Page 19 of Minding the Minotaur (Monsters of the Labyrinth #1)

S AMMY

Our drive through the center of the Labyrinth has blown me away.

I can’t believe how different this place is to Sparkle: vibrant and chaotic, the shops built into the rock walls, lit up with sconces and brimming with all kinds of species, bargaining, gossiping, laughing.

Now, as Tippy pulls up the jeep in a side alley and Arlo and I alight, I take in the array of sounds drifting through from the market square, languages that combine squeaks and growls with words I can understand.

The smells of spices and delicious food make my nostrils quiver, and I literally jump sideways as a small dragon-like creature flies low over my head.

“Did it see me?” I ask Arlo, worried that word might get back to Otis that we’re out and about.

Arlo shakes his head. “Miniature wyverns are blind as bats. Might have scented you, but humans do come here, so it won’t think anything’s amiss.”

“Like Jax? ”

“Yeah, him,” Arlo grunts. I get the sense Arlo still thinks Jax has the hots for me. He’s wrong, of course.

Arlo leads me to a battered black door in a painted black brick facade, barely visible until he pushes it open, and we’re suddenly in a glowing interior with red walls and a round table in the center.

Seated at the table are three human-looking guys, which is a surprise—I hadn’t expected Arlo’s friends to be humans.

They’re playing cards. Only when Arlo shouts a greeting do they look up.

One of the guys, who looks like he pumps iron daily, lets out a roar, pushes back his chair and stands to his full height of at least seven feet.

And suddenly he’s not remotely human. He’s shifted into a huge, shaggy brown bear.

I shrink behind Arlo as the bear strides over and claps a large paw around his shoulders.

“Hey man, you’ve escaped house arrest.”

“How the fuck do you know?”

“Len came and played poker last week. That lizard couldn’t keep his own eggs hidden from a hawk. Said you had a huma—” Brody’s brows shoot up as I step out from behind Arlo’s shadow. “Well fuck me… hello there.”

“Where’s your manners, bro?” Arlo growls.

Brody shifts back into his human form. “I beg your pardon, ma’am, we don’t see many female humans around these parts. My name’s Brody.”

“Sammy.” I smile back as he proceeds to pump my hand.

He’s handsome in a beefy, goofball way, and not at all threatening, I realize, as he flicks a lock of dark hair out of his eyes and grins down at me.

I notice he has soft, furry brown ears nestled in amidst his dark hair.

Like Tippy. Shifting is clearly not an all-in-all-out thing.

“Sammy is my—minder,” Arlo supplies, and I sense his loving gaze on me.

The twinkle in Brody’s dark eyes deepens. I get the definite feeling he’s already worked out the measure of me and Arlo.

“And these two retrogrades are Kazmo and Silas,” Arlo says as the other two guys get up from the table and join us.

“My pleasure.” Kazmo’s voice is a deep purr as he shakes my hand. For a moment, his face takes on a holographic image of a powerful feline with a mane and sharp fangs, before quickly changing back into a broad-browed human with arresting gold eyes.

Kazmo is clearly a lion shifter.

Luckily, his hand remains in its human form throughout. I wouldn’t have fancied a scratch from a big cat’s claw.

Finally, I’m greeted—somewhat awkwardly—by the third guy, Silas.

He’s tall and slim with glossy blue-black hair that almost touches his shoulders.

He’s wearing glasses on his aquiline nose, and doesn’t look like he’s ever visited a gym.

A library, more like. He informs me that he’s a raven shifter.

Except he doesn’t shift, or shake hands.

In fact, he barely smiles, just blinks at me out of pale blue eyes from behind his frames, then looks away. Maybe he’s shy.

As they all turn their attention back to Arlo, it’s clear they adore my guy. It’s Kazmo’s turn to slap him on the back now, and even Silas greets Arlo with a hug. Only then, for a second, do I see Silas’s arm turn into an ink black wing around Arlo’s shoulders. It quickly morphs into an arm again.

We’ve just sat down at the table when the door from the main diner opens.

The sounds of voices and laughter rush in, along with a big goat man wearing a striped apron.

He plonks down a tray of shot glasses full of a bright green liquid and gives Arlo a gruff greeting of “Gods below, the bloody bull’s back.

” When Arlo introduces the goat to me as Digger, the boss, he taps a gnarly horn and mutters, “Welcome to my humble establishment. Please partake of a glass of home-brewed grappa on the house. ”

Arlo grabs two shot glasses off the tray. “I warn you, it’s like swallowing fire,” he says as he hands me one.

“No probs.” I down it in one go, only to splutter and cough, my eyes watering.

“I did warn you babe,” Arlo murmurs close to my ear as he surreptitiously rubs my back with a big palm.

It’s so endearing and protective, and as his fingers glide lower to rest on the rise of my buttock, the need that’s been bubbling since our clinic visit makes my pussy spasm.

I am so ridiculously hot for this guy. Drinking grappa is like iced tea in comparison.

When I’ve finally stopped gagging and everyone’s checked I’m okay, Arlo leans back in his chair and growls, “So Len spilled the beans about my incarceration, did he?”

“Yeah,” Brody says. “Though I knew something was up when Otis brought the portal cape back. He was hell pissed. He said I wouldn’t see your sorry ass for a while.”

“He recorded my trips, the bastard,” Arlo grumbles.

“Seriously? How?”

“He put a tiny little metal thing in the lining that recorded the cape’s locations and then spat it all out onto a flat metal book. He called it a com-poo-ter.”

“Shit. That sounds weird.”

“Yeah, Otis and his fucking inventions. He put me on house arrest for a month.”

“Pretty loose definition of house arrest.” Kazmo raises an eyebrow.

“I’m allowed out once a week.” Arlo counters. “For work.” The guys all nod. I wonder how much they know about Arlo’s job. “Sammy agreed to a quick detour on the way home to say hi to you guys, it being poker day and all.”

“Doesn’t look like you’re suffering too much,” Brody teases.

“Obviously, I’m very compliant.” Arlo smirks .

“Yeah, obviously ,” Kazmo growls softly, his golden gaze leveling on both of us.

Silas shoves his glasses up his nose and says nothing.

I decide to look like I’m—kind of—in charge. “We can’t be out long.” I try for an authorative voice, but I’m having trouble smothering my smile. “Tippy is waiting in the car.”

“Bet you have your work cut out keeping this guy in line.” Kazmo winks at me.

“Gods, guys, cut it out will you?” Arlo chuckles, glancing at me to make sure I’m okay.

Truth is, I’m enjoying the gentle teasing, but even so, I can feel the Buggins blush making a guest appearance. I grab the menu and hide behind it.

There’s all manner of things I have never heard of, but also quite a few I have, from Tippy’s food. I hate to admit I am craving a bit of plain human food.

When Digger comes back to take our order, I settle for a toasted cheese sandwich with tantarillo pickles. I’ve never heard of them—they better not be as hot as the grappa.

Arlo orders loaded fries, crispy chicken wings with buffalo sauce and a bucket of onion rings. And purple candy-pop soda to wash it all down.

He glances at me sheepishly. “Don’t tell Tippy. I’ve gotta combat her fuckin’ food somehow.”

I smother a laugh, suck in my cheeks.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Kazmo says after Digger scurries back to the kitchen, “how did you get the job?”

“Through Jax Summers. D’you know him?”

Kazmo nods. “Heads up exports for Sparkle.”

“Yeah, right,” I say airily, trying to sound like I already knew that.

So, Jax is the boss? No wonder he was able to get me a job.

He sure keeps his cards close to his chest. Which is probably why he’s comfortable down here, navigating two very different worlds, treading lightly in both.

Maybe cutting deals with both. I shut down a little sliver of unease at the thought.

“Where did you work before?” Brody asks.

“Assets management for a department store.”

“DeVines, I bet.”

“Erm, yeah.”

Brody nods. “My ex worked in the factory that supplies them with cosmetics. She took off to a lower level and left me with cupboards full of Hot Rod Pink lipstick.”

“That is a fave,” I agree, remembering how often I’d stand near the cosmetics counter, watching humans trying samples. Hot Rod Pink was the one that went missing the most.

“So how’d you end up working here?” Kazmo asks.

“I needed a new challenge, I guess.” I huff out a small sigh. I’m not going to lie to Arlo’s friends, am I? “Actually, I got sacked.” I glance up to check out their reactions and immediately see the respect go up several notches.

“Good on you,” Brody says.

“Quite something to leave all the glamor behind,” Kazmo adds admiringly.

“The glamor is all fake,” I snort. “I’ve realized since being here what a total lie Sparkle is.”

“We welcome humans who’ve seen the light.” Kazmo smiles. “Or maybe, I should say darkness.”

“I love being here,” I reply, feeling Arlo’s dark gaze caressing me. “It feels so much more genuine.”

“I get that bit.” Brody grins. “But what I don’t get is why a pretty human like you would wanna spend time with an ugly minotaur like him? I can honestly say, bears are better.”

Arlo growls at him, his ears twitching, nostrils flared. These two big boys may be best mates, but they’re obviously competitive. I decide it’s time to change the topic.

“And what about you three?” I say brightly. “What do you do for coin?”

“I work at the Vault,” Brody says. “In security. I’ve done more interesting work in the past, but this job means I’m near my dad, who’s disabled.”