Hi there! Annabelle here with the next exciting installment of Home for Horny Monsters!
New reader? Go to the beginning, we'll wait for you. No, really, everyone will just sit here until you come back. All caught up now? Great!
Returning readers, happy holidays! Tis the season for monster beatdowns, and this chapter is no exception. I realized when I went to post this that I have one hundred submissions to Lit. ONE. FUCKING. HUNDRED. Wow!
For anyone wondering how I was able to write so many chapters, I'll flat out say that's it's because of the readers here. Without your enthusiasm and support, this story wouldn't exist. So make sure you leave those comments, tap those stars, and show any author you appreciate some love, because you never know what world you may help give birth to next!
Don't forget that I put schedule in my bio if you're dying to know when the next part launches. I try to upload early enough in the week to hit by Friday night, but I'm not the boss of Literotica, so results may vary. Also, apologies to Tobey Maguire and his family. Apparently some close friends of his were upset that I misspelled his name last chapter. I blame the multiverse.
But enough about my life, let's see what's about to go down in
The Coming Apocalypse
Eulalie threw a rock in the air and watched in delight as the enchanted mace zoomed through the sky to swat the stone into the forest behind the house. The rock ricocheted off a tree and vanished into the weeds, startling a pair of birds and a rabbit out into the open.
"Twenty points," she declared, then threw another rock in a different direction. The mace spiraled through the air and hit it hard enough that the rock broke in two. One piece bounced off the house while another passed through Naia's watery body and splashed into the fountain.
"Maybe it's time we tone it down a little." Naia held out her hand and the rock reappeared in her palm. She tossed the offending stone out of the fountain. "For so many reasons."
"Yeah, sorry." Eulalie whistled, and the mace flew down by her side. "We'll play later," she told it while wiping some dust off of its head.
It was late afternoon. Eulalie had left Murray's home shortly after the police had come by to perform a wellness check. She had hidden away from the windows as they circled the house, then put away everything she could before they entered. Lucky for her, she had been keeping the place clean and their cursory sweep was for Murray or his body, not for the magical portal she had hidden by pulling the couch against the wall as she backed through it.
Once the police were gone, she and the rats moved everything back into the Library. The mace had become restless indoors, so she had brought it over to the house to let it fly around the backyard. The sky was overcast with the potential for storms, so she figured that the mace was unlikely to be spotted.
The back door banged open and Suly came walking into the backyard with Cyrus in tow. "Company," he declared while leading the mage over to the fountain. Cyrus had a much nicer bag on his head, one that Zel had brought yesterday from her village.
"This is a surprise." Eulalie frowned at Sofia, who was soaking her feet in the fountain. "I didn't expect you until tonight."
Cyrus shrugged. "I found out that the local police stopped by your neighbor's house and came to see if I could be of any help."
"Ah." As helpful as Cyrus had been the last few days, it didn't surprise her. On the one hand, she wanted to be suspicious of his motives. On the other hand, maybe he really was just trying to help, do some good for others with his golden years. "We should have that sorted, but thank you."
"Not quite," Cyrus replied, then turned his head vaguely toward Suly.
"This one jus' spent the last hour scrubbin' yer prints out of yer rental." Suly winked at Eulalie. "Had me come with 'cause I be thinkin' he wants a trophy fer it."
Eulalie slapped her forehead. She hadn't even considered potential forensic investigations of Murray's home. If he never returned to his job, they would definitely do more than just drop by and knock. It wasn't like her actual prints were on file, but the last thing they needed was a police investigation right next door.
"I don't want a trophy," Cyrus declared from inside his hood. "However, I do think I've demonstrated that I am an ally and can be trusted."
Eulalie narrowed her eyes. "You want us to take the hood off, don't you?"
Cyrus nodded. "I've already seen plenty. To be honest, I've noticed that the only one I have to wear it around is you and I want to know why."
Eulalie looked at Naia, who just shrugged. Amymone was no help. She had her nose buried in a book.
Cyrus had proven himself several times over, but it was still a big gamble. Other then tossing a fireball at Sofia, he hadn't reacted poorly to any of the others. Maybe now that he knew everyone better, it would be okay.
Sofia looked dubious, but said nothing as Eulalie reached out to undo the drawstrings holding the bag shut at the bottom.
Deciding to just rip off the bandaid, she tensed her arm to yank the bag free, but was stopped at the last moment by Sofia. The cyclops had grabbed Eulalie's wrist with both of her hands, her purple iris ablaze with magic. Eulalie had questioned the cyclops at length about her unique precognitive ability, and was under the impression that seeing such a thing meant that personal injury was in Sofia's immediate future.
Eulalie arched an eyebrow and looked at Sofia.
Seriously?
she mouthed.
Sofia nodded.
Very bad idea
, she mouthed back.
Eulalie made a mental note to ask Sofia later what she had seen. It was concerning to know that Cyrus, despite all his talk, would freak out bad enough to harm the others.
"Um, is everything okay?" Cyrus reached for the rim of his bag, but Eulalie deftly re-tied it before he could even touch the hem,
"I had a change of heart," she declared. "Queen's prerogative. I'm like an internet troll. Prefer to remain anonymous."
Cyrus groaned, then took a step back. "Can someone at least help me sit, then?" he asked. "My knees hurt from scrubbing rat prints off the baseboards."
Suly guided the mage over to the fountain where Naia helped him sit and then started massaging his shoulders. Cyrus let out a sigh, but sat like a scorned child.
"So what now?" he asked. "I'm already here, may as well stay. I'm happy to assist with keeping the police away for another couple of days, or maybe you need a night watchman?"
"Yer too eager," Suly said.
"I'll do whatever if it means I don't have to wear this hood," Cyrus replied.
"I can find other stuff to do so that the others can let you out to play," Eulalie offered. If nothing else, she could look at some of the research in the Library and see if she could learn more about the magical mace she had found. Or maybe even try to find more info on dimensional rifts. She already had dozens of books set aside for when the current crisis was over; the Library was an absolute treasure trove of information.
Naia froze in place, her hands squeezing Cyrus' shoulders. Her blue eyes flashed brightly as she turned her head toward the house. Amymone nearly dropped her book in a similar reaction, and Sofia gasped, her hand going to her belly.
"Is that him?" asked the cyclops.
Naia smiled and nodded.
Moments later, they heard the sound of a car shrieking to a halt out in front of the house. Eulalie desperately wanted to climb on the roof and see what was happening, but that was a great way to scare the shit out of anyone who might be looking.
"Hello?" Mike's voice carried over the house.
"We're back here!" Amymone tucked her book into a nook in her tree and stood, her hands clasped to her chest. "Do you feel that?" she asked her sister.
"I do." Naia frowned. "But there's something else."
Moments later, Mike appeared through the back door. His hair was wild and somehow noticeably longer than when he had left. Stubble had formed along his chin, and he tossed his bag on the ground as he ran across the yard and nearly knocked Cyrus into the water as he stepped into the fountain and threw himself into Naia's arms.
Naia squeezed him, tears filling her eyes. Eulalie noticed that one of Mike's arms was in a splint, his fingers discolored like they had been bruised.
"Oh, Mike, I'm so sorry," she said as she squeezed him.
"What's happening?" asked Cyrus, turning his head uselessly. "Is it him? The caretaker guy?"
"Cyrus?" Dana stood on the back porch, a look of disbelief on her face. "Is that you? Why are you wearing that bag on your head?"
"Dana!" Relief filled Cyrus' voice. "I honestly don't know!"
Dana looked at Eulalie, then back at Cyrus. Understanding crossed her features, and she stepped off of the porch as Yuki followed her.
"Damn, this is weird," Yuki said as she turned to look back at the house. "This is the one from the Underworld, isn't it?"
"We have so much to tell you," Sofia added, but Mike held up his good hand and just sobbed into Naia's shoulders for a minute longer.
Sheesh, what happened to this guy?
Eulalie paced while Mike had his breakdown. Impatient, she pulled out a piece of webbing and twisted it around in her hands like a piece of string.
"Sorry, sorry everyone." Mike took a deep breath and surveyed the scene. "A lot has happened and there's still plenty to do. I've been in contact with the house and...who the fuck are you?" He was looking at Cyrus.
Mike's body language shifted dramatically, and Eulalie felt the wind shift around her. Naia put a calming hand on his shoulder, and the wind died down.
"That's Cyrus," Dana replied. "He's the guy Lily and I met when we were in Hawaii."
