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He’s not bull-rushing into love.
An asteroid is on a collision course with Earth, but no one will listen to Circe; they claim her data and theory are wrong. Only Taurus takes her seriously, but she has her doubts a man—even one who calls himself a Zodiac Warrior—can do anything to prevent the disaster. She becomes even more skeptical when he claims they must go on a quest to recreate an ancient artifact.
However, with time running out, what other choice does Circe have but to trust the handsome man who shows her magic truly exists?
Together, they will embark on a quest into the mythical Labyrinth, where they will pit their wits and skills against perils in their path and race the clock while trying to create the one thing that can save them.
Will it be enough, or will Circe have to break Taurus’ heart to save humanity?
Prologue
The doom of civilization began the moment the avatar for the Ophiuchus constellation finally escaped its dark void prison. Its series of stars, nestled in the Milky Way, started glowing brighter, not that most people noticed or cared.
Astronomers, who watched the night sky on a regular basis, did wonder why the Thirteenth Zodiac suddenly shone more clearly than before. However, their interest in it quickly waned as something more astonishing occurred.
READ MOREFrom the Milky Way, whose spinning arms contained a multitude of solar systems, emerged an interstellar object. An asteroid, not an alien ship, to the dismay of many. Still, despite it not being a UAP, the rare occurrence did rouse curiosity. To date, only two other interstellar objects had ever been observed entering Earth’s solar system. The first, a cigar-shaped rock in 2017 that was named ‘Oumuamua. It caused great excitement among observers, as it demonstrated non-gravitational acceleration, which led many to theorize it might have actually been an extraterrestrial craft with a propulsion system. However, the scientific community explained that this phenomenon was likely due to internal gases combusting.
The second object, the Borisov comet, appeared in 2019 and didn’t garner nearly as much attention, as it obeyed the laws scientists thought set in stone and its trajectory took it out of Earth’s solar system.
All this to show the rarity of interstellar objects, meaning the third one in such a short time frame had astronomers in a tizzy, especially since, like ‘Oumuamua, it had varying orbital characteristics—like a comet—yet was confirmed through spectroscopy to be comprised of rocky materials—making it an asteroid.
While many drooled at the thought of getting samples, they had to content themselves with tracking and capturing images because the modelling showed it wouldn’t come anywhere close to Earth. A good thing, since, given its size, an impact with the surface of the planet would have been catastrophic.
Only one person predicted it would shift course, not that anyone believed her.
Those within the rocketing asteroid made sure of that.
Chapter 1
“…and that is how we ended up saving Tower and acquiring a thirteenth warrior.” Aries concluded his summary to a drop-jawed Taurus.
Apparently, the months Taurus spent hunting a misbehaving werewolf meant he missed a mega battle. Bummer. He’d have much preferred to be pitting his skills against mercenaries than stalking the smelly canine that led him on a merry chase through the untamed forests of Hungary. Even worse, in the end, he’d not even been the one to kill the rabid beast. That honor went to the werewolf’s wife, who’d invested in some silver bullets when she realized her husband had been the one killing all their neighbors. When the hairy bastard brazenly returned home, he met his fatal end.
With the mission complete, Taurus returned to Tower for some R&R, where not only did he get to hear all about the epic fight he’d missed, but he also got to meet Aries and Sage’s baby girl. Tiny little thing, kind of boring if you asked him, unlike Leo’s talkative—and spooky at times—daughter, Olivia.
A kid who suddenly looked at him from across the dining room table and said, “Uncy Taurus, you should shave.”
The comment led to Taurus stroking the splendid beard that had grown wild during his absence. “I thought you liked my beard.” Upon seeing it, Olivia had clapped her hands and demanded her daddy grow one just as bushy.
“I do, but the green lady won’t.” An announcement that drew the attention of everyone gathered to eat breakfast.
The usually gruff Leo used a pussy-soft voice to ask, “What green lady?”
Rather than reply to that query, Olivia held out her hand. “Can I have another piece of bacon, please?”
Sage snagged a strip and handed it over while cradling her newborn to her chest. “Olivia, can you tell us about the green lady?”
“She needs help.”
“What kind of help? Is she in trouble? Did you have a vision?” Sage used to be their only seer until Leo reunited with his missing daughter. Turned out Olivia had the gift, too, but she’d yet to learn to control it and thus tended to blurt out the most random things, such as telling him he should be practicing his sword skills—as if he wasn’t a master with his weapon of choice already.
“I saw the green lady in my dream last night. Her and Uncy Taurus,” Olivia said in between chewing her strip of bacon.
“What were they doing?” Thankfully Sage possessed more patience than Taurus. He only held back from barking at the kid because doing so would likely lead to Leo pummeling his face to a pulp.
“They was arguing.”
“About what?” Sage kept doing her best to draw out answers.
“I don’t remember. Just that Uncy Taurus is gonna help because no one believes her.”
“Believes her about what?” Leo took over questioning since the baby began to fuss.
Olivia’s nose wrinkled. “Dunno. Couldn’t see that part. But I think you need to find something.”
“And you’re sure it’s me who helps her?” Taurus couldn’t help but sound dubious because he really didn’t seem like the right choice in a mission that required detective work. He tended to be more likely to lose things than find them.
“Yes, you. There’s gonna be monsters, so make sure you bring your sword,” Olivia exclaimed, bouncing in her seat.
Twice now she’d mentioned his favorite weapon, which prompted Taurus to ask, “Where do I find this green lady?”
“In the library.”
“Um, can you be more specific?” Leo queried. “There’s a lot of libraries in the world.”
“Ours, silly.” Olivia snickered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Wait, the green lady is inside Tower?” Taurus exclaimed, rising from his chair.
“Not yet. I gotta pee.” Olivia suddenly slid from her chair and raced away, leaving the adults to stare at each other in confusion.
“How is a random stranger going to end up in our library?” Aries mused aloud.
“You know Tower likes to collect strays,” Sage reminded as she rubbed the baby’s back.
The magical and sentient structure acted as a home and base for the Zodiac Warriors, but they weren’t the only inhabitants. Although, it should be noted, the warriors never ran into the others. Tower did an excellent job keeping them apart.
“Guess I’ll be camping out in the library until this green lady shows up.” Taurus grimaced. After months of sleeping on the hard ground, he’d been looking forward to snoozing in his bed.
“I don’t think we need to be that drastic. Olivia didn’t give a timeframe. Could be today, tomorrow, a month from now,” Aries noted, but he wore a frown.
“I’m thinking it won’t be long, since Olivia advised me to shave,” Taurus remarked, stroking his beard. Should he remove it? Nah, he’d grown attached, and it was much too epic to toss by the wayside. Besides, why should he care if this green lady would hate it?
“I say the sooner, the better. That bird’s nest on your chin is hideous.”
“Hey!” Taurus glared at Capricorn, who shrugged.
“Just saying it like it is. Right, Zora?” Capricorn glanced at the woman who’d been sitting quietly beside him.
Lots had changed since Taurus left for his mission. Capricorn now had a girlfriend, but not just anyone. During Aries’ summary of events while he’d been gone, Taurus learned Zora was a Zodiac Warrior. Kind of shocking considering they’d never realized a thirteenth ever existed. Even more astonishing, she was the first female one.
Zora shook her head. “Don’t you dare drag me into this.”
“Actually, I want to know. I mean, you’re a woman. Is my splendid beard really that bad?” Taurus gave her his most winsome smile.
Zora shrugged. “Not up to me if I like it or not.”
Before Taurus could continue to pester her, one of the other new residents spoke up. “I will say, personally, I prefer clean shaven.” Dr. Ruth Warmstone’s lips curved into a smile. She side-eyed her paramour, Leo, before adding, “Less chin burn.”
The comment led to Leo’s face turning beet red. “I’m going to check on Olivia.” The man sprang from his chair and sprinted out of the dining room to Ruth’s snickers.
“That was naughty of you,” Sage chided with a smile.
“I can’t resist,” Ruth replied with a laugh.
Zora stood. “I do believe it’s time for my next training lesson also known as my daily ass whooping.”
“Soon, you’ll be the one kicking my butt,” Capricorn promised as they left.
“Guess that’s my cue that I should get to work, too.” Aries stood, and Sage held out the baby.
“Mind taking Little Bean? I’m going to try for a nap.”
“Sure thing.” Aries glanced at Taurus. “Keep me in the loop about the green lady.”
“Will-do, boss.”
“Hold up, Sage, I’ll walk you to our suite.” Aries cradled the baby to his chest and waited for his wife.
“Go ahead. I’m going to chat with Taurus for a minute before heading up.” She waved Aries away and then proceeded to stare at Taurus. He fidgeted under the intent scrutiny.
Sage sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m too exhausted to see anything. Little Bean’s been waking every two hours at night for feeding.”
“Don’t worry about it. At least Olivia offered some warning, and I’m sure Tower will give me a nudge when I need to deal with the intruder.”
“Don’t be so sure of that,” Sage countered. “Could be Tower welcomes her inside.”
“In that case, guess I’ll be spending some time in the library.” Which sounded like loads of fun. NOT! “Since you’re tired, want me to run you up the stairs?” The steep and winding steps could be arduous.
Sage shook her head. “Thanks for the offer, but no need. Tower will transport me. It’s been most helpful in my recovery.”
“Wish it would do the same for me after leg day,” he muttered. Nothing like walking numerous flights of stairs with burning thighs.
Sage left, and Taurus sat a moment longer, drumming his fingers on the table.
“Guess you won’t be getting any time to relax,” Ruth remarked.
“Ah, I’ve never been one to remain idle for long,” he replied to the psychologist before instantly regretting it. He’d like to skip over a session of psychoanalysis. He was much more suited to action, hence his preference for spending his spare time in the gym honing his skills and bulking his muscles, instead of loitering in the library, a place he’d not visited in ages. He’d never been a fan of reading, mostly because it involved sitting still and looking at words—so many words.
Speaking of which… He stood from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to reacquaint myself with the repository of books up there.” The library sat one level above the dining hall and took only seconds to reach since Taurus bounded up the steps three at a time.
He entered the space and immediately grimaced at the sight of all the books. Made him wonder what the green lady would be looking for. Probably something rare or out of print but not so scarce Tower wouldn’t have a copy.
Colorful spines that spanned an entire shelf caught his eye, and he hunched to read the titles. Legend of Scorpio. Sins of Leo. Capture of Capricorn.
Snort. While he’d heard of the books that detailed each Zodiac sigil’s exploits, he’d never checked them out before. His gaze hit the one labelled Taurus’ Quest. Well damn. Could have sworn his used to have a different title.
Having never bothered reading it, he suddenly decided, why not take a peek? Only the book refused to slide out from its tightly wedged spot. He pulled harder, but it wouldn’t budge. Ah, well. He didn’t need to read about how great the previous Taurus used to be, and he well remembered his own successful adventures.
Getting to his feet, he glanced around to refresh himself on the layout. The outer wall held a single window covered in a heavy curtain. When he pulled it aside for a glance, he noticed no easy way of entering unless someone could somehow scale smooth stone. The only other entrance was the door he’d entered.
To reach the library, this green lady would have to first enter Tower, which led to the question, how would she arrive in the first place? Only those with the Zodiac blessing could find Tower, let alone see it. Forget getting here by normal means, AKA by car or on foot. A journey via land involved trekking through some harsh terrain lacking roads, but it wasn’t impossible. Aries said the mercenaries who’d recently attacked had managed the trip using UTVs.
Technically, a helicopter would make for an easy journey, but that would require a pilot not flying blindly past. Tower protected against intruders by encircling itself with a camouflage that few could penetrate, which led to him contemplating what Aries claimed about the recent invasion. Apparently, some dude had found a way to bring down Tower’s shield. While those mercenaries had been defeated, Taurus had to wonder if the Tower had returned to being as impenetrable as before.
The most common way folks entered Tower was via the portal room. That magical space contained daises inscribed with the sigils of the Zodiac, which allowed the warriors the ability to quickly return home. Apart from the daises, there were also some arches that led to several locations around the world. Could be this woman would intentionally, or accidentally, step through one. Unlikely, given they weren’t accessible to the public. A few even had guards, like the one Libra watched over.
However, the teleporting arches remained the most likely point of entry for an intruder. Maybe he should camp out by the portal room so he could waylay this green lady before she infiltrated too far.
First, though, a workout, followed by a shower and then a flop onto his comfy, king-sized bed where’d he enjoy a twelve… No, make that sixteen-hour sleep. Might as well squeeze one in before the lady arrived.
The workout left his body sore, but in a good way. Sweaty, too. He skipped Olivia’s shaving advice and jumped right into a hot shower which did much to ease his muscles. He’d only begun rinsing the suds from his flesh when the water abruptly ceased flowing. He glanced at the showerhead, frowned, wiggled the taps. Nothing. What the hell?
“Tower, mind turning the water back on?”
No reply. Tower didn’t really speak in words, but it had ways of communicating. Not in this instance, though. Taurus sighed as he wrapped a towel around his hips before hitting the hall outside his room in the hopes someone else’s apartment had a working shower. Only the moment he stepped outside his place, he found himself staring at blank walls.
As in, no doors. Not even his own.
Still clutching his damp towel around his hips, Taurus glared at the smooth wall. “Not funny, Tower. Let me back in.”
Nothing changed, so he sighed. “Okay, Tower, what do you need from me?”
A shove from behind had him whirling to see the hall behind had disappeared. The new wall in its place nudged him toward the stairs.
“Subtle, Tower, real subtle,” Taurus grumbled as he began heading down.
And down.
The landings for the floors beneath his apartment had disappeared, leaving only the winding stairs that ended, no surprise, on the library level. Guess their guest had arrived—and at a most inopportune moment.
“Dude,” he groaned. “Can’t I at least put on some pants first?”
None appeared.
Guess he’d be meeting the green lady a little more naked than usual—and he didn’t mean just lacking clothes. No gun, sword, not even his pocketknife.
Sigh. “If I die, I hope it’s bloody and takes you forever to clean the mess,” he grumbled before stalking into the library.
Chapter 2
The simulation ran using the most up-to-date information on planetary positions. Circe leaned forward and watched as the screen plotted the trajectory for the asteroid that emerged from the Milky Way. Once more, the software showed it avoiding Earth.
Good, right?
Not for Circe, who’d been trying to prove an ancient mechanism of tracking astral events was just as accurate as their modern instruments. Again and again, the two systems showed much different results.
Circe huffed and leaned back in her seat.
Andreas, who worked in another department but seemed to always find a reason to be around, paused by her desk. “Ready to give up?”
“Just about,” she grumbled.
“I don’t know why you’re wasting time trying to prove we’re in dire danger based on what a relic indicated. A device manufactured more than a thousand years ago isn’t capable of being as precise as our monitoring systems.” Everyone in the National Observatory of Athens had heard of her presentation, where she’d put forth her—according to them, wild—theory that the asteroid named 8675309 Odyssey would shift its course due to a subtle shift in planetary positions and collide with Earth. There’d been laughter at her claim because, according to the other astronomers, even if the Milky Way had changed the force it exerted on their solar system due to the recently changed Ophiuchus constellation, it would take a long, long time before any noticeable movement in planets occurred.
Circe pursed her lips. “Our computers are only as smart as the data we feed them.”
“Data that is refreshed daily,” he reminded.
“Collected by computers with pre-set programming, meaning it’s not infallible.”
A comment that led to him snorting. “More accurate than this anchor thingy that you’re obsessed with. I don’t know why you’d believe it over what our telescopes and satellites can detect.”
“It’s called the Antikythera mechanism, and despite the differences between it and our data, I disagree. Whoever built it”—the original creator was unknown—“had an understanding of the cosmos that defies explanation. They were well ahead of their time.”
“A time long past,” Andreas scoffed. “I’d suggest you stick to modern science. Or don’t. It’s your job on the line, not mine.”
Not just her job, though. Circe bit her lip rather than blurt out her dire prediction that if they were wrong about the data, then asteroid 8675309 would cause a catastrophic event rivalling that of the one that killed the dinosaurs. Andreas had already mocked her enough for her theory. “I’m supposed to seek out threats to Earth from our solar system.”
“What threat? Every simulation we’ve run shows the asteroid is set to pass us by. The sun’s not showing signs of emitting any solar flares of note. What’s left? Little green men?”
“Don’t you mean gray?” she riposted, annoyed at Andreas, mostly because it fed into her doubt. Was she wasting her time? She’d been studying the Antikythera mechanism for months now. Even had a replica of one at home that did what it claimed. Predicted eclipses and planetary positions. Until recently, it had been spot-on. That all changed, though, when Ophiuchus began shining brighter. Since then, its results had been diverging from their collected data.
The sudden difference bothered. It didn’t help that everyone she’d shown it pointed out the age of the mechanical artifact and the fact the replicas of the device were based on an incomplete model. The original Antikythera mechanism, the size of a shoe box with intricate gears and dials that showed a precision that should have been impossible for its time, had been found in a sunken ship. Only a third of the mechanism was salvaged, but those who rebuilt it claimed they’d figured out the missing parts. Could be they’d not rebuilt it correctly, hence why she got differing results. Alas, the original plans for the device had never been recovered, so no one could be sure if the replicas were exact.
“Give your history project a rest and join us for some drinks,” Andreas suggested. “There’s going to be a live band playing at the bar down the street.”
“Not tonight. I need to feed my cat.” A lie. She didn’t own a cat, but without a proper excuse, Andreas would keep pressuring.
“And this is why I have no pets or children. I like my freedom.” Andreas laughed as he strode off. A handsome man, but much too arrogant and annoying for her to even contemplate dating. Not to mention, she valued her job more than a fling.
However, he did have a point. She needed a break.
She logged off and grabbed her things, slipping on her green cloak, an item she’d splurged on when she saw it in a shop selling vintage clothing. It covered her head to toe, the deep cowl of it welcome on rainy and windy days. She headed off on foot, her apartment being only a seventeen-minute walk—when she could travel the most direct route.
A grimace crossed her face as she noticed the road and sidewalk she used daily had been closed for construction since she’d left her apartment that morning. The inaccessibility led to her having to veer onto a side street that looked much like her own. Tightly constructed buildings, of which the main floor of some were given over to businesses, with the upper levels being used for residential dwellings.
As she strolled, a sudden clap of thunder drew her attention to the dark clouds overhead. She quickened her step, hoping to make it home before the storm unleashed. Alas, she remained still a good ten-minute walk from her place, seven maybe if she ran, when the droplets began falling. Not wanting to get soaked by the deluge, she ducked into the nearest shop. A tiny bell over the door announced her presence.
No one stood behind the counter cluttered with bins and a cash register, but she could hear a male talking to someone out of sight in the back. To bide time while the rain fell heavily, she began to browse the aisles of the eclectic shop that appeared to only carry Zodiac-themed items. Shelves held various figurines meant to represent each sigil. Aries, with his curled horns. Pisces, the fish. Taurus, the bull. Plaques placed in front of different sets indicated the artists who’d created the models. Beyond those displays, a row full of placards and windchimes, again inscribed either with a specific symbol or all of them in a wheel.
What an interesting store, and how surprising she’d never visited. The stars that comprised the Zodiac had been one of her first obsessions as a young girl. Her parents had gifted her a telescope at Christmas, and she spent many a night out on their balcony aiming it at the sky, locating each and every constellation. It turned out to be an obsession she never grew out of, hence why she ended up getting her degree in astronomy, which led to her job at the observatory.
As she browsed books in the rearmost section, the lights suddenly went out. Bells tinkled, indicating someone opened the door, and the distinct thump indicated it had been shut, but more ominous? The click of someone engaging a lock.
COLLAPSE
