My heart raced, and I felt an urge to lean up. His lips were so close. It would take barely any effort to get him to kiss me. I tilted my head ever so slightly to his and—
“Val, I’m back!” Leo shouted as he walked through the door.
“’till next time, sweet Val.” Alder said with a wink, and then he vanished. My pulse fluttered, and I took a deep breath to calm myself. The loss of tension taking my breath away again. How did he do that? What was he? A warlock? Something else?
“Val? Are you upstairs?” Leo said. His footsteps headed towards the stairs.
“Yes, sorry I’m just, um, making sure we have everything,” I said back. My breath steadied as I pulled myself back together. I hid the parchment under my shirt and gave my hair a tussle before I walked down the stairs, hoping my face wasn’t too flushed.
Leo met me there with a smile. “Look what I got,” he said, spreading his arms wide over the table where he had set his goods.
I evaluated the impressive haul: bread, dried meat, soap, two knives, several candles, matches, some fruit, two bedrolls, a small bow and arrow, two jackets, and several other items of clothing. He gleamed with the pride of his finds and bargaining.
“Also, I have these,” he said, pulling two pairs of boots from his workbench. “It was for a family, but they hadn’t paid yet. This pair should fit you, try it on.”
I smiled and pulled off my thread-barren shoes. The boots fit perfectly, sturdy and comfortable. My toes stretched inside the leather, grateful for the comfort.
“Thank you, Leo. You really thought of everything.” And it was true, almost as if he had known for a long time that this would happen.
“When should we leave?” he asked. I glanced out the window. It was about midday.
“We should leave as the sun goes down. There will be less chance of being seen. I wouldn’t want the villagers to see us and get suspicious, given the circumstances…” I suggested, thinking of his father’s slashed abdomen.
Leo nodded in agreement, meeting my gaze. Understanding passed between us and at that we both started packing the plethora of items into his leather knapsacks. I glanced between us to see if he was looking, waiting for him to be distracted, before I silently slipped the rolled parchment Alder had given me into my knapsack.
The sun was low in the sky when we set off toward the bridge. It had just lowered this morning and already piles of taxes sat in an organized row on the other side, right at the lip of the Labyrinth, as per usual.
We each carried a knapsack and a basket containing our annual tax. Leo had the bow and arrow quiver slung over his shoulder but had discretely hidden them under his jacket. Several others were conversing amongst themselves as they walked towards the bridge, each carrying their own baskets. I glanced over at Leo. His face was steadfast.
“Last chance to change your mind,” I said to him, looking up at him sweetly behind my lashes. The playful effect made him giggle, as if we were going together to a ball instead of almost certain death.
“And let you have all the fun by yourself? Not a chance,” he replied. His face stoic, hiding the fear I knew we both felt. The simple fear of the unknown.
I looked forward to the Labyrinth. The walls grew larger with every step, and the smell of rot hit my nose. The fog seemed to pool and stop right at the entrance, like an invisible barrier was separating it from our town. The vines were even denser this close, covering the walls from top to bottom and snaking in various directions. Upon closer inspection, some vines seemed to move. Were they even vines at all?
As we got closer, the pull became stronger, almost as if someone was grabbing my hand and physically tearing me from this world into the next. Into the unknown. My focus fixed on the Labyrinth entrance across the bridge. I gulped, trying to push down my fear.
We crossed the bridge and approached the rows of tax baskets. Each step became heavier and my heart raced. We placed the baskets down and waited for the people in front of us to turn and leave. As they passed, we glanced behind us. No one else was coming across the bridge. No one was looking.
Leo took my hand and nodded at me, letting me take the first step. I gripped his hand harder and harder as I took each step. Within seconds we reached the precipice. I knew in my heart that with one more step, there was no returning.
Leo squeezed my hand and looked down at me. The Labyrinth pulled tighter on my heart. The vines on the wall behind Leo suddenly picked up their heads. I saw them now for what they were, a thousand vipers. Each of their yellow eyes stared back at me with glistening white fangs. They hissed a clear warning to me, to us. But the Labyrinth pulled at my heart again.
I took in a deep breath, closed my eyes, and stepped in.
Chapter 8: Leo
“I know, I’ll think about it,” Val said, giving me a sad smile. I brushed the hair from over her beautiful green eyes and leaned down, kissing her gently on her forehead. I inhaled her sweet scent before turning and walking away. A small surge of hope swelled in my heart as I looked back at her.
I walked into my house, my father was still not home. I took a bite of an apple on the table and leaned against the door frame with a sigh.
She had said the words. She had said what I had been simultaneously dreading and preparing for since I turned seventeen four summers ago. Father had said she would, said it would happen on her twenty-first birthday. He had been right about everything. A wave of nausea hit me, I tossed the apple towards the trash bin and cursed.
As if they could hear my thoughts, a knock came on the door. I opened it and let in Karlise and Jaxon. They took one look at my face and smirked. I blanched.
“So, did he find her?” Jaxon asked, though he already knew the answer.
“Yes, he found her. And he already told her of her destiny. Told her she needs to enter the Labyrinth,” I said, fighting back the bile in my throat as I thought of that monster talking to Val. My precious Val.
“We can’t let her break the curse with him. You must do as we discussed,” Karlise said, the tone of his voice betraying a hint of excitement. The anticipation of what would have to occur now. It sickened me, but I put on a stone face.
“We should just cut her throat and be done with—” Jaxon started.
“NO.” I said, slamming down my fist. “I’ve already told you, if she chooses to go into the Labyrinth, then she’s more use to us alive than dead. If she hadn’t wanted to go, then that would have been the end of it. But that’s not her, she is wild at heart,” I grimaced at my words, pain coursing through me.
“Then you know what must be done. Do you remember your orders?” Karlise asked, his voice cold and uncaring.
I nodded. “Yes, I remember the fucking orders. It will be done.”
Jaxon reached out and handed me a long blade, a silver dragon engraved on the handle. I took it from him slowly.
I considered the knife, weighing it in my hands. “Maybe this would be enough to stop her. Maybe she will decide to just stay, she can have a home now,” I said, trying to convince myself as much as them. It would be much more simple if she would just stay.
Please just stay.
“Maybe mate, but when she doesn’t, you know what to do next. And remember, she must do it all willingly or it won’t work. You must convince her by any means necessary,” Karlise replied. I gave them both a death stare.
Jaxon shrugged his shoulders. They were both so nonchalant. It was easy to feel indifferent when no one you loved was at stake.
I stared at the shiny metal blade, the sapphire eyes of the dragon stared back at me, as if encouraging me. I flipped it once, then twice in my hands. Resolve set in my heart. The Brotherhood had trained me well. I would not disappoint them.
Jaxon and Karlise both patted me on the shoulder as they walked past me and out the door.
I kept staring at the blade. Thinking of Valeria, of her soft eyes and dark hair. Of the future we could have if she would only just pick me. Pick me. I wanted to scream. But it was her
choice, it was all her choice. My heart sank like stones in water.
Then I heard it, heard his singing, coming up the street. I grimaced and positioned the blade in my hand. I pulled my hood over my head, shrouding my face, and stepped out into the street.
My father was so drunk he barely noticed I was there… until it was too late.
Chapter 9
I felt a whirl of wind in my hair and a sugar sweet taste in my mouth. My hand stayed gripped tightly to Leo’s. I opened my eyes, terrified of what I was about to see.
The first thing I noticed were the colors. Everything seemed more… vibrant. I blinked several times, trying to process the imagery. It was as if I had been living my entire life in black and white.
Leo stood next to me, staring in awe at the surroundings as well. In front of us was a wall that stretched seemingly infinitely to either side. No turns or twists in sight, just one long hall.
The vines on the wall were no longer a web of snakes. Instead, they were flowering in multicolor. Dozens of colors blooming from the web of vines. The vines were purple, orange, blue, pink. The flowers that covered them were crimson, lavender, bright green, and vibrant yellow. It was enchanting.
The second thing I noticed was the sound. It sounded as if hundreds of birds were nearby, chirping as they bathed their feathers in the morning sun. I wondered what colors the birds would be. I hoped they were as vibrant as the flowers and vines.
Above me, there was no fog. Instead, it was a sky of pink and blue. It shone with an iridescence, as if made of diamonds and gemstones. Soft clouds blanketed the sky, and the sun shone through in a warm, tropical sort of way. I had never seen the sky look so beautiful.
I wondered if time worked differently here, as it had been almost dark when we entered only a few minutes ago.
I looked behind me and to my shock, saw the archway we had entered had closed and only a solid wall of stone remained. I looked down the long sides, searching for how we entered, but there was no sign of an opening. I walked closer and placed my hand on the cool stone. A sort of energy vibrated through me, but the wall stayed solid.
My heart stilled as I took in the truth of it, we were truly trapped. But at least the prison seemed to be beautiful.
“So, should we go left or right?” Leo asked, his eyes still dazed from taking in the beauty.
I removed my hand from the wall and looked both directions. I felt the urge to ask Alder, as if he could hear my inner thoughts, wherever he was. Was he the pull I had been feeling the whole time?
Left or right? I asked internally, pausing for an answer.
The tug answered, and I turned my head left towards it.
I thought you weren’t a mind reader. I said to myself. I felt the hint of a chuckle in the air and shuddered. The thought of being constantly watched by him was… endearing. If it was him who was watching.
“Left,” I said simply, pulling the knapsack tighter over my shoulders. We started walking, eyes still wide as we took in the Labyrinth’s beauty with each step.
After walking straight for about half an hour, I felt the tug again. This time it was towards the inward facing wall. There appeared to be nothing there but more vines and flowers. I raised my eyebrow in skepticism.
“What is it?” Leo asked, scrunching his brow in confusion. He looked at the wall as well, perhaps questioning my sanity.
“This is where we go in,” I said, feeling the pull stronger now. This was the entrance. But how?
“Go in? How? It’s just a wall. Do we scale it?” He was evaluating the height, it was too tall to possibly climb over.
I didn’t answer. I only walked forward and reached my hands out. I hesitantly touched the beautiful flowering vines that were covering the stone in a thick net.
The vine began curling around my wrists, slowly wrapping around them and snaking up my arms. I pulled back, but the vices tightened. My heart dropped as I realized they had trapped me.
I fought harder, but the vines only continued their journey and tightened, now reaching my shoulders. The vines snaked around my ankles and began going up my legs.
“LEO, HELP ME!” I cried, thrashing against their pull. He was already pulling against me, slashing the vines to no avail, heavy breaths against me as he exerted all of his strength. They grew back quickly and reattached, slowly covering more and more of me. They crept up to my neck and covered my mouth.
I screamed, the sounds muffled by the vines, and my eyes widened with fear. I could feel Leo’s grip still pulling against me, but it was not helping.
This is it, this is how I die. I lasted all of thirty minutes. I thought as one final vine wrapped around my eyes, blacking out the world. The vines tightened, suffocating me, as if they were one large python. My thoughts became cloudy and I felt myself slipping…
Then suddenly the vines loosened. The vine covering my eyes retracted and I opened them to see a large tree in front of me. I gasped in air, refilling my lungs. The vines loosened completely and receded to the wall that was now behind me.
I retched away from the wall, needing to feel free as I collapsed to the ground.
I’m ok, it’s ok. I’m free. I can breathe.
I took in more deep breaths, easing the anxiety as I took in my surroundings.
Astonishing. They had pulled me inside the Labyrinth, somehow traversing me through the wall.
I turned back to look for Leo and cried out for him. No sound came from the other side. I grabbed my dagger and assessed my new location, a simple small courtyard with a large tree in the middle. Calm, peaceful. Shorter walls branched off on the other side, passageways to the rest of the Labyrinth.
The vines began to move again.
“Leo?” My heart pounded in my chest with fear and worry.
He emerged through the vines in the same way, covered from head to toe, but once he was through they loosened and he gasped for air.
I ran to him and pushed off the vines, reaching up for his face. He looked down at me in shock, taking in his new surroundings. I hugged him tightly with relief.
“What the fuck just happened?” he asked, looking dumbstruck.
“I don’t know but it seems that we are now actually inside the Labyrinth, I think that was the door…” My eyes searched every inch of him, assuring myself he was ok. That we were ok.
I turned and looked around to the peaceful courtyard. All I had ever heard of this place was tales of destruction and ruin. But now, it seemed full of life and color. Those vines could have killed us and yet here we are, safely on the other side. Confusion clouded my thoughts. Something was wrong here. It didn’t make sense.
I let out an audible huff and threw down my knapsack, collapsing onto the ground. I leaned my back to the wall we had just come through and took in deep breaths, trying to still my racing heart and thoughts.
The grass below me was a vibrant neon green that smelled refreshing and clean. I placed my hands palm side down on the ground as I focused on each blade, taking it in as anxiety relaxed its grip around my throat. The blades rustled in the light wind, the sweet smell filling my nose again.
I turned my face up and looked for the birds I heard tweeting. A few sat in the large tree of the courtyard. They were bright blue and fat, the fattest birds I had ever seen. They looked like they ate nothing but blueberries and thick worms. They were happy, their feathers fluttering as they talked to one another, not even noticing we were there.
The happy birds calmed me. The green grass soothed me. I inhaled the sweet smell on the breeze like a drug, filling me with peace as I exhaled fear. I felt better.
Leo paced the courtyard at first, but eventually sat down next to me. He placed the bow and arrow warily next to him, close enough to grab quickly if needed. We were both exhausted from fighting against the vines.
“What is this place? This isn’t what I was expecting,” I said, leaning against him.
“I don’t know, I thought it would be nothing but dusty stones.”
“Everything is so vibrant, I feel a bit drunk with it all.”
“Same, it’s… disorienting. I hope we get used to it,” he said. I patted his knee reassuringly. It was strange, but it was also beautiful.
The sun was sinking behind the Labyrinth walls. A darkness settled over us. Night time. Was night a different place here? Were we safe?
Leo seemed to be thinking along the same lines as his eyes searched the small square.
“I think we should rest. It wouldn’t be smart to wander around this Labyrinth in the dark, it’s possible the darkness holds monsters…” he trailed off, insinuating what I had been thinking. Where was the danger? I shook my head in agreement.
“I’ll take the first watch, get some rest,” I said to him. I was too keyed up to sleep just yet, the fear from the suffocating vines still wearing off. My eyes scanned the two open passageways behind the tree. If danger was coming, it would come from either of those openings.
Leo nodded and propped his head on his bedroll. He laid and stared up at the sky.
“Look, Val,” he said, his gaze on the sky. I drew my eyes up and saw what had captured his attention, the stars.
The stars danced in the sky. They were falling in streaks, bouncing, twinkling, shifting with a rainbow of colors that trailed behind them as they moved. The sky was waltzing for us. It was captivating and again I thought of the stories we had been told, of the supposed dangerous wasteland. Why had we been lied to… or did they just not know? Or, even worse, was this a beautiful trap? A gorgeous paradise with decay hidden in every crevice… rot we just hadn’t found yet…
“It’s gorgeous. I could stare at them forever,” I said.
I looked back down at Leo. The lights of the stars twinkled in his eyes. He smiled to himself, unaware that I was watching him. I placed my hand on his knee again, wishing him peace and rest. His eyelids drooped and before long I heard soft snores escape him.
I leaned back against the wall slowly, ensuring the vines would stay still. I kept my eyes glued to the openings, my hand resting on my dagger hilt, prepared for whatever may come next.
The Labyrinth King (The Labyrinth Series Book 1) Page 5