18. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Calista
“ Y ou will be the final death of us all.”
What did that mean, final death? Death was finality. Whatever it was, it sounded far more ominous than just passing away.
“Please slow down.” I jerked against Jessandra’s death grip on my bicep as she dragged me back to the castle. I stepped on the hem of my dress repeatedly, losing my footing, but she’d pick me up like a ragdoll and keep going.
Once inside the castle, she shoved me into the dining room and barked orders at the servants before turning to me. “Do as Astaroth commanded. Gwendith will guide you to your room.”
I rubbed my already bruising arm. “No need. I remember the way.”
She stepped toward me, and I retreated. “See that you get there.”
In the blink of an eye, Jessandra was gone. The inhuman way they moved unnerved me, and I worried how I was to outrun them when they traveled at the speed of light. The tapestry whipped against the wall as more servants rushed from the room toward an exit I spotted earlier.
I won’t have to outrun them if they are distracted.
I checked for any stragglers and stepped into the hall.
“Milady?”
Startled, I spun around to find Ziggy holding a small platter. Nervous, he held it up for me. His pride faltered when I scrutinized his creation instead of taking it. The toppings were iffy, but when I sniffed it, my mouth began to water. It smelled delicious.
I chose the best piece and took a tentative bite. Just like the fruit on the plate, flavor burst in my mouth. I hummed, and my stomach answered with a growl. It was the best thing I’d ever tasted. Or maybe it only seemed that way since I hadn’t eaten a true meal in days.
His large black eyes widened even more as a childish grin spread over his face. I couldn’t help but share in his joy.
“Have you tried it?”
He tucked his chin. “I’m ashamed to say I haven’t. I wanted to feed you. Please don’t tell the king. His Highness would be so upset that I didn’t test a meal first. But I knew it would be good, though. The ingredients are the best we have.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Ziggy hunkered even more and dropped to his knees, the platter still held out in front of him. “I promise to do better next time. If you’ll still have me.”
I knelt in front of him and took the dish. “Of course I’ll have you. This is the best pizza ever. Why would you think that?”
Panic stricken, Ziggy tried to take the platter back. “You must stand before others see you!”
“Who cares?” I looked around the quiet room and down the hall. “No one’s here.”
“I beg of you.”
“Fine. But you have to take a bite first.”
Hesitant, he chose a slice and stared at me until I motioned for him to eat it. Half of it fit in his wide mouth. He stopped mid-chew and looked at me as I took another bite. “I will add this to our menu.”
“There are a million different ways to make it. All delicious in their own way.”
Ziggy practically glowed. “Pizza every night.”
I laughed, grateful he took on the challenge and loved it. Who knew what the next “delicacy” would have been. Probably a warted, puss-oozing toad. “Take a couple more slices. I can’t eat all this on my own.”
He happily obliged and with a quickness.
I stood up, and he followed. “I better go to my room before I get in more trouble.” And so I could prepare to sneak out while everyone was busy.
“Good night, milady.” The way his tiny little body curled in a bow made me smile.
“Good night, Ziggy. Thank you for your kindness.”
He shot up with a look of horror. “Never say that again.” Then he took off through the tapestry.
How strange. I set the platter on the table and took the remaining slices with me. The halls were barely luminated by small torches on the walls and were eerily quiet. When I reached what I assumed was the exit, I peered outside. It led to the courtyard in front of the castle. Not a soul was around that I could see. I could try to escape now, but this dress was a cumbersome death trap. I needed my own clothes.
I was exhausted by the time I reached the top of the stairs, not just from climbing but from holding all the fabric up so I wouldn’t trip on it. And it was dark as shit. I stuffed a slice of pizza in my mouth and held it there as I stripped out of the dress and went for something more comfortable. Once I was redressed, I snuck out on the balcony and searched the castle wall. There were only two guards remaining. They walked separate ways, turned, met in the middle of the drawbridge, then turned and walked away again. That was my chance.
My heart raced as I stood there. I felt like a teen sneaking out of the house with the hopes I wouldn’t get caught. I needed to move while I had time, but my feet were glued to the spot. There were literal monsters out there, not your average creepy weirdos looking to defile young kids. Maybe I should wait until daytime when I could see.
Maybe you can wait until he decides to force himself on you. Maybe you can wait until you’re pregnant. Move your ass, Calista!
I ran.
“I’m not scared. I’m excited.”
Who was I kidding? I was terrified. Trying to trick myself into an adventure only added to my anxiety.
Entering the labyrinth made the past decade feel like a dream. It was pointless, all those years of struggle and hope. Had I known it would come to this, I would’ve lived life to the fullest: made grandiose wishes, became rich and famous, taken lavish trips, lived fearlessly, spent more time with my brother instead of festering in the resentfulness I denied having. All of it was wasted. Instead, I was living in regret, staring at the same stone walls that have imprisoned me since the moment I stepped foot inside them ten years ago. They never released me.
I pushed the hood of my sweatshirt back some and peered down the dark corridor, careful to avoid the presumably poisonous, invasive plant that had taken over since my last visit, and looked left then right. Squeezing my eyes shut, I thought back to how I traversed this maze when I was younger. With careful, quiet steps, I eased along the inner wall trying to spot the hidden openings that blended in. It was nearly impossible. They hid in the darkness and the vines disrupted what little view I had, making it difficult to see the mismatched bricks that were an indicative sign you found one.
The warm glow of a pixie orb illuminated the uneven path ahead. I gripped the spear staff I found leaning against the gate wall when I snuck through, thankful to have a weapon, and stared past it at the pitch blackness that awaited me. The path behind me didn’t feel as sinister as where I was headed.
The light flickered wildly as I approached, putting me on edge. Hung high with a vine wrapped tightly around it, the orb rested above my head. The pixie sat on hands and knees, looking at me through the bottom of it. If I could get it down, I could carry it with me until I found a way out, and then set it free. But the vines made me nervous. They weren’t black as I previously thought, but a green so deep it looked black with threads of brighter green that almost appeared metallic in the soft light.
The strobe effect from the pixie made it hard to focus. “Can you stop flickering so I can see?”
It flickered faster.
“Over there!” A gravelly voice shouted from a nearby corridor.
“Shhh!” I begged it. I needed it, and it needed me. We could get each other out of here.
Echoing footsteps were headed my way. I grabbed the orb ready to tug it down, and it shocked me. Cradling my hands to my chest, I watched the vines come to life and lift the pixie higher. They slowly writhed the length of the walls, making the sides of the dark path undulate. It was the creepiest shit ever.
I couldn’t stick around. The goblins would find me and take me back.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
I moved as quickly as I could, making as little noise as possible. Spots stained my vision from staring at the light. Every time I brushed against the leafy vines on the walls, I damn near screamed. The uneven bricks caught my toes here and there, and I would pause after stumbling to make sure nothing heard me. Even if I wanted to, there was no going back. I wouldn’t be able to see the way I came. This was it. I was on my own.
Light was sparse, and when I did see another orb, I would run by it as fast as I could. I didn’t need them signaling my path, which so far was a single winding corridor. I needed to face my fear and search the vine-covered walls for the hidden doorways.
I walked toward the next bend in the wall and peered around before entering. You never knew what awaited you around every corner or hid in the cubbyholes. The entire maze was a giant trap ready for you to trigger it. If a brick looked misplaced, it probably was. And some were so cleverly disguised that your eyes automatically skimmed over it, not sensing it for the danger it was. My body remembered, though. Tense and ready, my eyes flicked back and forth, on the watch for anything extraordinary and seemingly too ordinary at the same time. It amazed me how quickly the brain could compute two different directives at once.
That wasn’t even the most frustrating part. Every inch of the labyrinth looked exactly the same. You never knew if you were going in circles or making progress. I understood that was the gist of a labyrinth. It was meant to confuse you and keep you lost, but it didn’t make it any less irritating.
A feathery touch brushed my face, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. The leaves of an ivy branch stretched out to me. “What the hell.”
Intrigued and terrified, I extended my hand and met the vine. The leaf curled into the center of my palm. I smiled through my fear and tickled it with my finger. The pendant pulsed against my chest and began to glow. Scared that I did something wrong, I yanked my hand back. The pendant returned to normal, and so did the vine.
“Calista!” Astaroth’s voice boomed like thunder through the labyrinth.
Panicked, I bolted. No longer concerned with whether the vines were poisonous or not, I felt along the walls looking for a way through. A brick gave under my foot and my next step was into a hole. I plummeted with a scream, coming to a jolting stop when the spear lay over the opening. The muscle in my arm pit felt like it tore as I hung from the wooden staff. Then it gave with a loud crack that echoed through the pit. I hit a hard surface and slid down a pitch-black tunnel. Cobwebs shredded as I zipped along the stone slide, the remnants billowing and tickling my face. I closed my eyes and prayed I didn’t get stuck inside this hole with a man-eating spider. A moment later, I crashed into a wall.
Sprawled on the ground, I looked around and found myself back in the labyrinth, right in front of a massive wooden gate. Pixie orbs flickered to life, illuminating it. These resembled the same doors I entered when I came to save my brother.
I made it.
The pendant pulsed as if agreeing. I pushed up and shoved against them, then tried wedging my fingers in the crack and pulling on them. They refused to open. With a huff, I used my body weight and slammed against them, only to bounce off and hit the ground. The orbs swayed from my effort, making the light dance along the walls.
“Did you think it would be easy to leave?”
I scrambled back on my hands and feet as Astaroth strolled out of the shadows. He blended so well with them with his darker hair and skin that he could’ve been there the whole time and I wouldn’t have known, unless I saw his eyes. They twinkled in the darkness. Squatting in front of me, he shrunk his intimidating size to appear more human.
“Shouldn’t you be looking for a pixie?”
“Answer the question.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I almost made it.”
“Made it where, exactly?”
Compelled to tell the truth, I said, “To the portal that will take me home.”
Astaroth’s head leaned to the side, his features softening in the warm light. “There is nothing beyond these walls, Calista.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Astaroth stood and faced the door. With a quick twitch of his hands, they opened with a loud groan. He raised an arm, gesturing for me to exit.
Hesitant, I joined him at the threshold. Dirt rested against the bricks and extended as far as I could see. I refused to believe nothing was out there. “You’re trying to trick me again. It’s dark, that’s why we can’t see it from here.”
“The only portals that exist are the ones I create. They require too much energy to leave open. Random humans and animals would wander through.” He looked down at me. “Or out.”
A terrifying roar came from within the labyrinth. I knew that roar and never wanted to come face to maw with that… thing ever again. I spun around, looking for it, but the outer corridor was silent. The only movement was the slow slithering of the thick vines that had grown over the walls.
“Day’s end is not kind to outsiders, as I’m certain you remember,” he whispered.
Memories flooded my mind and slicked my body with a nervous sheen. Of course I remembered. He was the one who tossed me to the proverbial wolves. Any sane person would never forget it, nor would they be sane after. Yet here I was—again—questioning my sanity.
“It’s not kind to insiders either.” I turned to him, but he wasn’t there. “Where’d you go?”
His voice echoed off the inside of the labyrinth walls. “Better hurry. Their dinner time approaches.”
Another roar sounded not far away.
“Astaroth!” I shout-whispered as I crept along the wall in search of him. Silence. That bastard left me to figure out this puzzle yet again. Was this my punishment for trying to escape?
No. I’ll be okay. He won’t let his personal sex slave die. That defeats the entire purpose of me being here.
With careful, quiet steps, I eased along the inner wall trying to spot the hidden openings that blended in. Maybe I could find the tunnel that spit me out and climb it back to the beginning. Frustrated, I began patting the walls as I went.
Light clicks nearby raised the hairs on my neck. I exhaled slowly and glanced over my shoulder. Glistening, razor sharp teeth grinned back at me from a gaping mouth. Hunched over me on two bird-like legs was one of the most terrifying things I’d ever encountered and hoped to never encounter again. It reminded me of an extraterrestrial ostrich. Or velociraptor. A velostrich. Its dingy, pointed teeth spun like a circular saw as they opened to reveal rows of the same teeth inside, only smaller. Then, it screeched. The high pitch made me clamp my hands over my ears to keep my rattling eardrums from bursting. I bolted. The second I moved, so did it. I stared down the long path, remembering that the outer corridor of the labyrinth went on forever. The only way out was through the doorways residing along the walls, hidden from view to outsiders. This was the guardian of those doors.
“To conquer your fears, you must face them.” A voice rang clearly in my memory as I ran, but I couldn’t remember who had said that to me before.
This was not something I wanted to face, but I was not in peak physical shape and couldn’t keep going. The bird from hell was gnashing those saliva-covered teeth at my heels.
“Fuck,” I gasped, lungs burning, as I leaped over a giant dead root I almost missed. Then it occurred to me: nothing in this place was ever as it seemed. It was all ass-backward and puzzling, much like the labyrinth. Maybe I didn’t have to literally face it.
Here goes nothing, I thought, and dove onto the unforgiving bricks nearest the wall and squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the stampede of talons. It never happened. The velostrich moved so fast that it ran right past me. I jerked my head up when it screeched. It attempted to shuffle its awkward shaped body around, but its feet couldn’t turn. Neck stretched out, it furiously pecked in my direction.
“Shit,” I grumbled as it wobbled backward to reach me.
I shoved to my feet and jogged back the way I came. The thing stopped screeching and gave up the farther I got. I finally slowed and caught my breath. Thankfully, I would be deep inside the labyrinth by the time the velostrich made its way back around.
Hands on my hips, I inspected the wall every few feet, looking for a hidden entrance. At last, I passed the gate where Astaroth abandoned me. It was shut once again and refused to budge. Speaking of….
“Astaroth,” I growled and stomped onward, one hand sliding along the wall, only pulling back when I reached a vine. If I couldn’t see it, I’d feel for it. The wall would disappear eventually.
“You really have become inept.”
I stopped and looked over my shoulder. Leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face, was the devil himself.
“Excuse me?”
“No, I won’t. You are wasting valuable time.”
I huffed. “You left me!”
“I did no such thing. I’ve been right here.”
Surprise flitted across my face. “Your watch bird chased me down and you just… just stood there and did nothing?”
“Watch bird?” His confusion mixed with amusement. I wanted to throw one of the millions of bricks around me at his head. “That is Skuttle. He can be a little protective of me. And temperamental when it gets closer to dinner.”
“You’re saying the bird is hangry?”
With a pinched brow, he said, “I don’t understand this word. And he is not a bird.”
Not a bird? What the hell was it then? “It means angry because you’re hungry.”
A wave of understanding flowed over his features, and he smiled. This one was more natural than some of the smiles I’d seen from him, and it partially eased my frustration. “Much like myself. Come, I grow hangry.”
Astaroth disappeared into the wall. The ease lasted about two point five seconds before my frustration flared again. Carefully this time, I reached out and felt along the wall. The dip was there. I cussed myself for missing it.
When I stepped through, the scenery remained grim. Once green with bright, tropical blooms, the plants in this area looked like the ivy. Black and dead. It smelled of lush, vibrant life, though. The closer I got, the more they came to life. Nervous, I checked for Astaroth, but once again, he was nowhere in sight.
“Son of a—”
“Calista.” Astaroth’s singsong voice came from somewhere off in the distance.
My head snapped that direction. “Is this how it’s going to be? Can’t you beam us up into the castle?”
“Beam us up?”
I whirled around mid-step, and he crashed into me, knocking me onto the ground.
“Geebus! Would you stop doing that?”
“Doing what?” He reached down to help me up, and I slapped his hand away. A frown touched the corners of his mouth. I stood without his assistance and brushed the dirt from my butt. Not that it would help; grit covered me from head to toe.
His gaze lingered on my ass. I snapped my fingers in his face to get his attention. “Appearing out of nowhere.”
He disappeared instantly.
And I thought the portals were creepy. This was worse. “Where’d you go?” Silence. “Astaroth!”
He reappeared, and I nearly fell on my ass again.
“Damn it, Astaroth.”
“I don’t know what you desire. You don’t like it when I’m here, and you don’t like it when I leave.”
He wasn’t wrong. “Take me to the castle.”
That beautiful smile pulled his lips again as he caged me against the wall. My cheeks flushed the closer he leaned down. “You are in a hurry to fulfill your duty.”
“Ugh.” I dipped under his arm to put distance between us. “No!”
He clenched his jaw and stepped back. “Why are you in such a rush then? I thought you’d like to take a walk around your new home before returning to the confines of the castle.”
My new home? This was temporary. I would find a way to break our bargain since escape was out of the question.
“Don’t you feel it?” I frowned at the plant life. “It feels….”
I stopped myself when he cast a sharp look my way.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “It feels…?” When I didn’t respond, he huffed. “Finish.”
I jerked from his tone and tried to cover it by walking away. Showing fear wasn’t an option. They would eat me alive if they sensed it. More than one memory of it battled in my brain for center stage, and I didn’t want to give it an audience.
The faint sound of bells tolled three times. I hadn’t been out here but maybe an hour and already half the night had passed. I noticed how quickly the days seemed to go while wallowing in my room. Jet lag was a bitch in this place.
“Time is weird here.” I glanced over my shoulder to an empty corridor and rolled my eyes.
“There is no such thing as time.” His voice echoed from somewhere off to my left.
“I beg to differ.”
“You beg to argue yet refuse enjoyable conversation.” I followed his voice, moving along one wall before going back the way he came. His chuckle threw me off and seemed to come from everywhere at once. “Humans are confusing creatures.”
This man—fae creature—irritated me. “You call us confusing, and yet there is no rhyme or reason behind what you all do.”
“I beg to differ,” he mocked me, humor lacing his voice. I nearly growled as I juked back the way I came and found an opening to move forward, only to hear him come from a different direction. “Everything we do is for reason, and reason spurs everything we do.”
Brows furrowed in contemplation, I stopped before face-planting a dead end and spun around to double back. Another dead end met me where I came from.
I studied the walls, confused by the sudden change in them and by his statement.
“I have left you speechless. That is new.”
“No, I just refuse to argue with a lunatic,” I spat and felt along the bricks until I discovered an opening and slipped through.
Astaroth leaned against one of the walls with his foot propped up. He twirled a leaf between his fingers. “Finally.” The leaf floated to the ground, forgotten in his haste to get moving again.
I ran to catch up. “It wouldn’t take me so long if you didn’t keep leaving me behind.”
He tossed over his shoulder as he rounded a corner, “It wouldn’t take you so long if you’d open your eyes.”
“My eyes are open,” I huffed. “It’s dark! Could you slow down?” I asked when he disappeared again. “Your legs are longer than mine.”
A whisper tickled my ear. “You need to remember.”
I whipped around to an empty corridor. Therein lay the problem. I didn’t want to remember. Drudging up all those memories was traumatic, and I didn’t want to suffer them again.
Growing angry, I asked. “Remember what exactly?”
This time I didn’t jump when Astaroth appeared in front of me. “What did you say?”
“What exactly do I need to remember?”
His head cocked to the side before that loud roar sounded again. “It will be upon us soon.” His gloved hand slipped into mine. “Keep up.”
Resisting him would’ve been stupid. When he took off at a jog, I ran alongside him. Steady thumping followed us at every turn. I gripped his hand tighter as I lagged slightly behind. I felt like a little kid being dragged along.
“Don’t look back,” he commanded when I turned my head. He was not even slightly out of breath while I heaved for every bit of oxygen I could get.
I focused ahead, watching every move he took, at times terrified that we were leaping headfirst into the thick brick walls, only for them to be openings leading us deeper into the labyrinth. Before he took the next leap, I saw it on the edge of my periphery. The dual layers. The one that hid the doorway, and the doorway itself and what lay beyond. A memory came back to me. If I didn’t look directly at it, I could see it for what it truly was.
Excitement shot through me and energized my tired legs. When I saw the next opening, I jerked out of Astaroth’s hold and went for it. He grasped for me, but I was already gone. I kept going, a smile growing on my face, leaping over roots and into hidden passageways until finally the steady footfalls of the beast faded.
I came to a stop, sliding down a wall until my butt hit the cobblestones. I leaned my head back against it and laughed with what little breath I had.
“I did it,” I muttered and surveyed the area full of small homes and buildings nearly stacked on top of one another. I made it to the Goblin Circle. A tower peeked above them not far away. It was the castle. I pushed on, wondering how I managed to make it here that fast.
Quiet as I could, I walked the alleys to avoid the little monsters roaming the area, jetting across streets when I reached them. I could feel their dark eyes watching me from windows and doorways. Hushed whispers floated to me in the air. She has returned! Where is the king? She brought the beasts near!
I knew where the king was. I stopped at the drawbridge and rubbed the tips of my fingers against my palms. This time splinters wouldn’t pierce my skin as I passed.