Page 73 of Moody as a Minotaur

Pipes and ductwork crisscrossed the ceiling, but I didn’t know what they were for. Water? Sewer? Something else? I’d never been interested in buildings or architecture. When something happened in my café or apartment, I phoned people to fix it.

What the room’s original purpose might have been, I didn’t know. But right now, it held about forty people, many of whom wore domino masks like they were goingto a masquerade party. Based on their clothes, I suspected at least half were university students.

What the hell had happened to the others we’d started with? Had they changed their minds about coming with us after I put my hood on? The only other person I recognized was Kyle. He was scowling as he walked around the perimeter of the room. Then he disappeared through one of the doors without looking back, leaving us with… well, whatever this was.

In the center of the room was a large octagonal MMA cage.

Fighting really wasn’t my thing. I didn’t enjoy boxing or MMA or karate or even wrestling—anything where two people tried to beat the crap out of each other, really—but I’d learned about all of them when I was dating a guy while I was in culinary school. He’d been into that, and I tried watching matches with him a few times.

Inevitably, I’d escape the room after the first few hits, using the excuse of getting snacks ready for him and his friends. The relationship hadn’t lasted long. I couldn’t imagine suffering through those fights for the rest of my life. It might seem like a silly thing to break up over, but I’d seen it as a sign we weren’t compatible.

I reached for Levi and slipped my hand in his again. He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand. For such a small gesture, it was reassuring. I doubted most people would realize he was anything but relaxed, but I could tell he was as anxious as I was.

Beside me, Fin tilted his head slightly to the side like a curious puppy.

“I don’t understand what’s happening.” Fin’s gazebounced around the room the same way mine had, and I knew Nana’s training was kicking in for him too. “I thought we were going to a lecture or something. This looks like the set up for an underground fight club.”

Fin didn’t know about our listening devices, but he said the perfect words to alert our listeners to what was going on. I only prayed that the signal was getting out. But we were in the basement, surrounded by concrete, so I didn’t have high hopes.

Tammy must have heard him because she came over and patted Fin on the shoulder. “This is the moment, Fin. You’re going to see real live monsters. But don’t worry, it’s all very safe.”

“What do you mean?” He gulped.

“I know you think monsters don’t exist,” Tammy said with a shake of her head like he was a sweet, naïve child. “But after tonight, you won’t question that anymore. Some of the bastards tried to get into tonight’s meeting, but we stopped them.”

“Oh?” He looked queasy, and I probably wore the same expression. Beside me, Levi’s face was devoid of almost all emotion, but he couldn’t contain it all. His nostrils flared, and he was taking short, huffing breaths.

I glanced toward the door we’d used a minute ago. We should leave. I never should have suggested we come tonight, although I’d have hated it if Fin had come here alone. Would he have told us anything about what happened here if we weren’t with him?

“Okay. Quiet everyone,” Tammy said.

Four hooded figures were led into the room. Irecognized their clothing. These were the other people we’d started with.

Tammy’s words echoed in my head. Did that mean these people were the supes she’s supposedly uncovered? And if she’d identified them as supes, why hadn’t she figured out Levi was one too?

Tammy approached the new arrivals.

“We’re so glad you’re here,” she sneered as she ripped the hood from the first person in the line.

The young woman blinked and cast her gaze around the room, just like we’d done a few minutes earlier. She smiled when she saw one of the men standing beside Fin. She stepped toward him but was yanked back by an angry man in a mask.

“What the hell?” She swatted at him. “Get your hands off me.”

By now, the other three people had also removed their hoods. There were two other women and one man.

“Get in the octagon,” Tammy said to them. “It is the perfect cage for animals like you.”

“Screw this,” the guy said. “I’m outta here.”

But when he turned to leave, the assholes closest to him wouldn’t let him.

“The lady told you to get in the fucking octagon,” a big guy with a mask said. He pointed a gun at the younger man. “You are the entertainment for tonight.”

Oh fuck.

“I’m curious to see what a wolf can do against a bear,” the guy continued. “And we have a fire mage too. Haven’t seen one of them before. Do you think she’ll set you on fire?” Then he turned to the last woman. “And you, whatare you? We know you’re a shifter, but you’re something we haven’t seen before.”

The woman in question cringed away from him. She moved toward Tammy, but Tammy pushed her back toward the cage.