By: Veronica Meredith.

“I’m no good.” She slung one paw over her face. “I don’t think I’m tricky or clever enough for this job. I ought to try being a chimera instead. I’ve got more than enough lion in me. Or maybe a manticore! I’d need to style my hair in a beard. Lamassi are much more refined, though. Any idea how to get a gig as a palace guard?”

She shifted her paw to look at the man cowering before her.

“So… is that the riddle?” he asked.

She devoured him. At least she got that part of being a sphinx right.

© 2026. Veronica Meredith

Veronica Meredith is a Library Supervisor in Waco, Texas. She loves boba tea, cats, and monsters. Her writing has appeared in Dark Poets Club. Dinner Date is her first novella. You can find her website at veronicameredith.com.