Page 146 of Dancing for the Minotaur

“Oh, thank God!”

Terra dropped to her knees just in time to catch both children as they slammed into her. She wrapped one arm around Cody and the other around Lisa, dragging them so tightly against her chest that she knew she was probably squeezing too hard, but neither child complained.

“Thank God. Thank God. My babies!” she whispered over and over.

The tears came immediately—hot and unstoppable—sliding down Terra’s cheeks as she buried her face, first in Lisa’s hair, and then against Cody’s shoulder.

She touched everything she could reach as though she had to reassure herself that they were real—the backs of their heads, their shoulders, their little arms and hands. Cody was saying something about being okay while Lisa was crying into Terra’s blouse, but for a long time none of the words registered. All Terra could think was that they were here. They were alive. They were warm and solid in her arms, and no one had taken them away from her forever.

“I thought I lost you,” she whispered brokenly, kissing Lisa’s forehead and then Cody’s cheek. “Oh God, I thought I lost both of you.”

“We’re okay, Mom,” Cody told her, though his voice trembled.

“The Bull-man came,” Lisa added tearfully. “He saved us.”

“I know, baby.” Terra kissed her again. “I know.”

She didn’t know how long they remained kneeling there together, tangled in one another’s arms in the foyer. It might have been thirty seconds or five minutes. Time had stopped making sense somewhere between the text message Orlov sent her and Taurex’s phone call, and Terra no longer cared. She only knew that gradually the frantic pounding of her heart began to ease and the world outside the little circle of her children started coming back into focus.

That was when she became aware of Taurex.

He was standing several feet away in the doorway that led into the main living area, giving them space. His enormous body seemed to fill the opening, and his horns framed his head against the pale walls, but there was nothing threatening about him. He was simply watching the three of them with a solemn expression in his golden eyes, and something about the way he stood there—silent, patient, asking for nothing—made Terra’s throat tighten all over again.

“Would you like something to steady your nerves?” he asked quietly. “Some hot tea, perhaps?”

Terra wiped at her wet cheeks with one hand while keeping her other arm firmly around Lisa.

“Yes, please. Tea would be great.”

“Come, then,” he rumbled. “I’ll make you some.”

He led them into the penthouse, and Terra kept one child on either side of her, almost afraid they might disappear if she let go.

Taurex didn’t comment. Instead, he went directly to the kitchen and began gathering food for Cody and Lisa with the calm efficiency of someone who understood that frightened children needed familiar things. To Terra’s surprise, he pulled a package of Double Stuff Oreos from one of the cabinets and then poured two glasses of milk.

“You have Oreos?” she asked.

Taurex looked almost defensive.

“I enjoy them.”

Despite everything, Terra gave a shaky laugh. “You like the Double Stuff ones?”

“They contain more filling and are clearly superior to the ones with less cream,” he pointed out.

That little glimpse of the Taurex she knew—the serious alien businessman who could turn a cookie preference into a matter of logic—made something ache inside Terra’s chest. She watched as he arranged several Oreos on two plates and handed the children their milk, then led them into the living room and found an episode of SpongeBob on the enormous television.

Lisa immediately climbed onto the couch and tucked her feet beneath herself, while Cody took the other end and began eating his cookies with the ravenous concentration of a child whose body had finally realized the crisis was over. Taurex turned the volume low enough that Terra could still hear if either child called for her, then returned to the kitchen.

By the time Terra joined him, a cup of steaming Earl Grey tea was waiting for her on the table. She sat down and wrapped both hands around the warm mug. Then she took a sip.

Mmmm…two spoons of sugar and a splash of half-and-half. It was exactly right.

Terra looked up at the big Monstrum.

“You remembered how I like my tea—two spoons of sugar and a splash of half-and-half.”

He shrugged.