Page 51

Marin

The mist thinned the farther I climbed, and when I broke through the canopy, I hauled myself onto the top of the pillar.

I let out a slow breath.

From up here, the maze unfolded in full, a twisting stretch of crumbling stone and forest. Pathways wove and split, some ending abruptly, others vanishing into the fog clinging closer to the ground below.

Gargoyle statues dotted the pillars near every major intersection, as if congratulating anyone foolish enough to enter the maze for making it that far.

Beyond the maze, a vast, shifting expanse of clouds stretched like a moat around the castle.

It looked terrifying. The only way across was with the tokens.

My fingers found the leather pouch at my waist, pressing against the metal disc inside.

The merchant had sworn the magic in the tokens would let us walk as if the clouds were stone beneath our feet, but the thought of stepping into thin air made my stomach twist.

The castle itself rose like a mountain in the center, its hulking silhouette cutting through the mist. Iron spires speared into the sky from towers of blackened stone, their surfaces strangled by thick, gnarled vines.

The only hint of color in the dark, ominous structure came from the stained-glass windows, shards of crimson and sapphire, catching the sunlight .

We were closer to the moat than I expected, probably eight hundred feet by line of sight. If only we could leap across the tops of the maze, but there was no clear path from above.

I studied the turns, mapping the quickest route, then dug a charcoal stick out of my satchel and scribbled the path on the back of my arm. Assuming there weren’t any obstacles or collapsed sections, we could reach the clouds in ten, maybe twenty minutes.

We’d gotten lucky. Besides the bats and my little slip, there hadn’t been any trouble. Even the mist was a blessing, helping me breathe easier. We were so close to the shard. A week ago, I wouldn’t have believed it was possible. Then again, a week ago, I still wanted to shove Gavin off the vine.

My cheeks warmed at the memory of last night, and then this morning, before the snake ruined everything. Spoiling my moment like a trespasser with two fangs and bad timing.

I closed my eyes, feeling the phantom press of Gavin's mouth on my skin. The rough slide of his hands, fingers digging into my hips.

That man was dangerous.

A sly smile curved my lips. I needed a new name for the map. Gavin always claimed he wanted more favorable landmarks. Now was the time.

How about… The Outpost of Reckless Impulses.

No. I could do better than that. I drummed my fingers on my belt.

The Shack of Ruined Restraint.

Closer…

The Cabin of Carnal Cravings.

Nice…

“What do you see?” Gavin shouted, yanking me abruptly from my mapmaking.

I snarled and glanced at the gargoyle perched on a pillar to my right.

“Seriously? The man's patient in bed, but a boss in the maze.” I huffed. “You can't rush a brilliant plan or the perfect map name.”

The gargoyle agreed with me. At least, his blank stare did. His gaping mouth, stacked with sharp stone teeth, just made him look hungry.

Grumbling under my breath, I double-checked the path against what I'd written, making sure I hadn’t missed anything.

Something shifted over my right shoulder.

Stone crumbled.

I froze.

The wind whistled past my face, blowing strands of hair into my eyes. I tucked them behind my ear and turned slowly.

The gargoyle stared back.

It blinked.

Cold dread knifed down my spine. I stumbled backward, the heel of my boot slipping off the ledge. My balance shifted, and I pitched myself forward to keep from falling.

“Marin! Get down here. We need to move. Now!”

No.

We need to run!

The gargoyle launched off its perch, giant wings cracking as they unfurled in flight. A scream tore from my throat. I dropped to my knees and scrambled off the side of the pillar.

Razor-sharp claws scored into the stone where I'd just been as the gargoyle soared past, then banked a hard turn. I snatched the vines, the thick ropes tearing against my palms as I hurtled down the pillar.

I landed hard, hands scraping raw against the stone ledge. Gavin swung to face me, his cutlass raised. Surging to my feet, I looked up, searching for the creature.

“The statues—they’re alive!”

Gavin’s features twisted in confusion, then hardened into horror. He moved, pinning me to the pillar. His entire frame shielded mine as he faced the mist, cutlass already raised.

I flattened my hand against his back. “The castle's close. We can run for it. I mapped the path.”

A gargoyle swooped through the tunnel, wings shearing vines from the walls. Gavin swung hard. His blade screeched across the creature's stone hide, spitting a shower of sparks. No damage. Their skin was armor.

Gavin tightened his grip, pulling me harder against him as the creature wheeled and tore back through the tunnel. Its wing clipped the pillar. Stone cracked overhead, raining debris and shards into my eyes.

My body seized.

That sound…

The blood roared in my ears. I choked on the dust, fear compressing my lungs. I clutched the back of Gavin's belt as I curled into him, making myself as small as possible.

Every muscle locked, my mind filling with distant screams. The weight of water. A faint, murky glow of minerals clouded by blood swirling in the icy current. The chains. The mines.

I couldn't break free. The walls were caving in. I'd never escape.

“I won't—” I choked back a sob. “I won't die here.”

“Mare, look at me,” Gavin's voice cut through the panic as he forced my chin up .

But I couldn't see him.

Mist and dust blurred my vision. The screams swelled, pressing against my skull.

They were dying. We all were. I was next. Bones cracking. Screams silencing one by one until there was just a flatline of silence. The darkness crept closer, waiting to bury me beneath jagged rock.

Another shriek ripped through the fog. The creature dove again. Gavin hunched over me just as claws scraped across his back.

He hissed through his teeth, but didn't fall.

Didn't even loosen his grip.

“You are never going back,” Gavin rasped low in my ear. “You hear me? Never. ”

I flinched. “I won't…” I whispered, "die here, either.”

My vision snapped back into focus. The water vanished. This wasn't the mines. I wasn't alone. Gavin was here, fighting for me. Bleeding for me. I couldn't lose myself in a nightmare of the past.

I straightened my trembling knees, dragging in a bracing breath filled with dust.

“I'm here,” I gasped, closing my fists to silence their tremors. “I'm okay.”

He pressed a harsh kiss to my temple. “You've got this. You can get us out of here.”

This man believed in me with a reckless faith that always made me pick myself up. Always on my heels. Always at my back.

I nodded, wincing as a shadow swept overhead. “I wrote down the turns.”

Another screech echoed nearby. Then another .

I dug into my satchel, my hands still shaking as I fumbled for the sound darts. The mist was thick enough. The sound could trick them, lure them away, and buy us a few precious seconds.

“Here. Use these.” I shoved a few into his hand. “They can mimic our footsteps.”

“That's my girl. Which way first?”

I glanced down at the charcoal marks I'd scribbled on my arm. “Right. Left. Another right.”

“Okay. On the count of—” He paused, gripping my wrist just tight enough to hold my attention. His green eyes locked on mine. “Wait for me this time.”

I cracked a shaky smile. “Three, got it.”

“One… two… three.”

He threw a dart into the mist. It whizzed away, echoing the sound of boots pounding against stone. A gargoyle lunged after it, smashing into a wall with a thunderous crack.

We ran the other way.

The ground splintered beneath my boots. Brittle branches snapped, stone crumbled. The sound of shattering rock roared in my ears and vibrated in my bones.

Gavin threw a frantic glance over his shoulder as he raced ahead. I pushed myself harder, matching his movements.

We banked right. My ankle twisted on a crumbling ledge. Pain streaked up my leg. I kept running.

Hard left. I leapt over a gap. Another jolt of pain made my eyes water. The air was tight in my chest. My vision blurred from dust and debris.

Gavin hurled a second dart down the opposite tunnel. The monsters swarmed toward the sound, their massive weight crushing the stone. Our path quaked, the ground crumbling in huge chunks before crashing into the pit .

They just kept coming.

I shouted the turns, panic clawing at my spine as we leaped over the fissures. The entrance to the moat was up ahead. We were so close.

A monster crashed through the wall ahead of me. I skidded to a stop, slamming into a crumbling ledge. The impact rattled through me. I blinked the dust from my eyes.

“Marin!” Gavin’s voice split the chaos, a desperate roar echoing through the tunnel.

The creature stood between us, its wings cleaving through stone, severing the tangled branches that barely held the floor together.

Another screech split the air.

A second gargoyle landed behind me. Then a third on the pillar to my left. We were surrounded. A sickening twist wrenched my stomach as the ground beneath my boots jolted.

Terror carved into Gavin's face as he lunged for me, hand outstretched.

Cracks spiderwebbed through the stone. The branches gave way with a splintering snap.

The maze tilted.

“No—Marin!”

His voice was the last thing I heard before the ground dropped out from under me.

I screamed, the sound ripped away as I plummeted into the pit.