Chapter 2 #2
“Darling,” says the mage, his smile softening. “I am more than happy to give you a choice. Out of the four of us, which one would you prefer?”
Rigor drives a punch straight through the man’s nose. The mage’s head snaps back, blood and teeth spraying everywhere. His remaining orbs implode upon each other, and suddenly we’re lost in darkness again.
Mayhem ensues.
“See how he punched, driving the force through his knuckles?” I yell at Kari, tapping my knuckles and showing her a proper fist. “Do that next time!”
Then I launch forward, swiftly hamstringing Rigor.
He goes down with a howl, and I throw myself over the top of him in a roll, coming up to face Slaith.
Towering over me, he swings the spear with casual disdain. If he grabs me, I’m as good as dead—but he’s big, slow, and underestimates me. His mistake.
I grab the shaft of the spear, swinging a stinging kick into his fingers as I yank it past me. He yelps and releases it as I dive under the shaft of the spear, spinning and taking it with me.
Mine.
“Now you’re in trouble.” My grin must look maniacal, for he backs away as I twirl the spear in a loose-wristed circle.
It feels like an old friend in my hands.
The knife, the spear, the bow… These are my weapons, my precious little flirtations.
I’m no novice with a sword, but I prefer something that can keep my prey at bay.
Close quarters when you’re only 5’7” can be dangerous.
Behind me, a cacophony of magic explodes in violent colors.
“Slaith kill you, girl.” He bares his teeth, still ignoring the fact that now I have a knife and a spear. The yellow and blue wash of magic highlights the beady glint in his eyes.
He lunges forward and I spin under his grasp, slashing across his thigh as I twirl. Another orb explodes, this time red. It obliterates my night vision, and I catch a huge backhand to the ribs, even as I lash across the back of his calf.
The blow sends me staggering.
Ears ringing. Side burning.
Fuck.
Behind me, Kari screams, darting around the fountain.
A fist curls in my loose braid, hauling me backward.
Move. Or Die.
I spin into a flip, kicking backward, desperate to break free before this overfed ogre crushes my bones. Everything hurts. The spear strikes some part of him, and the bastard bellows. I hit the ground hard.
No time to hesitate.
Rolling swiftly, I try to gain distance and the room to assess the fight, still trying to catch my breath. If he hits me again… My fingers curl in a death grip on the spear, but—
A monstrous shriek rents the air, the piercing cry of something hunting.
And everything stops.
By the fires of Malus, what was that?
A chill falls over us, strangely unnatural. Crouching low, I survey the Labyrinth, every sense heightened.
That wasn’t merely another hunter.
“What in the One-Eyed God’s name?” Rigor blurts.
Shadow falls across us, a shadow formed of enormous black wings, blotting out the moon with the breadth of its size. The long serpentine neck turns this way and that, red light gleaming over thick black scales.
My breath catches as the creature sails past us, backlit by a flash of lightning, before it vanishes into the imposing darkness.
The Beast of Kerawan.
Every inch of me freezes, knuckles locking tight around the spear handle as I stare after the enormous creature. “You son of a bitch.”
He is here.
In this fucking Labyrinth.
I hadn’t dared hope for it, hadn’t dared believe. But if he’s here, then there’s a chance I can find my sister. Or at least, discover what had happened to Aylin nine years ago, when she was the one named tribute.
“The Beast,” says the mage, staring at the sky in horror.
“Ignore him,” hisses the lizard man, limping toward him. “Let’s finish this.”
“Ignore him?” demands Rigor. He must have some kind of fast-paced healing abilities, for that hamstring should have removed him from the game.
Throwing down his knife he backs away. “You know who he is. You know what he’s done.
I’m out. If the Beast is in here with us, then he can take them both. I’m not fighting him.”
And then he turns and runs away, the mage following him.
The remaining two warriors share a look.
“One each,” growls Slaith, blood dripping across his face at a horizontal angle.
“Give me the redhead,” hisses the lizard-faced monster, turning to grab Kari once more. She tumbles onto the ground.
Rage unleashes within me, like fuel poured onto a smoldering fire.
It’s a torrent that’s been building for years, focused on my ancient enemy, and now these two pricks are going to pay for it.
I spin, slashing across lizard face’s gut with the tip of the spear, then spinning it up under my arm before driving the haft into his face.
He goes down with a scream, and I follow up with a heel to his throat.
The resounding choking gurgle eases some of the fury within me.
“Get up,” I tell Kari.
The girl shoves to her feet, wide blue eyes frightened as they dart around the clearing. “What’s going on?”
No time to talk. It isn’t safe to stay here, and I don’t like the way Slaith’s eyeing her. Or the fact that he seems to have barely noticed the way I cut his face open. “We have one chance to run. Keep close to me and do everything I say.”
Without the others, we’re no longer cornered and Slaith’s already proven that he’s built for power and not speed.
“This way,” I yell, hauling Kari in the direction where the Beast flew.
“Isn’t this the way that enormous… creature went?” she gasps.
Precisely. “The hunters seem to be avoiding it. That will give us some breathing space to make a plan.”
And I can’t lose him. Not now. Not when I’m so close to finding my sister.
“Come back!” Slaith bellows as we dart into one of the maze’s paths. “Back to Slaith!”
We sprint until Kari can no longer run. Another clearing opens up ahead of us, this one filled with a pool draped with lily pads and stark black waters. The water doesn’t move. Not a single ripple. Unlike the fountain, I have no desire to go near it and right now I could drink an entire tavern dry.
But there’s a stone bench along the hedges and Kari collapses onto it, whilst I check the other three exits. This time we’re alone.
“What’s your name?” asks Kari breathlessly. “What’s going on? What is this place?”
“You don’t know?”
“I was in my father’s library!” she half shrieks, holding up her ink-stained hands as if to prove it.
“I’m the Keeper of the Scrolls. I had three hours left of transcribing before the Sage was due to arrive.
And then this shadow swirled into a circular gate behind me, sucking at the world.
I was pulled through it backwards, along with my scrolls and that’s the last thing I remember. ”
A scream echoes through the maze to my right and I spin that way, eyes darting as I search the depths of the maze before I realize the sound is growing distant. My instincts were right. Nobody’s going to be hunting in the section of the maze where the Beast stalks.
“My name is Zyla,” I reply. “You’re no longer in your world. And this…? This is the Bride Hunt.”