Radley's Labyrinth for Horny Monsters by Annabelle Hawthorne (highly recommended books .txt) 📕

“We’re waiting for Carmina. She is searching the Labyrinth right now, trying to find Abella and Tink. She can do it way faster than we can. Once we are all together again, we can figure out how to find and retrieve the goggles and then get the hell out of here. The witch on the front lawn must have made some progress by now, and I am worried what will happen if she breaks the geas.”

“A few things will happen,” Sofia answered. “Every protection on the house will end, for starters, sending wild magic out into the world to wreak havoc. The house will struggle to decide its own identity and will become a random maze of rooms and hallways. The creatures who still sleep will awaken and flee, and who knows what will become of them. Other magical creatures will sense the artifacts hidden here and become drawn to this place, and it will become a daily battle to keep them out.”

“You speak like you’ve seen it happen.”

“Did you think this house was the only one like it?” Sofia asked. “The architect built several homes such as this one over several centuries.” She frowned, staring at the floor. “They all used to connect to the Library. As far as I know, this home is the last of its kind.”

“There were other houses?” Mike shook his head. “That means there were other Caretakers, right?”

“Indeed, but I couldn’t tell you about them. When a house is destroyed, its secrets are lost. If the geas is broken, our memories of the former Caretakers will fade, and anyone who leaves your side will soon forget you even existed.” Sofia waved her hand dismissively. “That’s the working theory, anyway. It’s the only explanation for why I can’t remember the few Caretakers I worked with from other homes.”

“Shit.” Mike stared at the floor. If he didn’t hurry, not only would the others lose their home, but they would inevitably lose each other. Had the other houses had a family like his? What would happen to them all?

“Now I have a question.” Sofia moved close to one of the columns. “The trap I was caught in wasn’t actually a trap. I mean, it sort of was, but I’ve been stuck here for hours and nobody came to check on it. So either the trap maker is missing, or this room serves some other purpose.”

“What purpose would a room that restrains you even serve?”

Sofia grinned, blushing. “I can think of one.”

Mike laughed. “You think the Minotaur is getting his freak on with someone else in this room?”

“Maybe.” Sofia looked up into the dark of the ceiling, her eye narrowing. “What is that?”

“What is what?” Mike tried to follow her gaze, but it was all shadows to him.

“Here.” She held out a hand, and Mike handed her the dagger. Appraising one of the columns, she made a few strategic cuts. The unseen canopy above them shifted, and several vines drooped down. Mike moved out of the way, seeing that there was something tangled up in the vegetation. When it moved low enough, Sofia jumped up. Mike was surprised to see just how high she went—if she ever wanted to try out for the WNBA, he was sure they would have her. She grabbed hold of the substance in the canopy and pulled it free. It collided with Mike, and his whole world went dark.

“What the hell is this?” He was under a giant piece of fabric that felt leathery to the touch.

“Can’t tell.” Sofia found him in the dark and planted a small kiss on his jawline. She sliced a hole above them, and they stepped free of the unknown fabric.

“Holy fucking…fuck.” Mike stared in awe at their new discovery. It was huge, big enough to carpet the living room of the house. Wrinkled at the edges, it was covered in dark spots that were primarily focused along the middle. It had been up there for some time and held a slightly musky odor. Sofia handed him back his dagger, which he clutched tightly in his fist.

The fabric was a giant snakeskin.

“This is an interesting clock you have here.” Daryl was turning over the mimic in his hands, inspecting it carefully. “And you said Mr. Radley wanted you to fix it?”

“Yeah.” Dana sat next to Daryl in the back of the town car, which was on the freeway now. She was envious of the other drivers who passed them, oblivious to just how awful life could actually be. Also, the smell of the freeway was absolutely dreadful. It was a mixture of fuel, asphalt, and the body odor of everyone who drove by.

“Tell me everything about it that you know.” Daryl was inspecting a maker’s mark on the bottom of the clock. “And keep in mind I can tell when you are lying.”

“Why do you think the clock is so important?” Dana didn’t like being forced to cooperate with Daryl, even if it did mean being allowed to pass on. The mimic had been willing to help her, and she didn’t feel that that was info Daryl needed to have. “I mean, it looks like a clock.”

Daryl gave her a look, then opened a panel on the back. Inside, the gears slowly spun around each other. “He wanted you to fix it. Why?”

“I was delivering him a pizza when I spotted it inside the house. I thought it was really cool because I love how clocks work.” Or at least I did, she thought. Enthusiasm seemed to be another emotion lost to her as well.

“Hmm. I sense a bit of confusion in your words.” He hooked his fingers inside the clock. “You said you spent hours fixing this, but if I were to rip these out, it wouldn’t bother you.”

“Well, it would…I guess.”

Daryl laughed. “Consider this one of the side effects of being dead. You see, I needed your body and mind in perfect condition so as to not arouse suspicion. Take my driver,