chapter twenty-two
Malik stood silently as he watched the four men approach from the shadows. The cool night air was too brisk for Malik’s liking, but the whistle of the wind would cover up most of the whispers that were soon to come. The labyrinth gates stood tall behind him, splitting the moonlight with jagged shadows from the gate’s bars. He instantly recognized the scrunched letter in one of the men’s hands. The cracked remnants of his seal still clung to the parchment, or at least, the seal he used for less public business.
“Good to see you can follow instructions,” Malik greeted the men as they stopped only a few feet from him. Their features were masked in the moonlight, though he could still make out their eyes. They were definitely mortal, which would serve him well. Mortals were always more willing to work for their gold. “Is this everyone?”
“Why? Not enough muscle for ya?” The man with the letter snorted. “I thought you said we were just looking for a little girl. ”
“You are, but the place you’re looking is no Olympian park,” Malik explained as he met the eyes of the other men. “You all understand the danger this job poses, don’t you?”
“Yeah, we get it,” one of the taller men with a scarred lower lip said. “Raymond showed us your letter.”
“But that doesn’t mean we’ve all agreed yet.” Raymond scrunched the letter in his palm. “You say that this girl has a key to the labyrinth, but here I thought the labyrinth was inescapable. At least, that’s what you always preach.”
Raymond crossed his arms, and the other men cornered Malik with quizzical glances. This was going to be the tough part when it came to convincing them. No one could truly know about the rose’s power, so he needed to ensure he told them enough to get them to go after it, but not enough that they could ruin his perfect maze.
“The key is real,” Malik said, his tone low and dark. “It takes the form of a rose and often illuminates with magic. The girl was given the flower before entering the tunnels, and I can’t have her escaping. Doing so would—”
“We get it.” Raymond waved Malik off. “Then your cage will be discovered to have cracks. So you want us to do what, exactly? Steal the rose back?”
“I want you to destroy it,” Malik said .
“Destroy it?” A man with a scraggly goatee scrunched his thick brows. “Then how are we supposed to get out afterward?”
You’re not.
“Ah, you see, that’s the trick.” Malik flashed a promising smile. “The only way to activate the rose is by tearing it to shreds, because then a doorway will sprout from the fallen petals. I suspect the girl hasn’t figured it out yet because she would be too fearful to destroy her only hope of escape.”
The men shared a few thoughtful looks, each one slowly accepting the lie. Malik fought back the urge to chuckle. Mortals were always so gullible.
“And the girl?” Raymond asked. “Should we simply steal the rose and leave her to the beast?”
“I’d prefer if you killed her,” Malik said dryly. “We don’t want to risk her following you.”
“And what about this beast?” the taller man asked. “Is it real? What are we meant to do if we come in contact with him?”
Kill him, too, for all I care...
“Simply bring your weapons to defend yourself,” Malik explained. “All prisoners are sent into the labyrinth unarmed, so they are no match for the creature below. You all, however, are strong and resourceful. You are free to do whatever it takes to defend yourselves. ”
The men flashed the blades they had tucked in their belts and waistbands, determining if it was enough to carve out a beast’s heart. Malik certainly hoped so.
“Kill the girl, destroy the rose, fend off the beast. Sounds simple enough.” Raymond shrugged. “Now tell me more about the pay... Is it as good as you wrote?”
Malik smiled, then reached into his coat to pull out a hefty sack of gold. He tugged open the drawstrings and flashed the coins to each of the men, watching their eyes sparkle with the gold. “One bag each upon your return. I believe it’s more than fair for the task at hand.”
The men circled, passing a few whispers between each other while sneaking glances back at the looming gates. A second later, Raymond stepped forward, the men standing ready behind him.
“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a deal.” Raymond grinned, holding out his hand for a shake. Malik accepted it, but hated how grimy and rough Raymond’s skin felt. He’d have to wash up well after he got home. “We’ll find this rose. Just keep those bags ready for when we get back.”
“Of course,” Malik said as he turned to the tall gates. “Your reward will be waiting for you on the other side.” Malik unlocked the gate, then creaked it open just enough for the men to squeeze through. The squeak of the metal was deafening, so he didn’t dare pull it any further. “Are you ready?”
The men adjusted the blades in their grips, each one sharing a bloodthirsty grin as they glanced back at the gold for one final dose of motivation.
“We’re ready.” Raymond chuckled. “Time to go hunting, boys.”
With Raymond taking the lead, the men funneled through the gates, each one vanishing down the steps into the eternal darkness, never to be seen again.
“Good luck.” Malik chuckled. “Remember to destroy the rose!”
Then enjoy your trip to Underworth.