Asylum

by Kit Bladegrave

  “How did you get hurt?” I growled, my inner wolf snarling in anger at the fact someone would dare harm her in my castle. And that she came all the way out here with only one guard. Infuriating seer.

  “I don’t know, must’ve bumped into something.”

  “Bumped into something? Sabella, your arms are cut to ribbons.”

  “Huh?” She sat up, slower this time, and stared at her injured arms. Her brow furrowed in confusion then she glanced around wildly as if afraid some great beast was going to come out of the darkness and attack. “We have to leave, now.”

  “Slow down,” I ordered, grabbing her shoulders. I expected to see her eyes fogging over, or that she was having another fit, but she appeared to be stable. For the moment, at least.

  “You don’t understand, I saw it… I saw what happened to the scout. And it’s not finished.”

  “You had a vision?”

  She bobbed her head, hair flying everywhere out of her messy braid. “I saw… I saw the dead ones… in the maze and then… then it was there, and it came for you, for us. It… it killed you,” she whispered, as if afraid to say it aloud. “And then…” She gulped, and her gaze shot down to her arms. “No, no it’s not possible.”

  “What’s going on?” Forrest asked over my shoulder, Boris handing me the kit on my other side.

  “I’m not sure. Sabella, just take a breath,” I said firmly, and to my surprise, she listened. “What exactly did you see?”

  She swallowed hard and looked me right in the eye. “I saw what attacked them, what attacked everyone, and it came after me… it saw me…” She trailed off as her gaze drifted down to her wounded arms.

  It wasn’t possible. I couldn’t be possible, but the serious look in Sabella’s eyes, punctuated by her fear at the realization of what happened had me cursing and wishing I had not left her alone.

  “You’re saying,” I said slowly and quietly, “you had a vision of this monster attacking you?”

  She nodded.

  “And when you came out of the vision, you were injured?”

  “It charged me, and I put my arms up over my head to protect myself.” She mimicked the action, flinching at the pain it caused her. “And then Hank was there, and all that mattered was getting… getting here…” Her eyes fluttered again and she sagged. “Think I lost a bit more blood than I thought.”

  Then she passed out completely.

  I could’ve strangled her for putting herself at risk like this. The entire time I cleaned up the wounds on her arms, I ran over what she told me. She saw the dead scouts in the maze of stone columns. She saw our party being attacked, me being killed. And then it came for her and did this through a vision? How was that possible?

  “Lucy mentioned the wounds on the scout had been caused by magic,” Hank said, kneeling beside me.

  I wrapped heavy bandaging around the gashes Sabella’s arms that thankfully did not need stitches on. They were deep, but not wide.

  “You think it’s strong enough to harm a seer through a vision?”

  “I’d say this is all the proof we need,” I growled, gently setting down her right arm. “How did she get into my chambers?” I locked the door, I knew because I always locked the door.

  “I don’t know. I watched her until she turned in for the night. And I was sitting in a chair just down the hall from her room,” he groused. “I should’ve seen her leave. This is my fault, and I’m sorry, sire.”

  “If she had not had a vision that might save us all, I would have more cause to be pissed,” I told him. “But clearly it was meant to be.”

  The notion that she had been sent here to save me was becoming more true with every passing hour I spent with her.

  Forrest tapped me on the shoulder and motioned for me so we could talk away from Sabella.

  “What do you want to do?” His voice was somber and quiet.

  “About?”

  “About what she just told us.”

  I wanted to say I had a genius plan that would get us inside the maze and we’d find a way around this monster who killed my scouts and if she’d lingered too long in that vision, could’ve killed Sabella, too. But no plan came to mind. We weren’t even sure what this monster was. There were ten wolves here, in addition to Forrest and his four guards.

  “Dragons and wolves together, I think we can take whatever that maze decides to throw at us,” I finally stated, not ready to turn back.

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  “If Craig and Kate are anywhere in that maze, we’ll find them, and we’ll get them out, alive,” I swore. “One way or another, we’re getting them back.”

  “I’ll understand if you don’t want to lose anyone else.”

  “My soldiers know the risks. Besides, now they want revenge.”

  Forrest smiled bitterly. “I know the feeling. First light, then.”

  He walked away, and I went to snag Hank. “I need you to get word back to the castle. Lucy and whoever else she can find.”

  “And tell her what exactly?”

  I wasn’t sure what to tell him until my gaze landed on Sabella. “Tell her they need to come to the spot the scouts disappeared, and be here as quickly as they can. Whatever happens tomorrow, something tells me we might need a little backup of the magic kind.”

  Hank shifted and took off into the night.

  I waited a few more minutes, studying the shadows around us, but as far as I could tell, there was nothing out there waiting to attack.

  I shifted and curled up beside the fire and Sabella to get a few hours of sleep.

  Before we set off again, I tried to wake Sabella, but she barely stirred.

  Figuring her wounds had taken a toll on her, I left her to sleep by the fire, knowing soon enough Lucy and the others would show up and take care of her.

  Boris insisted more than ever that he and the others go in first, just in case this monster made an appearance.

  I let him lead the way, ready to spring into the action the second we were attacked.

  The air became electrically charged as we walked. Magic. It surrounded us like a heavy mist, and I growled, already not liking where this was going. Boris shifted, as did the others with him, and I nearly did the same when I heard something rushing through the trees behind us.

  “Stop. What are you doing?” Sabella hissed.

  “What are you doing?” I snapped. “Get back to the camp, right now.”

  “No. I came here to stop you from doing this. If you go there, you’re going to get killed, you idiot. Why don’t you listen to me?”

  I took her hand, ready to drag her back to the camp, but she dug in her feet, and then sank down to the ground.

  I stared at her, stunned at her horrid behavior.

  “Get up,” I demanded, but she didn’t move. “I’ll carry your ass back there if I have to.”

  “You aren’t listening to me.”

  “Look who’s talking,” I yelled, growing tired of her all over again. “You cannot command me. I am the alpha of this pack.”

  “And I’m trying to save your life.”

  I reached down, ready to throw her over my shoulder, when the air crackled with power and it was as if someone flipped the world upside down.

  My vision shifted as I hit the ground along with everyone around me. By the time the world was right side up again, it was too late.

  Cracked bricks lay beneath my hands and stone columns spread out in every direction.

  “The maze,” Sabella whispered. “I’m too late.”

  “We’re not going to die.” I found my feet and took a second to get my bearings. “Boris, get the rope. One man stays behind, right here, marking our way out.”

  As the rope line was prepared to guide us back home, Sabella paced in a frantic circle around our group, glaring down every possible avenue. Her lips moved, and her eyes were wide, but whatever she said was lost in the commotion of our warriors preparing for the worst.

  “It’s this way,�
� she finally said, and before I could stop her, she started to walk away.

  “Sabella. Damn it. Get back here.”

  “No, if you’re going to do this then you have to listen to me, or we’re all going to die.”

  I wanted to tie her up and leave her with the wolf remaining at the entrance, but a strange noise met my ears, and Sabella froze.

  “It knows,” she whispered. “We have to move.”

  “Fine, but you stay with me, understand? No taking off.”

  She nodded. No more arguing.

  I threw whispered orders over my shoulder, and all formed a single file line behind me and Sabella.

  She kept her head down as she tugged on my hand and we were off, weaving in and out of the columns.

  I expected the noise to get fainter, but it grew louder, as though whatever made it somehow managed to follow the crazy path we took.

  At some point, the rope we brought would run out, and we’d be lost in here, possibly forever.

  Suddenly, she paused, nodding at the ground.

  I glanced down, and I bit back a snarl. Blood and bits of leather armor. The scouts had been killed near here. We were moving again, weaving among columns etched with writings I didn’t recognize.

  Around another column, the scraping nose began to fade. Whatever stalked us either gave up the chase or was waiting for us to make a mistake.

  I’d been so busy intently listening to the background noise for any hint of this monster attacking, I hadn’t realized Sabella stopped until I slammed into the back of her.

  “I think we’re here.”

  “Where?”

  But then I straightened and there before us was a castle with a tower.

  It was old and decayed, much like the columns we’d just raced through. A set of metal doors blocked any entry, and there was a raised platform before it, as if something was meant to stand there. Ten steps led up to it, but there were no guards. Nothing else that would impede us from going in.

  Forrest was beside us, grinding his teeth, his face screwed up in pain. “I can feel them,” he hissed. “They’re in there.”

  His face started to contort as I watched him, but he couldn’t shift, not if there was something watching us from the maze.

  I dug my fingers into his arm to stop him. “Wait, alright? The second you change, we’ll be found. Let’s get inside and find them, then you can shift all you like.”

  He rolled his shoulders, but stopped the change. “What do we do?”

  “Find a way through the doors. Sabella? Did you see how to get in? Sabella?”

  “Huh?” She shook her head and an array of emotions passed across her face. “No, but they’re not locked… and there’s not a guard inside… but there’s two in the tower with the man in the cage… and Kate, someone’s with Kate.”

  “Can you tell what they are?”

  “You’re not going to like it,” she replied.

  The scraping sound erupted close by, and we all froze, pressing ourselves against what cover the fallen stone columns gave us.

  I put my arm out in front of Sabella as I peered around the stone. The scraping sound was strange. Not metal against stone, but something else… something worse.

  A figure appeared barely two columns over, and I ducked back down, putting a finger over my lips. Boris was still in wolf form and was crawling on his belly to get closer to me and catch a better glimpse at what I saw.

  Slowly, I chanced another look and wished I hadn’t.

  It wasn’t a monster, at least not a scaled, fanged monster. Oh no, this beast was carved from stone and stood at least twelve feet tall. Its chest and shoulders were broad, and white hair hung down its back. As its head turned, I waited just long enough to glimpse a pair of glowing, red eyes before I ducked down again. Every step it took clunked against the stone, the scraping sound grating on my ears and making Sabella tremble.

  Then, everything went silent as if nothing happened at all. Carefully, I lifted my head one more time. I figured the statue would be guarding the front doors. It stood on the raised platform with two long whips hanging from its hands.

  Whips made of bone. That had been the dragging sound. Those instruments were what killed my scouts.

  We had to get inside those doors.

  I stared at Boris, and without even shifting to communicate silently in my wolf form, I knew he understood my plan, and hated it, but it was the only option we had.

  “What are you doing?” Sabella asked as I sidled out of my place by the column. “Tristan?”

  “We’re going to create a diversion,” I told her. “You are going to go with Forrest once that thing is away from the door. Go with him and find Craig and Kate. Get them out, alright?”

  “What? No! You can’t, please, what I saw—”

  “Might happen or it won’t,” I said, happy I didn’t sound as shaken as I was, imagining the pain of those whips biting into my skin. How they’d hurt her, or the scout. Killed the others. “Do as I tell you, Sabella, that’s an order from a king.”

  I shifted as she opened her mouth to argue. I was ready to turn to Boris when her hand rested on top of my head. She smoothed her hand through my fur, cupping my large cheek in her palm.

  I leaned into it briefly, nowhere near ready to understand these emotions, then stepped away.

  Boris, I’ll take lead, I said through the link as the others shifted.

  I would prefer you let me pull it away.

  And I would prefer if for once you would not argue with me. There’s no time.

  And if we get lost in this maze? he asked.

  Use your nose, find the trail. If you’re cornered, call it out. Do not engage this monster on your own, understand? Do not.

  There was a murmur of growls as they all bowed their heads to their king. To the alpha about to lead them into a very dangerous and deadly situation. If they died, their blood would be on my hands. Just like the scouts, and all the others I’d lost since this damned world started to come apart around us. If ever there was a time for someone to challenge me, this was it.

  Unless I was dead, then it was no longer my problem.

  I darted out from between the columns, right into the path of the stone steps and the red-eyed statue. Dust fell from its shoulders as its head moved to stare directly at me. It had a working mouth that opened as I stared at it. I longed to look at Sabella, but fear at giving them away stopped me.

  I threw my head back and let out a long, threatening howl that bounced off the stones and back to me, continuing on and on in this strange in-between realm.

  The statue’s mouth opened, and it let out a bellow in return, stepping off the platform.

  I took off in a random direction.

  Lead it straight. We’ll cut it off as soon as we can, Boris told me.

  My claws clicked against the bricks, and I wondered if I should slow down when a whip of bone cracked against the ground, skimming the fur off my right side.

  I jumped then flew into a dead sprint as another whip cracked at my other side, boxing me in.

  Whatever Forrest was going to do, I prayed he did it fast.

  12

  Sabella

  I heard the first crack, followed quickly by a second, but there was no cry of pain.

  “Let’s move.” Forrest led the way up the stone steps.

  I stayed close behind him, his guards bringing up the rear. I waited, thinking they would announce the door impossible to open, but they swung it inward silently.

  The second I stepped foot inside, the voices rushed back, swarming my mind.

  I cringed, grabbing my head and struggled to hear Forrest talking right in front of me.

  “Something’s wrong,” I gasped. “He knows… he knows we’re here.”

  “We need to find them, Sabella, where are they?” Forrest asked.

  I tried to speak, but there was too much commotion inside my head to think. This was worse than a normal fit. This all my worst days rolled into one. I want
ed to curl up in a ball and wait for it all to go away, but another sharp crack came from outside. Tristan was out there with the others. The longer it took us to find Craig and Kate, the higher their chances of dying.

  And though Tristan might be a stubborn pain in my ass, I was not going to let him die, not when I was meant to save him.

  “Stairs,” I muttered. “Find the stairs. Craig… he’s up there.”

  I forced my eyes open and latched onto one of the dragon guards. They pulled me along behind them, Forrest taking point. Despite the seriousness of our current predicament, I was half hoping I’d get to see him shift into a dragon. I couldn’t even imagine what that would be like.

  The guard pulled me to a sudden stop, a furious growling coming from a room at the top of the stairs. Yet another voice I’d come to know from all the time I spent seeing him followed. Then there was a harsh hit, a thud of something heavy hitting bars, followed by cackling that sent a shiver right to my bones.

  There was only one word for what was in there: evil. Not merely monsters, just straight up evil. Forrest and his guards exchanged a brief nod as the first drew a sword and charged into the room with a battle cry. The other guard held me back, shielding me with his sword in case anything got past Forrest. There were no grunts of pain, but instead, shrieks that made us both flinch.

  “All clear,” Forrest called out, and by the time we entered the room, he was unlocking the cage door. “Craig, thank the gods.”

  He pulled the man into a firm hug.

  I glanced around the room. Several more cells lined the walls, but there was no sign of guards. “Where are their bodies?”

  “Who are you?” Craig asked sharply.

  “She’s helping us, and that’s all you need to know for now. And the bodies disappeared into smoke. Like shadows,” Forrest told me. “Craig, who took you?”

  “A damned shadow with red eyes,” he snarled, his face contorted, resembling a demon than a man. His hands curled into fists as he stomped toward the door. Right, he was king of the demons. “It came for me, and then it went after Kate. We have to get her out.”