Monster Girl Sanctuary: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy by Marcus Sloss & Steven Zee

Author:Marcus Sloss & Steven Zee [Sloss, Marcus & Zee, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Royal Guard Publishing LLC
Published: 2025-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Nineteen

Of course, nothing could remain peaceful for long, could it? I knew that more people attracted more trouble, especially a chaotic group like we were, but I had conveniently forgotten about it. Before long, however, the problems came to find us.

The day started out like any other. Lucy rolled out of our bed early to start on breakfast, mostly the leftovers from last night, while I woke up a little more slowly. Kijo showed up as I was changing, whistling at me with a playful wink before plopping herself down at the dining table.

I rolled my eyes at her as I sat down next to her. Lucy brought over a plate of leftover bread as well as the large pot with the remaining stew. Though it was meant for us to spoon into our own bowls, I watched Kijo pick up the entire pot and start to spoon it into her mouth.

Shaking my head, I picked up a piece of bread and pulled a small clay container of jam toward me, then scooped some up with a knife. “That was meant for everyone, you know,” I stated, gesturing with the jam-covered blade.

“Then they should have woken up earlier.” Kijo’s voice echoed in the pot.

“We can always make more,” Lucy encouraged warmly, sitting down to join us.

Ariana and Adrian showed up not long after, carrying some of the fresh fruits from the storeroom that served as their living space. Ariana got to work cutting it up while Adrian filled a teapot with water and placed it on the stove.

Marina arrived last, yawning, her gauzy clothing fluttering behind her. “I slept very well last night,” she informed us. “I felt safe, you know, like I didn’t need to keep watch for anything. This place is magical.”

She had no idea how right she was, I thought with a smile.

As I chomped down on the strawberry jam-covered bread, Ariana paused, frowning. “I think someone’s coming up the mountain.”

I immediately put my bread aside, on high alert. “All right. Let me see.” I stood with a sigh, walking to the cave entrance.

Echidna’s Labyrinth had been slowly fading into obscurity for the last few centuries, and that was how I liked it. Peace here meant peace in the rest of the world for non-humans. Just because Lucy thought that things could be better didn’t mean that it wasn’t fine where it was.

The visitors to the Labyrinth had started to trail off recently. Not as many non-humans sought passage to the Fae Wilds anymore, instead remaining content with this world. Beyond that, there was the occasional pilgrim who came to pay their respects, human and nonhuman both.

And then, of course, there were the “heroes,” humans who sought passage through the Labyrinth and into the Fae Wilds. I used the term derisively, especially because I had been one of them, once upon a time, and now thought back on my history with sad frustration. Foolish and misguided, they were often inspired by stories of heroism from times past and seeking adventure to prove themselves, not thinking about the consequences.

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