Page 57 of The Demon's Pet

Its head was part bull, part human. It had a blunted snout with a bull nose, bull ears, and a large flat face.

Other features, like its eyes, looked almost human. They glowed green as it looked at me.

It was hugely muscled, with fur on the edges of its limbs and tanned human skin in the middle. It had rippling, impossible muscles. Human pecs. Human abs, covered in thick fur from the waist down. It stood on two huge, hoofed legs that extended back like a satyr, with huge black hooves at the bottom.

Hooves that stirred the grass as it began to breathe hard, looking as if it wanted to charge me.

I stayed still for a split second as it studied me, hoping it would simply think me an animal.

By the look in the thing’s eyes, I realized even that didn’t make me safe.

This had to be a minotaur.

I took off, springing off my back feet lightning fast, bounding through the trees and back over the water.

Os would know what to do, right? My heart was pounding as though it would explode, and my entire body was wracked with fear as I ran forward, splashing through the stream loudly and running up toward the camp.

Os and Griffin stood as I reached them, and I didn’t even have time to explain before a bellow rent the air, and the minotaur burst into the clearing.

The beast was sweaty from its chase and even more terrifying in the sunlight outside the trees.

Its furred human hands clenched into fists as it stomped toward us.

Os moved in front of me and Griffin. “Let me handle this.”

“Move, celestial,” it growled in a low, bellowing voice. “You know the rules. Give me the mortals.”

Another minotaur came out of the woods, crossing the stream to stand behind the first.

A third followed, then a fourth. They were huge and apparently moved in groups.

Or maybe they’d just heard the bellow of the first one.

The one in front licked his lips, rubbing his hands together.

“Two of us can breed. Excellent.”

Griffin looked at me at the same time I looked at him.

“I can take one,” Os said. “Four? Doubtful. I’d have to kill them, and—”

“Angels don’t like killing,” Griffin said.

“No,” Os said. “It weakens us.” He sighed, raising a hand. “But I’ll do what I have to. Get ready to fly off with Cleo if things go bad.”

“I won’t leave you here,” Griffin said.

The minotaurs approached slowly, ominously, their hooves clacking against the stones in the riverbed.

“You know the rules, celestial,” the minotaur in front said. “I won’t tell you again. Give us the mortals.”

13

We heard flapping above, and I glanced up to see Sam flying in, looking like a dark shadow against the sky as he hovered above us, observing the situation.

“Minotaurs are demigods,” Griffin said. “A lot to take on even for a celestial.”

I wondered for a moment if Sam might just leave us there as punishment for being stupid enough to stop in the minotaur area.

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