Chapter 18
18
O minous and heavy, Isla’s words lingered even after she vanished into the darkness. I didn’t know if she meant that literally or figuratively, but thinking about Enver’s scarred chest and his missing heart made me believe it was the former. Could Enver really have killed someone? Had he ripped out someone’s heart and had his own taken in return? Why? What happened in the past he couldn’t remember?
A shiver rolled through me as shadows under the window climbed up it, opening a doorway for me.
When I exited through the other side, I came to a dead stop, my mouth falling open at the sight before me. Golden orbs of light floated in the air in front of me, surrounding a chandelier that also hovered in the air, nothing attaching it to the ceiling. Or, what I thought was a ceiling. Black stretched on until it met the four walls of the room, creating a live tapestry of a starry night. As I looked, a star shot across the fabricated sky.
I took a cautious step forward, my gaze sweeping across the cluttered room. To my right, a wooden bookshelf held plants that emitted a soft blue glow. Books bound with leather levitated all around me, their tan pages slowly flipping back and forth, as if someone was reading them. Crystals were strewn across every open space, radiating a rainbow of colors. An armored suit stood a few feet in front of me, a humming sound coming from it. I approached it, smiling a little. It reminded me a little of Paloma.
Its head turned toward me, and I nearly screamed. Spectral eyes burned into mine and I stumbled back a step, crashing into a table full of jars of bubbling liquids.
“Silas!” a voice suddenly cried, covering the sound of my impact, and then came the sound of a fist pounding on a door. “You can’t keep me in here! Let me out! Where the hells are you?”
A crack of what looked like blue lightning shot through the air and I instinctively ducked. I crept around the animated suit of armor and tried not to be weirded out when the helmet rotated to watch me pass. A young woman with curly dark brown hair wearing magenta robes entered my vision, banging her head against the oak door, groaning in frustration. She then straightened out and kicked the door, only to hiss in pain, pulling her knee up to grab at her foot.
“ Ow . That stupid jerk. I’ll make him pay for this,” she muttered, setting her foot back down and crossing her arms over her chest.
I cleared my throat.
She gasped and whirled around, her eyes widening. “What in Star’s name?” She lifted her hand, a white magic gathering in it. “Who are you? How did you get in here? Speak now, or I will end your life.”
Her voice was high-pitched with the hint of an accent I didn’t recognize, but full of a deadly threat that had me throwing my hands up in front of myself defensively. “I’m Nell!” I squeaked. “I’m doing the labyrinth! It brought me here! ”
“The labyrinth?” she repeated, the magic still swirling viciously in her palm. “How do you know about that?”
“I’m also a participant. I swear!”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Does Silas know you’re here?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t even know who Silas is.”
She watched me for another moment before she finally lowered her hand, the magic fizzling out. “He’s the owner of this castle. He’s also doing the labyrinth.”
“Wait, were you brought here too, then?” I asked, surprised. “I haven’t met anyone else who ended up in someone else’s labyrinth for their challenge. I thought it just happened to me.”
“No, this is my home,” she said, folding her arms over her chest. “Well, this tower I’m trapped in isn’t my home, but this kingdom is. What is left of it, that is.”
I deflated a bit. “Oh.” Then I perked up again. “Wait. If there are two of you doing the labyrinth, maybe that counts as two layers for me. Maybe there is hope for me finishing it on time.”
She stared at me, blank-faced. “Sorry?”
“Oh, nothing,” I said dismissively, walking up to her. “Let me introduce myself again. I’m Nell.” I offered her my hand.
“Rielle,” she answered, shaking my hand, her grip firm despite the softness of her skin.
“I think I’m here to help you,” I told her, getting straight into it. “Not to sound like I have a savior complex or anything—I just think that’s my challenge for the labyrinth. Helping others. I should be able to help you with yours.”
Her brows raised. “You think you can help me?”
“Sure,” I said, confident. It’d worked out with everyone else so far. “What’s going on?”
She laughed, bitter and mirthless. “Come here.”
I followed her as she guided me across the room and up a spiral staircase that led out to a balcony. Wind whipped around us and I shuddered, walking over to the railing and peeking over it. A thick spectral mist covered the ground, bathing the land below in an eerie incandescence. Gnarled, dead trees jutted out from the mist, blackened and bare, their limbs stretching out toward the sky like they were trying to escape the haze. Wisps of the mist curled around dilapidated structures scattered about, and it took me a moment to recognize that the chilling scene before me had once probably been a castle town.
My gaze zeroed in on unrecognizable shapes moving around in the mist, and I inhaled sharply, my heart skipping a beat. “What are those?” I asked, horrified.
Shadowy creatures with long, thin limbs and sharp claws stalked through the haze. Their forms shifted and contorted, reminding me of the shadows Enver controlled. Except, I didn’t fear Enver’s shadows. But these sent a chill down my spine and sent my heart racing. How they moved with lanky, jerky steps, and how their heads swiveled back and forth as if on the lookout for something, unnerved me.
“My people,” Rielle said, her voice strained. “Cursed to become monsters.”
I couldn’t stop staring at the creatures, resisting the urge to back away from the nightmarish sight. “Those are people?”
“They were. Now they are shadows of their former selves. Their sanity stripped away by the mist.”
“How?” I breathed, forcing myself to turn away, looking at Rielle.
“Silas,” she answered, her hands clenching into fists. “He was once a prodigious sorcerer. His magic was powerful, but uncontrollable and violent. My father, the king of this kingdom and one of the oldest living wizards, took him under his wing to help him rein in his magic and learn how to control it. But then Silas betrayed him. He betrayed all of us. He killed my father, cursed my entire kingdom, and kidnapped me. I’ve been locked in this tower for months now, watching everyone and everything I’ve ever known wither away. ”
I swallowed, glancing back at the roaming shadow creatures. “I’m sorry.”
“What’s done is done. I just need to fix it. To save everyone,” she responded.
“No, I mean, I’m sorry for that, too, but also for speaking so offhandedly before. Treating your problem as if it were something I could easily solve to complete my labyrinth,” I explained, shifting uncomfortably. “I didn’t mean to minimize what you’re going through. This is awful.”
A small smile tugged at her lips. “It is. And thank you for your apology. I didn’t think you had any ill intentions, but I appreciate it.”
“Is what you want from the labyrinth to save your people?” I asked.
“Yes,” she answered. “That, and I want my revenge on Silas. I don’t understand how he could do this to me. After everything we’ve been through, I thought…” she trailed off, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. “I have no choice anymore. If he refuses to break the curse, I have to myself. Even if it means killing him. I must choose myself and my kingdom.”
“What—killing him?”
She averted her gaze. “I will do whatever it takes to save my kingdom. I will end him, even if I break my own heart in the process. That is my consequence for loving him.”
“Is that really the only choice?” I asked. “Revenge?”
“It’s not just revenge. It’s doing the right thing for my kingdom,” she said, an edge to her voice now. “If he has to burn to save it, then I will light the match. I will not allow him to lock me up here. I will let go of our past and fight for myself and my people.”
Anger tightened her features, and my stomach flipped with unease. Could that be the wrong path that would lead her to failing the labyrinth? Killing Silas? “I won’t pretend to know what you’ve gone through, Rielle, but if you kill him, you won’t ever be able to take it back. Be careful with decisions born from anger—they could haunt you later.”
Rielle studied me for a moment. “Are you an Oracle?”
“A what?”
“Never mind,” she said. “Still, I will take your advice into consideration. You must have appeared in front of me for a reason.”
I relaxed a little. “You said Silas is also doing the labyrinth? How do you know?”
“The lord of the labyrinth came to us at the same time,” she explained, placing her hand against the railing, frowning. “I don’t know what Silas wishes for. What he’s wanted so far, he’s simply taken by force. No one can stop him—not that there is anyone still around to do so. Everyone has been turned into shadows. My father, our guards, the townspeople. Even Xander.”
“Xander?”
“Silas’s mentor and my father’s right-hand man,” she said. “Silas cursed them all.”
I studied her for a moment as I took in her words. Her brown skin was free of blemishes, her features soft and delicate, but dark rings encircled her chestnut eyes, and she hunched in on herself, her shoulders curling forward as if the weight of the plight of her kingdom rested on them. I knew in a way it did.
She puffed out a short sigh before looking at me. “So, still think you can help?”
“I’ll do everything I can,” I assured her. “There has to be a way to break the curse, right?”
“There always is,” she said. “There is no such thing as an unbreakable curse. That is the only thing that gives me hope. My magic may not be as strong as Silas’s, but I know it is enough to break the curse if I can find out how.”
The wind suddenly picked up, whistling in my ears and causing Rielle’s robes to whip around her. A deep, rumbling sound echoed through the air, vibrating through the stone tower beneath our feet. I froze, glancing at Rielle, who stared up at the starless sky. The rhythmic noise grew louder, sounding almost like…
Wings.
“He’s coming,” Rielle said steadily.
Before I could ask who, a massive shadow loomed over us, blotting out the moon. My gaze shot upward, and I gasped.
Not just a shadow.
A dragon.
“Holy fuck,” I whispered, caught between terror and awe.
Its black scales gleamed in the moonlight as it circled the tower, each shimmering plate the size of my entire torso. Its wings spread out from its body as it soared, its wingspan rivaling the horizon. A long tail swished behind it, the spiky tip nearly colliding with the top of the tower as the dragon suddenly banked left and fixated its glowing, icy blue eyes on me.
An earth-shattering roar erupted from its massive maw, and the force of it was strong enough to make my ears ring and the tower quake. It flapped its wings once before descending toward us in a steep dive.
Rielle grabbed my arm, yanking me out of the way as the dragon landed on the balcony with a thunderous crash. The railing crumbled under its weight, and its claws dug into the stone crenellation.
“Silas,” Rielle hissed, somehow not intimidated by the dragon at all.
I could barely stand with how hard my legs were trembling. I clung to Rielle, unable to tear my gaze away from the beast. It lowered its head, thin pupils narrowing into slits as it regarded me.
This was Silas ?
Then its form began to shimmer and shift, scales melting away to reveal white skin, wings and tail receding until they disappeared completely, and the creature standing before me was no longer a dragon, but a man. My heart leaped into my throat at the sight of him. Silas stood at least seven feet tall, clad in dark leather armor that formed to his sturdy build. He’d tied half his blond hair up into a knot at the top of his head, the rest falling just below his shoulders. A faded scar crossed from the top right of his temple to the bottom corner of his lips, marring the otherwise smooth skin of his face. His icy blue eyes bore into mine as he grew closer, his nostrils flaring.
I didn’t have a chance to speak before an unseen force wrapped around my neck, squeezing tightly. I gasped, my fingers clawing at my neck, unable to find the source of the pressure.
Rielle whipped her head toward me. “Nell? What’s wrong?”
I struggled against the invisible force, falling back a few steps, my breath coming out in harsh rasps.
“Who are you?” Silas demanded, his voice deep and threatening. “How did you get here?”
“Silas! Let her go!” Rielle snapped. “Stop it!”
“Speak,” Silas commanded.
“Nell,” I rasped, my air supply dwindling.
“You dare to invade my home and approach what is mine?” Silas continued, undeterred, his eyes blazing.
Rielle seized the front of his leathers. “Yours? I’m not yours, Silas! Let her go!”
“Silence, Rielle. Do not move,” Silas said, and Rielle went unnaturally still, as if frozen in place.
When she spoke, it sounded muffled, as if her jaw was locked. “She’s a participant in the labyrinth!”
This caused Silas to pause, his gaze flickering between me and Rielle. I wheezed, wondering if I was about to die here. Of all the ways I’d thought I would die, being strangled to death by magic hadn’t been one of them. What would Enver think if I didn’t return? Would he be worried? Would he be sad?
Why was I worrying about what Enver would think while I was being strangled?
As the lack of oxygen weakened my body and I staggered into the wall for support, the pressure on my neck suddenly disappeared. I barely had time to take in a breath before Silas’s hand slammed into my shoulder, pinning me to the wall as he loomed over me. “I suggest you speak quickly. Why are you here?”
“I…” I hesitated, trying to think of what to tell him. Something told me saying that I wanted to help Rielle break the curse on the land wouldn’t end well with him.
“Well?” he prompted, impatient.
“I’m here to help you get what you want from the labyrinth,” I decided on. It was mostly true—if Silas was another participant, I would probably need to help him, too. Although what I would do for him depended on what he wanted out of his challenge.
He sneered at me. “I don’t need your help. Try again, or I will cast you out into the mist.”“You don’t have much time,” I blurted, and his eyes narrowed, but I clung to the lie forming in my mind. “The lord of the labyrinth sent me to help you. Your time is running out to complete your challenge.”
“What lies do you spew?”
I tried to keep my expression straight, although inside I reeled. How did he figure out I was lying so easily? “I’m not lying. You only have hours left. If you don’t complete the labyrinth, you’ll lose the thing you want most.”
His gaze flashed to Rielle before returning to me, his fingers digging into my shoulder. “If I find you are lying to me…”
“I’m not,” I squeaked.
“She’s telling the truth,” Rielle insisted. “She’s here to help us. I saw the lord of the labyrinth bring her here. ”
I nodded furiously. “See? You can at least believe her if you can’t believe me?—”
“Come,” he suddenly ordered, grabbing my arm and dragging me back inside the tower.
I tossed a glance back at Rielle, who could move again, and she rushed after us. “Silas, wait.”
We descended the spiral staircase and walked through the trinket-filled room until we reached a doorway with no door. As we grew closer, though, I noticed a faint, white sheen covering the entire opening, and my feet halted on their own.
“It’s a magic barrier,” Rielle explained, noticing my apprehension. “Designed to keep me trapped in here like some sort of caged familiar.”
“To protect you,” Silas corrected in a flat voice.
“I don’t need protection.”
“I won’t allow anyone to hurt you.”
“Anyone other than yourself, right?”
Silas’s fingernails dug into my arm, and I winced. “I would never hurt you,” he said.
Rielle crossed her arms over her chest. “You already have. By taking away my freedom, my family, my friends. My kingdom ?—”
A low growl rumbled in Silas’s chest and he yanked me forward through the barrier. An electric pulse jolted through my body, radiating from my chest and spreading outward. It hurt, but only lasted a moment, gone before I could do more than inhale sharply. Rielle pressed her hands against the magic barrier, her brown eyes filled with worry. “Nell! Are you okay? Silas, you could have killed her! What if she had magic?”
Silas ignored her, hauling me away. I offered her what I hoped was a reassuring smile before Silas pulled me through another door, this one physical, and shut it behind us. He let me go, and after giving me a stern look that commanded obedience, started down a long spiral staircase. I carefully followed him down it, my pulse racing.
“You have no magic,” he surmised. “The barrier didn’t react.”
“I don’t,” I confirmed, although my chest still tingled.
“Yet you expect to help me?”
“I’m going to try. What is it you were desperate for?”
He didn’t answer, and I didn’t press, focused on navigating the winding staircase. As we reached the bottom, my foot slipped, sending me careening forward. I floundered, my arms shooting out, and Silas turned and immediately caught me, his large hands encompassing my waist.
“Careful,” he said as he set me back to my feet.
“Sorry,” I muttered, sheepish.
“If you can’t even handle a staircase, I have little faith in your ability to assist me.”
“Hey, this staircase is insanely steep and the steps are short,” I defended myself. “It’s a safety hazard at best and a death sentence at worst.”
Silas raised his eyebrows, looking amused. “A death sentence? Are stairs so dangerous where you come from that they warrant such a title?”
I pursed my lips at him. “People can die from falling down the stairs in any world.”
“You are quite pathetic, aren’t you? I’m having less and less faith in you.”
“Why are you keeping Rielle trapped?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from insults toward me.
The humor disappeared from his face, his features hardening, before he turned and strode down the hall. “I’m not keeping her trapped. I’m protecting her.”
I wanted to question his definition of protection but figured it was best not to antagonize him. “Protecting her from what?”
“Everything. ”
“The curse, too? But aren’t you the one who cast it?”
“I cast it to save her,” Silas said, sweeping open a door at the end of the hall, leading us to a dimly lit corridor. “I had no other choice. She didn’t know the danger she was in. What the king plotted against her.”
I struggled to keep up with his long strides, frowning. “Her father? He planned on doing something that would harm her?”
“Yes.”
“So, you cursed the entire kingdom? Did you try talking to her about it first?”
Silas suddenly stopped, and when he whirled around to face me I froze, my mouth snapping shut. He scowled. “What do you think? That she would believe the poor beggar she took pity on over her own father? Of course I tried. She brushed me off every time until it was too late. I had no choice. I will let the kingdom burn to save her.”
“But keeping her locked up isn’t fair to her,” I said. “Even if you feel it’s the only option, don’t you think it’s cruel to take away her freedom? If you love someone, shouldn’t you want them to be happy above all else? She isn’t happy?—”
“What do you know about love?” he snarled, his eyes like shards of ice.
I swallowed hard. “More than I ever have before. Enough to know how much it can hurt, and how much it can heal. And enough to know that even the best intentions can become the worst ones, if you let fear consume you.”
“Fear?” he scoffed. “I fear nothing. Rielle is safe with me, and I will never let her go. Never risk her life. Never— never —lose her.”
His jaw clenched, shoulders heaving as his breathing grew heavier. My brow furrowed as I regarded him. His anger, his possessiveness, and his unwavering determination to keep her… Maybe his actions were rooted in love, but they came across more like an obsession .
But in a way, I could understand Silas. I’d been obsessed, too. Obsessed with being loved. Enough so that I would give up everything to obtain it.
But obsession wasn’t love.
“Silas,” I started, keeping my tone soft. “I understand you don’t want to lose her, but if you keep something too tightly in your grasp, it will shatter and scar you both.”
Silas said nothing, his body rigid.
“I know you want to protect her, but you also have to trust her,” I said. “Trust her to protect herself and trust her to make her own decisions. What you’re doing now will just make her hate you.”
“Enough,” he said roughly. “If you keep on with your foolish prattle, I will send you out into the mist without a second thought.”
The threat was enough to shut me up. The last thing I wanted was to become one of the shadow monsters. Even less so than becoming one of Enver’s mindless servants. At least with Enver, I would still be human.
I needed to navigate this labyrinth challenge carefully. Three fates rested on my shoulders this time—Rielle’s, Silas’s, and mine. And time was running out.