Page 30 of The Sea Witch’s Son (The Villains of Wolf Hollow #1)

Chapter 29

MARLIN

I've always enjoyed the Queen’s Maze.

Spanning across a hundred acres, the maze is the only structure that crosses property lines on both the poor and the rich side of town. Landscapers are hired every few months to tend the overgrown garden, cutting bushes and building new walls to ensure visitors never end up in the same spot twice.

It is a living, breathing puzzle. One that breaks even the strongest minds.

Running a hand along the hedge next to me, I let the brush of leaves guide me down the beaten path. The moon is bright tonight and the silver glow provides me with enough light to see where I’m going.

The trick, you see, is to understand the purpose of the maze. It is a source of entertainment for the Heart family, a luxurious pleasure that holds no meaning except for the meaning not found.

There is only one person who knows the inner workings of the puzzle, a single soul who lives and breathes the maze’s treacherous turns, and to find him is to find the passage you’re looking for.

Dips and turns, more turns and dead ends. I keep walking forward, going around in circles yet finding new paths never seen before. My mind stays crisp and clear as I weave my way through the labyrinth, focusing on the fern pressed against my hand rather than the landmarks around me.

Time slinks by as I keep walking, every step drawing me further into the endless maze.

“What do you call a man with one foot in the grave?”

The croaky voice halts my tracks. A smile stretches across my face as I turn and peer up into the darkness.

“A ghost.”

Bright white teeth glint through the night sky.

“What do you call the most foolish fish in the ocean?”

“A clownfish.”

The teeth spread into the shape of a smile. I watch as the figure unfolds himself from the top of the hedge and peers down at me.

“Marlin Seaborn. To what do I owe this pleasure.”

“I’m looking for a passage.”

“Aren’t we all?” Laughter croaks out, “You turn right, thinking it will take you left, only to realize it was nothing but a theft. ”

I smile, “You go up, thinking it will lead you down, only to realize you were never above ground.”

“Above ground! Hah!” The smile glows at me from above, “Always a clever one, the Sea Witch’s son.”

Old, dusty boots swing over the hedge. I watch the old man fuddle his way down the branches, his tattered pink sweater marked with stains and dirt streaks.

“Chester. You’re looking well.”

His hunched back straightens at the compliment.

“The maze has been kind to me these last few weeks.” His lips are cracked and bleeding, but that doesn’t stop his smile from stretching from ear-to-ear, “Although I hear change is on the horizon.”

“Nothing like change to keep a man’s head on straight.”

His smile widens, “Nothing like a man to initiate change.”

“Indeed.” Looking down at my shirt, I flick off a stray leaf, “I need a passage to Jack Heart’s chambers. An unguarded one, if possible.”

Chester rocks back and forth on his heels.

“What is it like, walking above ground while your name stains the earth below?"

“Riveting.” I tuck my hands into my pockets, “Jack and I have some unfinished business. I’m looking for a passage to his bedroom.”

“A passage, you say?” Kicking a rock on the ground, he bends down to pick it up, “If you know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take. ”

“This is a bit of a delicate situation.”

“What is more delicate than a matter of the heart?” Clicking his tongue, he starts walking back the way I had come, “Even a clownfish knows the distinction.”

The moon shines on us overhead, the sharp crescent a perfect match for Chester’s grin. I watch his grey tuffs of hair blow in the breeze, the wiry ends curling in every direction. The frayed material of his sweater bunches around a swollen stomach while hole-ridden leggings cling to the silhouette of his skinny legs.

He is a peculiar man, Chester Shoreshire. Refusing to live anywhere beyond the walls of his maze, he is the keeper of the Queen’s most treasured garden. Some call him mad, like his brother, but I think there is genius to be found in the madness. A sense of privilege, knowing you see the world for what it is rather than what it should be.

A small blue caterpillar makes its way across the material of his shirt. Tearing my gaze from the fuzzy creature, I find Chester grinning at me over his shoulder.

“The mind pitted against the heart. I wonder, what bet should I place on each part?”

“To whom are we speaking of?”

“Anyone. Everyone.” His eyes glow as the smile creeps higher, “Maybe no one. A simple ghost.”

“A ghost has no body parts, though I suppose the mind could be tied to the spirit.” Checking my watch, I hold back a sigh, “The mind has greater potential than the heart, but without the heart, there would be no mind. ”

“And yet I hear the Sea Witch’s son has no heart.”

We come to a stop at an intersection. Two paths veer sharply to each side, the roads identical except for destination.

“I am alive, aren’t I?”

“Are you?” Those eyes shrink as the smile consumes his face, “Are you the man who breathes or the ghost who lives? I find myself at a crossroad.”

Ignoring the question, I turn and study the two passages. The path on the right holds an uneven trail that disappears into a foggy cloud while the path on the left boasts a clean road.

It’s another puzzle, except this one requires knowledge of the woman who rules the Heart residence. A woman whose rage is almost as strong as her need for perfection.

Satisfied with my deductions, I turn to Chester with a smile.

“You have been most useful. Try to keep out of trouble.”

“But you haven’t made a decision.”

He gestures towards the two paths. I stare at him curiously, wondering if he wants me to say the answer out loud.

“It’s the one on the left.”

“Of course, but what about the one on the right? Where does that one lead to?”

“That is none of my concern. Goodbye, Chester.”

I turn and start walking towards to the promised land. I’m just about to enter when the old man starts laughing behind me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I find Chester with his head thrown back, gurgled croaks flowing from his mouth while blood dribbles past his cracked lips. His laughter echoes through the darkness, loud and clear when I reach the first turn.

“Marlin Seaborn! What do you call a song stuffed full of water?”

I pause, turning to face the man fading into the night sky. There’s nothing but sharp teeth and laughing eyes when he casts one last riddle my way.

“A broken melody.”