Page 82 of Monsters in Love: Lost in the Underworld

I nodded vigorously, trying to look both apologetic and nonchalant. “Yep, that's it. Just a late-night snack. You know, like how some people raid the fridge at midnight, but, um, more... sacrilegious?”

Good one, Mara, I inwardly grimaced.

His expression didn’t change, but the silence that followed was thick with an uncomfortable mix of judgment and mild curiosity. It was the kind of silence that made me wish for a trapdoor to magically appear—maybe with a confetti cannon for good measure.

I wonder if he did magic tricks. Could he pull a rabbit out of a hat, or would that be too, I don’t know, mundane for an ancient deity?

Mara, you just had to pick tonight.

Okay, think. Think fast. He had that whole brooding, grumpy vibe going on, which might mean he was not in the mood for a long-winded explanation or a dramatic escape. I needed a plan—something swift, decisive, and maybe a little bit daring.

First, figure out if there was any way out of this temple that didn’t involve becoming a permanent resident. Maybe there was a hidden exit or a forgotten passageway. Focus on the layout of the place. Was that an old, dusty tapestry in the corner? Could it hide a secret door? Or was it just a piece of ancient decor? If anything, I could sprint over there, climb it, and possibly leap out the window and hope for the best. Sand was soft upon impact, wasn’t it?

Second, keep him talking. Deities had egos, right? If I could get him riled up enough, he may get distracted by his own grandiosity. Most men were. And he sounded male.

I stole another glance.

Yes, definitely all male.

Maybe I could compliment him on his godly attire or mention how impressive his domain was. Nothing too groveling—a girl had to have standards—just enough to keep him occupied.

If all else fails, improvise. I was pretty good at making things up on the fly. Maybe pretend to faint dramatically, or offer a ridiculously grand apology and hope he had a sense of humor buried somewhere under that intimidating exterior.

Summoning every ounce of bravado I could muster, I squared my shoulders and plastered on my most winning smile as the figure drew nearer.

“Um, hey there, big guy,” I said, my voice trembling slightly as I addressed the imposing figure before me. “Nice temple you've got here. Very...ancient.”

The deity’s eyes narrowed further, and the shadows around him seemed to deepen, swirling like a storm brewing just for me. I could almost feel the weight of his displeasure pressing down on me, thick and heavy like an ancient curse.

The same way the humidity feels in the south. It was why I moved… all the way to an ancient town in Egypt and never looked back. I mean, it had nothing to do with murdering my cheating ex and stuffing pieces of him down the garbage disposal only to have his family members who worked for the government come after me.

After the excitement of escaping without a scratch, I thought I’d take up a new hobby.

“So,” I continued, trying to keep my tone light, “what’s the deal with the whole 'disturbing the sanctity' thing? I mean, surely you have some kind of... I don’t know, warning system? A 'no entry' sign, maybe?”

The deity let out a low, rumbling growl that reverberated through the stone walls, causing dust to fall from the ceiling and making the ancient carvings seem to shift and writhe with disapproval.

Bad joke. Yeah. Love me some gothic boys, but this far into real-life horror, not so much.

“Enough of your foolishness,” he intoned, his voice now a deep, chilling echo that seemed to reverberate through my very bones. Was that hint of annoyance at the end? “You have defiled my temple, and for that, you shall face the consequences.”

Before I could react, the shadows around him fused into sinister forms—phantom-like creatures with glowing eyes and spectral limbs. They moved with eerie, fluid grace, advancing toward me with a menacing intent that made my heart race. The air grew colder, and the flickering torchlight seemed to cast monstrous, writhing shapes on the walls.

I backed away slowly, trying to avoid the advancing phantoms. My fingers abruptly brushed against something solid. I turned to find a heavy, ancient staff leaning against the wall. It was carved with symbols that seemed to pulse with a faint, eerie light.

Oh, it was my lucky day. I threw a pretty good pole vault once in high school. How different could spearing a deity be?

I grabbed the ancient staff, its surface warming as if in response to my panic. I swung it desperately, trying to create a barrier between myself and the approaching phantoms. A strange crackle of power hummed in the air around me. The staff emitted a bright light, and I screamed, startled. Good thing I didn’t let go. The blinding light pushed them back momentarily, but their glowing eyes and ghostly limbs continued to advance, driven by some malevolent will.

“Hey, you guys,” I called out, trying to sound braver than I felt. “Ever thought about, I don’t know, forming a metal band or something? You’d be great at Halloween parties.”

Anubis watched, his eyes like twin voids of infinite darkness, unblinking and merciless. His gaze pierced through me as if calculating my every move, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

I prepared to swing again when suddenly, the phantoms halted, their spectral forms quivering as if caught in a magnetic pull. A low, guttural chant began to emanate from Anubis, filling the temple with a chilling resonance. The shadows twisted and merged, forming a massive, undulating shape behind him—a monstrous combination of darkness and despair that seemed to grow larger with each passing second.

I was paralyzed with fear, the realization dawning on me that this was no ordinary godly punishment and that this spear was pointless. The creature forming behind him was not just a figment of ancient myth; it was an entity of pure, unfathomable horror, something beyond my worst nightmares. Its eyes—if they could be called eyes—glowed with a malevolent intelligence, and its mouth opened in a soundless scream that seemed to echo through the very fabric of the universe.

“Look, buddy, I-I don't want any trouble,” I said, my voice trembling with fear as I edged away. “I'll just, um, be on my way, and you can go back to...whatever it is you do in a creepy temple like this.”

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