

"I imagine back to rat land. However, I did a quick survey of the rooms upstairs. They certainly didn't come out of those, they are still sealed shut. This means they have found a new entry point."

"I really don't need this." He ran his hands through his hair in frustration when he got an idea. "Hey Tink!"

Upstairs, he heard the pitter patter of feet on wood, and the goblin launched herself down the stairs, her hammer clutched tightly in one hand. Seeing there was no danger, she relaxed. "What husband want?"

"Use the goggles. See if you can spot their footprints."

Tink smacked her forehead, clearly appalled that she hadn't thought of it. She turned a knob and slid her goggles over her face, the Divine Object bowing to her demands. Several lenses flicked in and out of place, her eyes now large behind them. They had been in a hurry trying to find Jenny, not thinking the rats were likely where she was. Scanning the room, she waved her hand for them to follow and disappeared around the corner. They walked through the large dining hall and into the kitchen. Tink knelt down by the sink, opening the cabinet door slowly.

"Oh fuck." Mike could see it from here, a hole chewed in the back wall. It was just large enough for him to squirm through on his belly if he could make it past the pipes. "This sucks."

"Mm-hmm." Tink looked around the edges of the hole. "New hole. Rats make today."

"Any sign of Jenny?"

Tink shook her head. "See footprint of living thing only." She crawled underneath for a closer look and stuck her hand up the hole. She withdrew a piece of red fabric. "But no need goggles now. Ghost doll in here."

"So I guess I'm going in." Mike crouched down, but Tink pushed him away.

"No go. Hole get tighter, husband no fit." She was already squirming in when he grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her back out, her skirt lifting up to reveal bare green buttocks.

"You're not going in alone either. We will find another way." He looked at Zel. "We need to put together a search party to go in the walls. I suspect we will run into trouble, so would appreciate any potions you may have for us."

"You got it." Zel gave him a mock salute and left.

He turned his attention to the grumpy goblin by his feet.

"Go get yourself a bigger hammer. We're about to make rat jam."

-

Beth's first thought upon Jenny's disappearance was that she had run for the safety of the Labyrinth. She had gone up the stairs to her bedroom, opening the closet door only to discover that it was still a boring closet. She could hear the others calling Jenny's name, so knew that she was alone on the third floor of the house. She closed her door just in case, then lifted the sleeve of her blouse.

The finger marks on her arm were nasty burns, and they were bleeding near the tips where Oliver's claws had touched her. Stunned, she touched the wound gently. It didn't hurt too bad, but the skin around the wound had gone numb.

She opened the door of her room and skulked downstairs where she saw Zel digging in the fireplace. Going past, she entered the small bathroom on the first floor, closing the door behind her. She flicked the light switch and took off her shirt, trying to get a better look.

"You look startled." Oliver stepped out from behind her. She spun in place, but he wasn't actually there.

"Is this... is this a trick?" Beth faced the mirror. Oliver watched her, his eyes aglow.

"Oh, I am very much here. In a way." He grabbed her reflection and gave it a squeeze. She felt a light pressure where his hands were, but nothing more.

"What do you want?"

"I think that should be obvious." He stepped around her reflection and stood just behind the mirror's surface. "I thought I would get you when you fell into that reflecting pool but was unable to grab onto you tight enough. Lucky ducky."

"You want me."

"Good guess." The light above the mirror cast a shadow behind Oliver onto the back wall. His shadow was taller than it should be and had a pair of wicked looking horns. The bathroom in the mirror was cast in an eerie red glow.

"Why?"

"I have my reasons. Loneliness. Curiosity. Mainly though, because I want you back here with me."

"And why would I go back to you? You were going to trap me for all eternity."

"And I still will, given half a chance." Oliver pressed his fingertips against the glass. "What if I say pretty please?"

"How are you here? You aren't allowed here, the geas should have kept you out."

Oliver chuckled. "I'm afraid I'm not going to explain it to you, but you're a smart girl, I'm sure you'll figure it out. However, I will tell you everything you wish if you want. All you have to do is come inside." He tapped the glass and it rippled. Beth felt a hot breeze fill the small bathroom. "Just mind the faucet when you crawl over it. You might bang a knee."

"Fuck no." Beth shook her head, putting her shirt back on quickly. Her reflection passed through Oliver like a ghost, his features scattering like smoke. He blew her a kiss and grabbed her reflection's breasts, giving them a squeeze. Spectral fingers groped her through her shirt and Oliver licked her neck.

"See you later," he said when she ran out of the door.

-

Mike had the dagger strapped into the back of his belt and a small hammer in his left hand. He stood in front of the smoking room door and helped Tink pull off the boards they had nailed over it. Cecilia had already gone inside to check for rats and had come back with a thumbs up. Zel stood in the hall, rummaging through one of her saddlebags. Now that she was mostly human, she had no easy way to carry everything.

"Here you go." She handed over four vials. "The red one is to stop the bleeding, drink it or pour it on the wound. The green one is to get away without being seen, but it will only work on one person. Pour it over their head. The yellow one is in case you get trapped somewhere, it's essentially a powerful acid, so be careful with it. This last one is only in case of emergencies." The last vial was stoppered in a thick glass bottle with a skull drawn on it. The contents looked like black sand with tiny leaves. "It will only work on living things. Unstopper the cork and either throw it or run. Under no circumstance should you be nearby when it goes off."

"Thank you." Mike tucked the vials in his pockets. Abella was balanced on the window sill, shaking her head.

"I wish you'd let me go with you."

"I wish you could. I need you to stay here in case the rats or Jenny return. Also, you're too big and we could easily get separated. Oh, there you are." Beth had joined them, her face pale. She looked like she was going to be sick. "Naia said you can hang out with her in the fountain if you would feel safer."

"What?" She seemed lost in thought. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. When this is over, I have something we need to talk about."

"Okay." He felt his stomach sink a little. He hoped she wasn't thinking of moving out. Truth be told, it was kind of nice having another human around. "Where are the fairies?"

Tink put her fingers to her lips and whistled. Seconds later, the fairies arrived, hovering overhead.

"Who is coming with me?"

"I am." Carmina hovered forward.

"And you two are clear on your roles?"

"Rat patrol."

"No rats in the house." For the first time ever, they appeared to be serious. They each pulled a spear out from behind their backs.

"Where did you get those?"

"Tink made them."

"Good for stabbing."

"And throwing. We've been practicing." With a wink, they immediately flew off, separating at the stairwell. Mike let out the breath he had been holding.

"Wait." Beth grabbed his shoulder before he could go into the room. "You should reset the sundial."

"Oh." He had done it this morning, but the wisdom of doing so again was sound. If he got caught up in the walls of the house, he would have more time to get back. "Be right back."

He jogged down the hall and then down the stairs. Upon opening the door, he slowed. The last thing he needed was to let anyone watching know he was in a hurry. Casually stepping off the porch, he walked across the yard to where the sundial sat. It was waist high and over a foot across. He placed his hands on it, the arcane energy crackling beneath his fingertips.

"Bit early for that, isn't it?" A man in white stood just outside the opening to his home, right between the stone lions. It was Sebastien, a man gifted in the creation of sand golems. In fact, this was a golem of Sebastien himself, a fact discovered early on when Mike had tried calling the cops about a suspicious figure in front of his house. He had watched from the window as Sebastien had collapsed into a sandpile in the gutter just as the police arrived. It wasn't uncommon for Abella to drop heavy things on him either, and he had asked her to stop because the large pile of rocks out front was starting to attract the attention of the neighbors. Anything that happened inside the protective field of the house was essentially invisible to the outside world, yet another perk of the geas around the house.

"Nah. Wanted to sleep in tomorrow is all." Mike grabbed the dial and gave it a twist. A blast of magical energy crawled along his arms, verifying that the correct person was turning it. Satisfied that Mike was the Caretaker, the energy sank into the ground, permeating the soil and then concentrating on the stone lions watching the entry. Mike had Sofia look into them, but there was no information on what they could be. Nevertheless, they would immediately come to life in a blaze of fire and kill anyone attempting to attack the house using magic.

At least, that seemed to be how it worked. For the hundredth time, he wished the house came with an instruction manual.

"Interesting. You don't strike me as someone who sleeps in."

"Well, gonna be a late night. Found something interesting, gonna check it out." He knew he had struck a nerve when Sebastien's composure slipped. Sebastien and his fellow magic users, known as the Society, were convinced that something extremely powerful had been hidden in the house. Mike was beginning to suspect they were right, but he knew only slightly more than they did at this point.

"Have a good day, Mr. Radley." Sebastien turned away, walking across the street to where a black car had been parked. Mike could just make out the collection of tiny wooden spears stuck in the back of his head and neck, making him look like a balding hedgehog. He gave the sundial one last twist, rotating it as far as it could go. The shadow of the pointer now claimed that it was nearly five o'clock.

"You're a great security system but shit at telling time." He gave the stone dial an affectionate pat, grateful for the peace of mind it gave him and went back inside.

They were all waiting for him by the door to the smoking room. The tension immediately increased once he helped Tink rip the final board off the wall.

"Ready?" He asked.

Everybody nodded. Assuming that nothing attacked them, they would disperse, leaving Abella to watch the door. He pushed forward, Tink sliding past to enter the room first. It was cold, the breeze from the broken window chilling the room. A wind current formed in the open doorway from the pressure difference, but nothing in the room seemed to want them dead.

Yet.

"Close it. We will try to check in if we can." He watched Zel close the door and heard Abella's stony skin drag across the wood. His best guess was that she was sitting in front of it. He looked at Carmina, who sat on his shoulder. She held a tiny spear, her eyes focused on the opening in the wall where the couch had been.

"I'll scout ahead." Cecilia faded, her ethereal form barely discernible in the light. She floated into the opening and they waited for several minutes while she made certain no traps had been set for them.

Tink was beginning to grumble to herself when the banshee reappeared, giving them the all clear. Mike crouched down to get inside, and Carmina's body lit up with magic, casting a glow on the tunnel. They had plenty of spare flashlights, but Mike preferred to save them just in case they lost their fairy guide. Carmina turned into a ball of light and flew ahead of them.

-

Beth closed the door to Mike's bedroom once she was certain one of the fairies wasn't trapped inside. She walked past his large bed and the mismatched rug on the floor to his bathroom. The large tub was empty, so she sat on the edge of it.

"Oh. This is much nicer than the last place." In the tub in the mirror, Oliver sat up, his top hat falling off his head. He sat next to her and placed an arm around her reflection. "So where are we? And honestly, who has a bathtub this big?"

"You would know if I asked you," Beth replied. Oliver was a demon with the ability to answer any question. Once asked, he knew everything needed to give an answer. It was part of how she had tricked him and escaped in the first place. "And I'm not going to."

"Ooh. You're so clever." He teased the front of her breast, making one of her nipples erect. "That's part of why I can't let you go."

"And the other part?"

"I've taken many lovers, both human and demon. You are the first who seemed so... interested... in my demonic side."

"My interest is waning." In truth, she still felt a sexual attraction to the demon. If not for the fear that he would imprison her soul for eternity, she wouldn't mind another fling. Where Asterion was pure muscle, Oliver was lean and intellectually intriguing.

"Maybe we can arrange another game?"

"You won't be caught off guard so easily this time." She threw him a sarcastic smile. "And I guess you won't be nearly as giving in bed either."

"Won't know till you try."

"So is this your plan? Annoy me until I give in?"

"Well... it's plan A. Show up anywhere there is a reflection, maybe trick you one day into standing in a puddle. The water would go perfectly still, and I would grab you and pull you in." Oliver was salivating, his grin revealing sharp teeth. "What a fun surprise that would be."

"That's enough out of you." Naia's voice came from the drain. Oliver looked around in confusion until the faucet turned on, the tub filling with tens of gallons a second. Naia rose from the water, a beautiful white gown on her body and her arms crossed.

"Oh. The nymph." Oliver yawned. "What are you going to do, get me wet?"

"Yes." She wrapped her arms around Beth, holding her tightly. The water in the tub exploded outward, creating a vortex of water that filled the room. Beth was immediately soaked in warm water, holding her mouth shut. Through the rush of water, she heard Oliver sputter and release a stream of curses. She felt Naia's lips on hers and resisted at first, but when the water failed to recede, she gave in. The nymph gently blew oxygen into her mouth, which she gratefully inhalled.

The bathroom was full of water for several minutes before it finally receded. Beth expected the room to be soaked, but it was completely dry. There was no sign of Oliver.

"Thank you." She gave Naia a hug and let out a tremendous sigh. She hadn't told Mike what was going on because he had his own issues to deal with, but had gone straight to the nymph once he departed. Convinced that Oliver may just be a mental breakdown waiting to happen, Naia had suggested using the mirror in the bathroom to lure him out.

"He's a nasty one for sure." Naia sat in the tub and patted the edge. "Wanna tell me about your ex?"

Beth laughed and sat inside the tub instead. She was low enough that she could no longer see the mirror, so hoped that meant Oliver couldn't see her either. "The night before I came here I got pushed into a mirror dimension where a demon tried to trap me there."

"That much I know."

"Well, I glossed over some details."

"Interesting." Naia had pulled her knees up under her chin and was leaning forward. "Tell me more."

Beth took a deep breath and let it out. She felt comfortable with Naia, like talking with a best friend or a sister. She wasn't great with other women. She dressed sexy for herself, but had been accused of doing it for attention. And none of her girl friends could ever know about her secret lust for monster porn, nor her strange stash of dildos. She constantly felt like a book that had been misfiled in the library with a nice cover.

"When I was stuck there, I might have... fucked him."

"Oh!" Naia's eyes flashed. "Tell me everything!"