Page 83 of Minding the Minotaur

“What’s up, mate?”

“Something bad has happened to Sammy.”

“Yeah, Kazmo said she was sick. Sorry to hear that, how’s she going?”

“Bad, really bad. She’s in hospital in Sparkle. And I need the portal cape to go rescue her,” I demand as I stride up to him.

Brody’s brow creases. “Shit, man, I really can’t give it to you. I was lucky to keep my job after the last time. Besides, I won’t take money from you, that was wrong.”

“I have no fucking money to give you,” I growl. “But I need you to put our friendship before everything else right now. I know it’s a huge ask, but I’ll be the fall guy. I’ll say I stole it.”

“Otis won’t believe that.”

“I’ll make it look like I overpowered you.”

“Don’t be bloody stupid,” Brody huffs.

“Look mate, me and Sammy, we’ve got a thing going. And if they find out she’s been fraternizing with a minotaur…”

Brody’s bushy brows shoot up. “How would they?”

“How do you think?”

Brody can’t help a grin at that. “You filthy beast. Have you rutted with her?”

What’s the point of lying? “Yes, I’ve rutted with her.” Ihuff out a sigh and spill the beans. “She’s my mate, Brody. I’ve asked her to marry me.”

“Shit, you lucky bastard.” I know Brody’s been hanging out for a mate for ages, but that’s not my concern right now.

“I’m not lucky if I lose her. They’ll test her for everything after she ended up there in weird circumstances.” I can see his brain trying to take it all in. Oh, to hell with it, I need to tell him the gods awful possibility. “I need to rescue her from those bastards before they… vaporize her.”

Brody’s black eyes widen. He shifts briefly and bares huge fangs. It can be an involuntary reaction from shifters at times of stress. That’s why we don’t mention the V word around here.

“No fucking way is that happening to her,” he roars, then shifts back into human form. Grabbing the keys from under the desk, he strides over and unlocks the door with its great creaking rivets. The huge panels swing open.

The portal cape is kept under another lock and key, along with a few other relics I’ve never bothered to take note of. But now, I do. I look at the bunch of thin metal-covered books. Just like the one Otis recorded my visits to Sparkle on. There are some other screens that look like TVs, but not quite. Hundreds of them. Piled up on shelves.

“Comp-oo-ters,” I mutter.

Brody casts me a glance.

“Is that what they’re called? The only guy who ever takes an interest in them is Otis,” Brody muses.

“Yeah, well that makes sense,” I growl. As we’re leaving the Vault, I see a pair of handcuffs. Old, rusted, probably from the insurgences of the early days when humans incarcerated us all. They’ll do the trick. I grab them.

“Here, you need to let me handcuff you.”

“No way, you’re not restraining me.”

“Sorry, mate. You have to look innocent, or Otiswillsackyou this time. It’s gotta look like we struggled. That I tied you up.”

“No-one will fucking believe it, we’re buddies.”

“Otis will. He knows how desperate I am.”

“You are fucked in the head,” Brody grumbles. “I could be stuck here for hours.”

“The first place Otis is going to look for me is right here. He’ll likely be here any moment, and I need to scarper.”