Page 31 of Of Monsters and Mazes

What the hell had triggered the heat? Was it simply from touching those marks Theron left behind? Did his scars somehow give me some of his power? Maybe he really had been trying to keep me safe.

I peeked out from my hiding place, where a gentle red glow filled the chamber, creating enough light to illuminate the thousands upon thousands of half eaten corpses. That was when it dawned on me that the unexpected flare of fire was the only reason I was able to see my escape route at all.

I fixated on the hundred-armed monster that was glowing with the intensity of a solar flare. A piercing scream echoed through the chamber as the red flesh morphed into flames. Its skin bubbled atop its muscles, and pockets of hot air began bursting across its too many limbs. I covered my mouth to stifle my horror as blood, steam, and melting flesh oozed down its body.

Its exposed muscles started burning next, charring and falling from its bones in large chunks. The beast screamed through strained and damaged vocal chords, continuing in a brutal note until it collapsed to its knees. The red glow only intensified.

The blaze continued roaring through its sinews as its chest muscles all burned away, exposing the cavity with its still beating heart.

The monster swung what was left of its crumbling arms, swiping at its flanks like swatting away an attacker, but all I could successfully fixate on was the stringy, melted globs of skin mixed with puddles of bodily fluids, all pooling around its knees. Its blackened abdominal muscles started falling away next, its intestines spilled from the open chamber of its stomach, then the creature collapsed with a loud thud.

Bones were launched and scattered in the wake of the impact, and the massive monster went limp on the ground.

It was then that the black horned, white haired devil stepped atop his kill. His features were illuminated by firelight, and the soft reds cast menacing shadows across his face that was made truly demonic by his well-placed scars.

His gaze dropped to the crisped and melted creature beneath his feet. Those scars on his cheeks stretched high in the cruelest smile.

Theron didn’t look at me. He kept his eyes on the monster as he whispered “That’s what happens when you touch what’s mine, Aegaeon.”

I might not have caught it if not for the intense quiet and natural amplification of sound in the cave. I was too stunned to speak, while Theron kept his gaze downturned.

“Are you alright, Butterfly?” He asked without making eye contact.

“Yes.” I finally managed to squeak. “It didn’t get a chance to hurt me.” On instinct, I covered my very exposed self the best I could with my arms and my legs.

Theron nodded, still never looking my way, then he hopped off the monster and started digging through the bones. He spoke idly as he searched for whatever he was looking for. “He’s what’s called a Centimane. There aren’t many of them in Tartarus, but what they lack in numbers, they make up for in being really fucking annoying. Aegaeon was the Centimane of the Sea, thus the reason he lives in the Blue Sector.” He kept searching the pile.

“Are there more of them in the Labyrinth?” My voice was still shaking, and I waited for an answer before I dared leave my safe cavern. The threat was neutralized, but the image of it had been burned into my brain, and the phantom sensations of its touch were still crawling over my skin.

“No. Just that one.” His frown that punctuated the statement told me there were plenty of other things to worry about, but at least there weren’t any more of those. “You’re safe now.”

“Thank you.” I squeezed myself together more tightly, then I committed to exiting the hideaway. I started crawling my way back on nervous hands and knees, still finding my sense of safety amidst my unease.

He didn’t acknowledge my appreciation. Instead, he stood up straight, and outstretched his hand. He had my shirt and my skirt in his grip while pointedly looking away. “Please put your clothes on.”

I blinked several times, trying to process what was happening.

Wait, was that what he’d been looking for? And was that why he was avoiding looking in my direction?

I steadied myself in the pile, then I made my way over to accept my clothing. He turned his head further away as I neared with my body on full display.

I tilted my head in confusion. “Wait, why are you being so weird? You’ve already seen me naked. You’ve already—”

“That was a dream. This is not a dream. It’s different.” He cut me off immediately, then thrust my clothing towards me again. I grabbed my outfit, then pulled back on my skirt first. Even as I bent over, Theron never so much as stole a peek.

Unexpectedly respectful…

“How so?” My lips twitched into a smile.

“Because it is.” He snapped. Was he… blushing? I would have laughed if I wasn’t still so freshly traumatized.

I pulled on my top next, then I tucked it into my skirt securely. I drew in a heavy, relaxing breath, not caring that the thin cotton barely hid the shape and details of my breasts. When Theron at last met my eyes, I couldn’t help but notice the way his gaze dipped for only a fraction of a second before he settled on my face.

Normally if a guy looked at me like that, I’d think him a pig, but Theron was actively uncomfortable with this whole situation right now. Which was comical, all things considered.

“I don’t get it. What’s the difference? You literally full on fucked me on that table.” I kept poking, maybe more for my own amusement than actual curiosity.

“Yes, a conjured, phantom version of me fucked a conjured, phantom version of you in a fabricated dream scenario. This is the real you in the real world. It’s. Different.” His words were increasingly clipped.