Page 30 of Minding the Minotaur (Monsters of the Labyrinth #1)

S AMMY

The man who introduces himself as Doctor Petronis takes hold of my wrist and feels my pulse.

He looks to be in his early fifties, with a lean face and salt and pepper hair, and he exudes an air of quiet confidence.

Expert impersonal hands examine me, then he takes my chart from the foot of the bed and makes some notes.

“Well, Samantha,” he says finally. “You have made a good recovery by the look of things. How are you feeling?”

“Remarkably well, thank you.” I smile politely, feeling at a disadvantage in this ugly green hospital gown, my hair disheveled, when he’s so nicely decked out in a smart dark suit under his white coat.

It’s true though, I do feel fine. Maybe a little disoriented still, but with everything I’m trying to make sense of, I guess that’s to be expected.

He looks down at the chart again, his expression inscrutable. “There is one more test we need to do. ”

A spike of anxiety hits my stomach. “What kind of test?”

“A blood test. Nothing to worry about.”

Is he being evasive on purpose?

“Yes, but what are you looking for,” I persist.

He purses his lips. “We found some unusual enzyme markers in your blood results. We just want to check that they’re not still elevated.”

My thoughts tumble wildly inside my head. Enzymes. That’s what the humans wanted from Arlo’s sperm. Could it be they’ve found them in me due to our… our…

My jaw hangs slack for a moment.

“Probably just a result of your misadventure,” Dr Petronis adds.

“M-misadventure?” I squeak.

“Yes, when you slipped down the rim of one of the portals. Cleaning, I believe—wasn’t that your job?”

“Oh yes, yes, cleaning .” I laugh nervously. “My memory of the event is still er, a bit patchy.”

“That’s to be expected with such a major trauma.” Dr Petronis gives me a penetrating look. “If you don’t mind me saying, you don’t look like a peripheral.”

“What exactly should a peripheral look like?” I say lightly, but I can feel my heart thumping against my ribs.

He pulls a face. “Sorry, that sounded judgmental, and we try not to judge in Sparkle. It’s just, with your respectable family background and a good employment history, until recently…”

I tinkle out a laugh. “I guess you might have heard of my almighty faux pas, arresting Ronald DeVine’s niece. It was all over the press a few weeks back.”

“Hmm. Yes, I may have read something about that.”

“I got sacked for it. But I still had to pay my rent and entertainment levy. Beggars can’t be choosers and all.”

He nods. “Well, maybe get a safer job next time.” My heart hammers even harder as I remember Mom telling me Marsha had a role for me. No way will I ever go back to work at DeVines.

Dr Petronis stands up. “Well, young lady, we’ll check you out to see if those enzyme levels have dropped. Hopefully there has been no unlawful contact.”

“H-how do you mean?” I stammer.

He glances at me and sighs. “Let me put it this way. Monsters have no moral scruples. They can take advantage of… situations. And the portal rims are a known place for miscreants to lurk. A young woman unconscious and unable to defend herself would be easy prey.”

Shit! Do they already suspect I’ve had relations with a monster? Could this potentially link me to Arlo? I compose myself quickly, “Oh, I don’t think so…”

“Let’s hope not, Samantha. But we’ll run those tests and go from there. The nurse will be in shortly to take your blood.”

“When will I get the results?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Then can I go home?”

The doctor smiles. “We’ll make that decision once we get the results back.”

I pin an answering smile to my face as he leaves, then slump back onto the pillows, trying not to hyperventilate.

Arlo and I had just made love when I blacked out.

What if they’d found evidence of that? What if they examined me internally while I was unconscious?

I find myself praying to all the Labyrinth deities.

Sweet gods and goddesses, they must not link me to Arlo.

For the millionth time, I rack my brains on how to get back to him without them tracking me.

I’ve heard nothing from Jax, not a word.

What if I can never get back there? What if I never see Arlo again ?

My heart feels like it’s cracking into pieces. I take a deep breath and try to pull myself together.

I need to be strong.

I need to do whatever I can to get out of here. And then trust that Jax will take me back to the Labyrinth.

And Arlo.

ARLO

We lounge around in the disheveled mess of the snug—me, Otis, and Jax.

The carpet is still scrunched in a heap, there’s a chair overturned, and the lamp has been knocked off a side table.

Jax lolls lazily in an armchair, one long leg swinging over the side.

I’ve thrown myself lengthways on the sofa, and Otis is leaning his butt on the edge of the desk, his thick fingers curled tight around the edges.

I don’t think he’s forgiven me for swinging a punch.

But he sure gave as good as he got.

As for Jax, he’s a fucking useless peacemaker. He’s been smirking to himself ever since he arrived.

Which makes me want to punch him . Land a shiner on one of those bright green eyes. Turn it black and blue.

But I have enough sense to know that won’t help my cause. I need him to tell me what he knows about Sammy, which probably means I should at least be polite to him.

Besides, I’ve sunk low today, back to my bullish past, when karate kicks and laying punches were the norm. And, probably because I haven’t eaten, I’m hangry and clumsy. Normally that would be a blow to my ego, but my ego is nonexistent right now.

I don’t care about anything since I’ve lost my beloved human.

“So,” I drawl, trying to sound casual because I sense Jax will play me if he thinks I’m desperate, like a cat plays a mouse. “Any news on my minder’s health?”

“That’s why I’m here,” Jax says. His face gives nothing away, but my heart hammers loud enough to bridge the silence.

I wish he’d hurry up. But he takes a rolled-up cigarette from behind his ear and taps it on his knee.

“No smoking, Jax,” Otis growls.

He puts it back behind his ear. “She’s woken up.”

“Oh fuck, oh hallelujah!” I completely lose my cool and fall off the sofa in relief. “When did she come to?” I look up at Jax, whose buckled boot is now near enough to my snout to kick me if he chose.

Luckily, he doesn’t.

“This morning.”

“So when is she coming back?” I demand.

Jax’s lips stretch in a grimace. “Ah, well, there is another small issue. Clem informs me they’re doing more tests.”

“What kind of tests?”

“They’re checking some enzyme or other they found in her blood.”

I stare at Otis, and Otis stares at me. I know what he’s thinking. It’s the same thing I’m thinking.

The same enzyme that’s in my fucking sperm, right?

In her sweet human body.

If they find out she’s been messing with a minotaur…

I shudder. It doesn’t bear thinking about.

I jump up. “You’ve gotta get her out of there.” I start prodding a finger at Jax. “You. Get. Her. Out. Of that fucking hospital. NOW!”

“I can’t go inside the hospital,” Jax says calmly, but a muscle in his jaw ticks.

“It was years ago, Jax, they won’t remember you being there,” Otis points out, and for once he almost sounds like he’s on my side .

Jax gives him a withering look. “Believe me, they’ll remember. I can’t risk it, with things the way they are right now.”

I look from one to the other, perplexed. “What are you two talking about?”

“Nothing,” Otis mutters.

“It’s not nothing if it stops you getting my girl back,” I hurl at them, fists clenched.

“You’ll get her back. Just not yet,” Jax says curtly.

“Yeah?” My lip curls. “Like when?”

Jax leans back in the chair, but his shoulders are stiff. “Soon.”

My gaze yo-yos between the two of them. “I call bullshit on that. You’re not going to do anything, are you? You’re both useless as tits on a bull.” I stomp around angrily. “Well, since you two pathetic fuckers either can’t or won’t get her out of there, it seems I’ll have to.”

“Don’t be a fucking idiot,” Otis growls. “You don’t understand the complexity of the situation.”

“I understand what fucking matters. Getting Sammy back.” I head for the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Otis roars.

“You told me I’m not on house arrest anymore, so you can get fucked,” I grit out.

“Don’t you go anywhere near the Vault, you hear me, Arlo? Don’t even think about it.”

I generously flip him the bird before disappearing.

Brody’s face lights up when he sees me stride in.

“I thought you weren’t allowed to come here anymore.” He jumps up from the desk where he’s been lounging.

I glance around the austere setting. Pillars line the main foyer, where the guard sits and a locked steel door with huge bolts and rivets leads into the Vault tunnels, which go back deep into the rock wall.

Temperature controlled, this place holds everything we monsters found buried underground after the apocalypse, the remains of human life on Earth.

Strange pieces, most of them. And mostly useless crap.

But a few have clearly been touched by magic along the way.

Like the portal cape. And right now, that scrap of material is going to be my salvation.

When Brody sees the scowl on my face, his grin falters.

“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.” I huff 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 Otis will sack you 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.”

“And if he isn’t? How do I get the fucking things off?”

“Just shift into your bear form and they’ll snap right off your fat paws.”

“Ah, didn’t think of that.” Brody grins.

I roll my eyes. I love the guy, but sometimes he can be dense. Then I grab the cape, pull it round my shoulders, grope for the tag of runes in the lining, and I’m gone.

Whooshing back to Sparkle.

To rescue Sammy.