But the minotaur is on my side, because he turns and begins to lumber down the tunnel. I shift back and pad along next to him, my senses on high alert. When the bull takes a sharp right, a new smell catches my attention.
Amidst the damp earth and death scent is something lighter, cleaner, and positively bright. It smells like green. Like sun-baked grass and freedom.
Ooh! It's a shiny, outside smell!
11
Max, that hulking, demonic dog-thing practically brushes shoulders with the minotaur.
Side by side, the two look like a sick metal album cover.
I would be intimidated, but I’m not, seeing as I can run as fast as a fucking Twilight vamp, plus fire an arrow through the eye of a needle at a hundred yards.
Knowing that Wes probably has these same abilities keeps me sane.
Suddenly, Max freezes, his massive head jerking up like he catches a scent in the air.
“Something there?” Cosmo asks.
“Is it Wes?” I add, heart thudding.
Max lets out this weird, guttural yip, like a monster trying to imitate a chihuahua, and then tears off further into the tunnel.
“There he goes,” mutters Cosmo. “Great idea to let the dog lead."
He's pissed. He hates not being in charge.
Cosmo has always been mega arrogant, and becoming a golden dragon isn’t going to help that. Dude probably thinks he's the king of the universe, but whatever, he's still my brother, and I love the preppy douche. When it’s just me, Wes and Cos, we have the best time.
“Ludo says there is an exit ahead,” Theo chimes in. Her ability to pluck our thoughts from nowhere still sends shivers down my spine.
—Love you, Tee-Tee—
She tightens her arms around my torso and places a kiss against my spine, then gets back to business, all warrior-woman fierce like.
"Get moving,” Alexis commands. “I don’t want Max leaping into something without backup.” The minotaur must disagree because he raises a hand in a very obvious halt gesture.
“What’s wrong?” whispers Theo. I don’t know if she gets an answer, but the next second, the minotaur is striding towards me.
What the fuck?
He grabs my neck, so I swing a punch at his midsection, which is like hitting a wall of granite. Luckily, my centaur hands don’t break easily.
“Ludo?”
My Tee-Tee doesn’t look particularly concerned as the minotaur pulls my head towards his cow mouth. I like her trusting nature, but come on.
“Ohh,” she breathes a beat later. “Ludo picked up a scent. He’s checking yours and says it’s very similar. It must be Wes.”
So much for Maximus and his super nose. “Wes came this way, baby-girl?”
“Yes, and recently. Thank the Gods, we are on the right path,” she confirms.
Wes is close.
The minotaur releases me from his grip and stalks to the front of our party again.
Rounding yet another corner, the air in the tunnel feels fresher, like someone opened a window. Then I notice leaves rustling on the ground beneath our feet. We’re close to being outside.
