I flipped the dagger in my hand, and in an instant threw it. In the blink of an eye, it found its target, the center of a flower. The dagger stayed lodged in the thick vine as the flower, which had been split in two, floated to the ground.
Leo was staring at the mangled flower, slowly blinking. His eyes turned to me, the shock on his face twisting him into a stranger. Was it confusion? Fear? Betrayal? What did he feel right now?
I immediately dropped his gaze as my cheeks filled with heat. I turned and walked to the dagger, Jinx following right behind me. I choked back the embarrassment, the look he had given me, pushing it down and letting my heart harden.
This is me. If he doesn’t like it, that’s fine. I’m not sure I like myself much either.
I reached out and tugged on the dagger, pulling it out of the vines. Its snake eyes seemed to stare at me, gleaming with approval. I brushed the snake’s face with my thumb and then gently placed it back in my sheath.
I raised my head and looked directly at him, his mouth still agape. I held his gaze as I walked back. I would not let him see me falter. This was me, this is who I was. He needed to know. He should have known sooner. I felt ashamed for hiding it for so long, for letting him love a facade of me. For letting him follow me all this way without bearing the truth of myself to him.
One truth down, a thousand more to go.
I walked right up to him, holding his gaze the whole time, waiting for him to speak… willing him to speak….
His mouth closed. He raised his hand up to my face, painstakingly slow. He brushed my cheek with his thumb. It felt blunted, dulled somehow.
“You are so beautiful,” he said, his eyes searching mine. He started to lean down, and I raised my face to meet his.
And then I felt a tug.
A tug pulling me away.
I stopped and turned my face down. The kiss landed on my forehead. I stepped back, Leo’s disappointment palpable.
Maybe I was growing a conscious after all. I had to stop putting physical urges and desires, the need for distractions, over the truth of us. The truth that I would hurt him, that I couldn’t be that girl for him. I was a terrible person for bringing him here, but I could stop myself now from being worse.
“We need to go,” I said, not meeting his eyes. “This place isn’t safe, we need to keep searching.”
We still had several hours of sunlight left, if the position in the sky could be trusted here. I turned away from him, looking down the path before us.
I saw Leo’s face drop out of the corner of my eye as he grabbed his bag. I tightened mine to my back and pushed against the nausea rolling through my stomach. My eyes met the severed flower on the ground. I felt strangely akin to it.
We walked for hours until the sun was low in the sky again. Jinx led us this way and that, Leo made several remarks that we shouldn’t trust a dog to lead us through here, even if it was somehow a magic dog. I ignored him.
We hadn’t come across any other creatures or danger, just miles and miles of stone walls with twisting vines and flowers. Though there were no visible dangers, I couldn’t shake the feeling of watchful eyes on us as we walked. It wasn’t the same feeling I got from Alder; it was something else… something sinister. The same feeling I had gotten back in the village sometimes, when I was near dark corners or by the forest at night. Was it the Labyrinth King?
Finally, we came to a reprieve. It was a much larger courtyard than last night. There were several openings on each of its four sides, with a large circle in the middle. There was nowhere to hide here. We were out in the open, but at least we could see if anything approached. We walked to the nearest corner and collapsed, exhausted from walking for hours on such little sleep.
Leo unslung the bow and arrow from his back and pulled out some dried meat and a piece of fruit for us to share. We hadn’t come across a garden or anything we could use for food yet. We had to be sparing with the resources and with our water canisters barely having anything left, we needed to find a water source tomorrow or we wouldn’t make it long. I sighed and gave the last bit of the water in mine to Jinx. She eagerly lapped it up.
Maybe this was the biggest danger. Endless stone walls and nothing to eat or drink. But that was impossible. Jinx had been living here. The winged creatures lived here. They probably drank water, though I couldn’t be sure.
There must be water nearby. I sent a silent prayer up to the skies, to whoever cared enough to answer. Help us, we need water. I closed my eyes, wishing for the burning in my throat to be quenched.
Leo leaned against the wall and took out his bedroll. He had barely spoken to me since I had rejected his kiss. And I couldn’t blame him, I had hurt him. But there was still so much more left unsaid. So much more hurt to give him. My heart clenched in my chest at the thought.
Though exhaustion was heavy in my bones, I felt the urge to get away, to have some space between us, if only for a few minutes.
“I’ll take first shift again,” I said to him, standing and stretching my legs. “I’m going to see if I can find any water in one of these openings.”
My eyes scanned them. There were at least twenty different entries, twenty different ways I could go.
Leo just grunted and laid himself down on his bedroll. I looked down at Jinx.
“Jinxy, we need water. Can you help? Do you know where any water is?” I asked. She looked back up at me and then laid down as well. Her eyes heavy with sleep.
I sighed, “Ok then, wake Leo up if you hear anything approaching.” She rolled over onto her side and kept sleeping.
I paced the square, taking in each way I could go, listening for sounds of running water or life. There was nothing to give away their secrets. I huffed in frustration.
Fuck it, I’ll just pick one. I said to myself and walked forward through a random entry.
After about ten minutes of walking, mentally keeping track of each turn, I gave up on this one and turned around. I led myself by memory back to the square. It seemed to take longer walking back, and for a second, panic hit me, but then there the courtyard appeared. Leo and Jinx were still sleeping soundly.
I paced in a large circle before picking the next one. I walked through, again going about ten minutes before turning back. My throat burned and ached for water. Maybe I shouldn’t have been exerting myself, but the walking was therapeutic. It kept my mind off of Leo and all the things I had yet to tell him.
When I re-entered the courtyard, Leo and Jinx were both snoring. I checked the entries. No signs of danger nearby. I took in a deep breath and debated my next choice. Third times the charm? I picked one on the opposite side of where I had just been and began walking.
I rounded a few corners and then saw him, Alder, leaning against the wall near the end of the corridor. He smirked at me, then turned and walked around the corner.
“Damn it,” I said, following him.
On the other side was an even longer stretch, with several openings in its walls. He leaned against the side of one, beckoning me with his eyes before taking off again.
He continued playing this same game with me several times before finally I turned a corner and stepped into a large garden. There were fruit trees everywhere, with stone benches throughout. But most gloriously, there was a river snaking through the trees.
My mouth watered, and I ran to the river, dipping my hands in first and drinking deeply. The water was almost turquoise. It tasted fresh and sweet as it coated my throat, quenching the fire inside. I grabbed my water canister and filled it, then Leo’s. I smiled to myself, sitting back and enjoying the sound of its gentle bubbling.
I remembered Alder then and pulled myself out of my brief reprieve. I stood and turned to search for him, but he wasn’t there.
My face flushed. I had asked for help and he had given it. Fuck. I had failed, finding myself once again at the mercy of a man.
“Stop helping me. I don’t need your help, I could have done this on my own,” I said aloud to the empty air
around me. I sat for a moment, waiting. My hands were clenched by my sides. I felt the weight of my inadequacies on my shoulders. I had to be stronger than this. I have to be.
“You would have died. This is the only water source for miles, and it’s extremely well hidden. I can’t have you dying, not on my watch,” he said finally, appearing in front of me in a flash. His face was hard and serious, the glow a dark ember of orange. His hair rustled in the breeze, shimmering in the burnt hue.
“I don’t care, I don’t want your help,” I said, hearing how ridiculous I sounded as I said it. I had literally sent up a prayer asking for it, and now I was mad that it had been answered. The exhaustion and overwhelming emotions of the past few days lay heavy in my mind, swinging my moods wildly.
“Valeria, I know you can do it. I know you can do anything. I know you can take care of yourself,” he said in a low murmur. My eyes met his. His voice was soft, understanding. The pull between us flamed, and I felt seen, like somehow he knew my internal struggle and was trying to soothe it.
He leaned closer to me. “I am not him, you don’t need to hide anything from me. I’ll always accept every part of you.” His breath covered my face. I breathed him in. He smelled of musk, leather, and vanilla. My core relaxed in response, the tangle of emotions inside waning as he spoke.
“I do, however, wish you would just trust me… why haven’t you opened the parchment I gave you? Were you waiting to write me that love note?” he asked, his head turning slightly to the side. His question threw me off. My cheeks betrayed me as they turned red.
“I had, um, forgotten.” Which was the truth. It hadn’t even crossed my mind.
“Why don’t you open it now,” he said, leaning back. His face and voice were still gentle, no hint of smugness in them.
I pulled my knapsack off my back and dug for the parchment. When I opened it, it was no longer blank. It was a map of the Labyrinth, or parts of it. It flowed off the sides, as if it was too big to fit on the paper. I noted a blue splotch of ink with a red splotch next to it. Another blue splotch showed in the upper corner.
“The red is you, the blue is water and food, of course.” He pointed to the map as he spoke, his voice like honey.
I swallowed and looked up at him. I know he was just being helpful. He was being kind. So then why was irritation rising up inside of me?
“It doesn’t have the whole Labyrinth?” I asked curtly, as I rolled it up and stuffed it back into my bag.
He laughed. “It’s enchanted, Val. It will follow you as you walk and reveal more as you go. Well, at least through this part of the Labyrinth.” I felt that electric charge between us again, as his laughter displayed that breathtaking smile. I tried to push against it, keeping my face hard.
“Thank you.” I said, not meeting his gaze.
“Val, you can trust me,” he whispered, his emerald eyes darkening. My eyes flashed up to his and then looked away.
“You’re a stranger.”
“I don’t want to be. I want to be… everything for you.”
“Why keep disappearing, then? Stay and come with me, help me find the center.” I said, shifting my face up to look hard into his eyes. “Stay and tell me of my destiny. Tell me why it has to be me? Tell me how I am to break the curse when I get there? Stay and tell me why there is a curse in the first place.”
“If you wanted me to stay, you shouldn’t have brought him.”
“I made a mistake bringing him here, and now I don’t know what to do.” I admitted to him, looking down, embarrassed at my own vulnerability. But he made it so easy, so easy to talk to him, to reveal everything. He just felt right.
“As I predicted. I could kill him for you, if you want,” he shrugged.
“What? No!”
He laughed. “Just a joke. I know you’re fond of him.”
I rolled my eyes. But it nagged at my heart. I should have come alone, I should have done this with Alder instead. Regret tasted bitter in my mouth.
“What do I do now?”
“Well, we could make love in this soft grass,” he said, patting the ground and winking.
“No, I mean what do I do about Leo,” I said, trying to ignore the leap in my heart at the thought of that.
“Val… you just need to… trust your heart.” I could tell there was something he was leaving out, something he wasn’t telling me.
“What is it? Tell me,” I demanded. He frowned.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, love, I just can’t yet.”
Anger bubbled up. “If you’re not going to answer my questions, then this conversation is over,” I huffed, standing quickly and walking away from him.
I was so sick of these games. Why couldn’t he answer me? I was already here, in this Labyrinth, risking my life based on the minuscule information he had told me. The least he could do was tell me more. But no. He just wanted to play his games and flirt.
“Val,” he called after me, his voice full of longing. “Val, please come back.”
I didn’t look back, forcing distance between us as every possible emotion swelled in my chest. I was probably projecting my own insecurities onto him, but I didn’t give a fuck. I kept walking back the way I came, back into the Labyrinth for several turns. Away from him and his riddles. Tears came to my eyes, but I pushed them back.
I took out my dagger as I gritted my teeth, flipping it several times and then throwing it as hard as I could. It sliced through the air and stabbed into the heart of another flower. The wall seemed to vibrate with the energy it absorbed.
Walking up to it, I ripped the dagger out of the vine and stared down at the crumpled flower. The torn petals made me want to cry.
I threw my head back in anguish and realized that in my anger I had lost track of how to get back. My hands formed into fists. I took in a deep breath to calm myself. My surroundings were unfamiliar, all the walls looked exactly the same.
I refused to call out to him for help or look at the map. I was done being the damsel in distress. The sky was almost dark, the light fading and casting deep shadows along the pathway. Heat flared inside of me, anger and… something else. I wasn’t sure. But I was pissed off, and I didn’t care. The mixed emotions were surfacing in me like a volcano. I exhaled hard and walked forward with resolve. I would find my own damn way.
Chapter 12
Mistakes were made.
It’s completely dark now and I still could not find my way back to the garden or the courtyard. I could see only by the moonlight, thankfully bright in the sky tonight, as it cast everything in a deep purple hue. I kept one hand to the wall and another to my dagger as I crept along as silently as I could. I didn’t know what-if any- creatures came out at night, but I didn’t want to risk them hearing me.
Alder was keeping things from me, keeping everything from me, and yet had the gall to say I should trust him. How dare he. Why bother coming to me at all when he “couldn’t tell me” what I wanted to know. I shook with rage at the thought.
I’m sure I would have eventually looked at the parchment without his help. He only wanted to toy with me, to flirt. Where was he when we were attacked? Where was he now? I hadn’t felt a tug all day except when I tried to kiss Leo.
Leo. Leo was mad at me, I could tell. Perhaps he was also regretting coming along, maybe realizing I wasn’t what he wanted. Or perhaps realizing being in the Labyrinth hadn’t magically solved everything between us. My thoughts raced back to the night we shared before we left. That had been a mistake, too. A big one.
If I had denied him that night, maybe he would have changed his mind, maybe he would have stayed in Villam. I just didn’t want to be alone with my thoughts, wanted a distraction from reality. But he took it as something more, and I knew he would. I was a terrible person. I didn’t want to hurt him, I wanted him to be happy, for us both to be happy. Didn’t we deserve that?
When we were still kids, Leo’s father let hi
m attend the school in town. I couldn’t attend because I couldn’t afford the tuition. I was so jealous of him. Jealous he could learn while I had to work. Jealous that he had at least one parent, no matter how flawed, while I had none.
In those years, Leo would always walk by a certain flower field on his way home. And every afternoon he would bring me a flower, tucking it behind my ear before telling me about his day. He would relay to me the lessons of the day, teaching me the history of Villam or how to spell certain words. He even let me practice my writing and reading in his textbooks.
I never told him how much that had meant to me. How much it meant to have someone thinking about me, someone who cared enough to teach me and bring me flowers.
He was perfect, he had always been perfect. But, it still felt like something was missing.
And now I was lost with no way to find him in this maze. All because of Alder.
These men, these two very different men, were tearing me apart. I wonder if either even noticed or cared?
I wandered on, looking up at the sky, trying to use it as some sort of compass. I turned another corner and stopped. There was something large standing at the end of this corridor. It was tall, as tall as the Labyrinth walls. It was covered in a dark fur, its shoulders heaving up and down with labored breathing. My breath caught inside of me, my heart pounding in my chest.
The creature seemed to be turned away from me. It hadn’t noticed my presence yet. I started backing up slowly… If I could just get back around the corner without it noticing…
I stepped back once. Then twice.
Then
CRUNCH.
I had stepped on a loose rock, the weight of my foot striking stone against stone.
My heart stopped. I stared at the beast as it turned its head.
Wide green eyes met mine, long horns spun out on either side, its mouth a dark gash. It let out a roar, shaking the surrounding walls.
The Labyrinth King (The Labyrinth Series Book 1) Page 7