Chapter 44 Maze and Madness
MAZE AND MADNESS
Iwake slowly, wrapped in warmth—soft sheets, steady breathing, solid bodies at my front and back. For a moment, I just exist there, cocooned, before memory catches up with me.
Daire’s rough breaths while he touched me.
Holden’s voice, steady and commanding.
Griffin’s mouth, warm and certain.
Heat blooms low in my stomach—quiet, lingering—before nerves follow close behind.
They saw me naked.
They know I’m a virgin.
A gentle kiss is pressed to my hairline. Griffin’s fingers slip beneath my chin, tipping my face up until I’m forced to meet his gaze. His eyes are soft, unguarded. Not demanding anything.
Still, it’s difficult to hold his stare.
“You’re only allowed to overthink the parts that turned you on,” he says quietly, like a permission I didn’t know I needed. His voice is low, steady, anchoring. “That’s it.” He takes my hand, lacing our fingers together. No pressure. No expectation. Just warmth.
Daire stirs behind me, his arm tightening around my waist. His lips brush the back of my neck—a gesture that seems too natural. Too familiar. “How did you sleep, Spitfire?”
“Like a rock,” I admit.
“Good.” He kisses my neck again, his grip tightening. “How much are you overanalyzing last night?”
“Just debating how I’m going to face Holden again in this lifetime.”
Griffin rumbles a laugh.
Heat stains my cheeks as I lean my forehead against his shoulder, hiding my embarrassment. “We were making such good progress.”
Griffin presses another kiss to my temple. “Holden won’t make things awkward. He wanted to be here—wanted you—just as badly as we did.”
Daire hums. “You’re more than our Keystone. You’re our Soul Mate.” He runs a hand down my spine. “But if you’re not ready to discuss it, we could get breakfast and head into the maze.”
I’m reluctant to leave this small nest where I’m comfortable. Safe. Warm. Things I haven’t felt all at once in so damn long.
Ever.
Griffin stills from rolling away and faces me again, pulling me closer. He kisses my temple, my hairline, my forehead. “We’re in no hurry.”
Daire’s arm returns to my waist, pulling me flush. My body melts into their embrace, every ounce of tension leaving me as that warmth rises to my chest.
I don’t know when I nodded off, but when I wake up, they’re still holding me.
“How does the maze shift?” I ask.
“We believe it senses our cindrels and changes based on our collective needs.” Daire runs his fingers along my shoulder. “But we aren’t sure. Do you want to see it?”
I know I won’t be able to hide from Holden forever and delaying it will only make things more awkward. “Yeah, but Scarlet’s game is this afternoon.”
“Then we better get going.” Griffin kisses my lips before rolling to sit up. He grabs a tee, his muscles rippling with each slight movement. I try not to stare, try not to think of tracing every part of him with my fingers, my mouth, my tongue—
Griffin’s eyes blaze, his imprint on full display. “I’m going to need you to shield or be okay not leaving the bedroom today.”
I pull the covers over my head. “I’m trying.”
The bed dips as they pounce, fingers racing across my sides, my stomach, my thighs, until I’m breathless with giggles and my hair is a halo of tangles. They pause, hovering over me. Deep blue eyes and amber eyes meet mine, filled with an adoration that makes my heart feel too large.
“We’re going to make coffee. Get dressed.” Daire lowers his mouth over my nipple and slowly drags his teeth across the surface before rolling off me.
Griffin flashes a wicked smile as he stands, knowing exactly what that slight touch has done to me.
I want to beg them to come back, beg them to keep touching me, but instead, I set my shields and watch them go. I drag myself out of bed and dig through the meager contents of my suitcase, pulling on the red bikini and a blue sundress with a low V-cut neckline.
Downstairs, the scent of coffee greets me before Daire and Griffin do. Kai stands at the stove. His light blue eyes find mine, and my cheeks heat—wondering if they could feel what happened last night.
My gaze drifts to the table where Holden is surrounded by open books. He doesn’t look angry, but there’s a familiar distance in his dark eyes that assures me he’s trying to rebuild the walls last night tried to dismantle.
Daire brushes his hand against my lower back, an assurance of his presence before he hands me a cup of steaming coffee.
Lochlan enters with a book in hand.
Apparently, it’s study hour.
His silver gaze sweeps over my face before he focuses on Holden. I can tell he wants to say something but doesn’t because of my presence.
“I’m going to put my feet in the pool. Acclimate and all that.” I take my coffee outside and try not to overthink the awkwardness of the last two minutes.
The morning air carries a slight chill and the scent of dreamblossoms, which settle my racing nerves.
Since coming here, I’m more aware of my body—my breaths, my heartbeat, the way my muscles tense and unwind.
I head to the edge of the pool, admiring the soft ripples and the reflection of the sun.
I don’t put my feet in, but I do sit at the edge, sipping my coffee.
My attention jumps as Kai appears, holding a mug and plate of sweet buns. He sits beside me with the fluid grace I marvel daily in the gym, and sets the plate between us.
“You didn’t have to follow me out here.” I glance at the distance to the house. “I’m capable of sitting out here unsupervised.” There’s an edge to my words.
“I’m not here to supervise.” He takes a drink of coffee. “I came because it’s my turn to ask a question.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s my turn.”
“Time ran up.”
I scoff. “How convenient.”
“Why haven’t you looked for your parents?”
My gaze snaps to his. His expression is unreadable as always.
“That answer feels like it’s worth two questions in return. Maybe three.”
“Answer first.” His tone is gentle despite the directness.
I draw in a small breath, trying to arrange my thoughts into words.
“I don’t want to know,” I admit aloud for the first time.
“Finding out they’re dead would be crushing, but I think finding out that they’re alive—that they could have come and,” saved me “didn’t…
” I swallow and try to shrug to show indifference.
My admission hangs between us, heavier than I intended.
“I’ll give you four questions.”
I roll my eyes as I blink back the moisture gathering along my lower lashes. “I’m only accepting your pity because I get to ask more questions.”
I usually use our question game to ask about Bryxton, Elementals, and new charms—but this time, I turn the tables. “Why did you think I was avoiding finding them?”
His blue eyes don’t shy away. Kai has a level of silent confidence that never fails to undo me. “Your memories never showed you looking for them on Earth, either.” He hesitates, studying my expression. “A part of me wondered if you already knew who they were.”
“Why didn’t you just ask that?”
A hint of his dimples appears. “Because it would’ve been a dick question.”
I smirk. “Since when does that concern you?”
“You were never curious?”
I swallow again as that ball of emotions threatens to expand. “I went to eleven foster homes before I was adopted by a couple who I don’t think ever liked me,” I admit. “There have been more moments than I can count when I hated my birth parents. I don’t really want to invite guilt to the party.”
A breeze slips across us, but just as fast as goosebumps appear on my skin, the air warms.
“What’s your favorite territory of Bryxton?” It’s a simple question. One with little substance, but right now, it’s exactly what I need after thinking of my parents again.
Kai leans back. “You won’t like my answer.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I don’t have one. I have a nomadic soul. My favorite place is a new place.”
“Okay, question two, how many animals can you shift into?”
He nudges the plate closer to me as he takes another drink of his coffee. “Any animal I want.”
I pick up one of the sweet buns, sticky with icing. “Any?”
He nods, a hint of pride in the gesture.
“What’s your favorite?”
He tips his face toward the breeze. “Anything that flies.”
I know my next question isn’t appropriate, maybe not even fair, but I dive in headfirst. “Why do you like Veronica? She’s a jerk. You could do better.” I manage to keep my tone surprisingly casual.
Kai blinks, looking taken aback for the first time.
We never talk about her. A silent rule we both follow—until now.
He clears his throat. “We were paired together in training because of our elements.” I’m grateful he doesn’t add that it’s because they were matched for skill level.
It’s hard to admit that fate gave someone so cruel so much strength.
Kai lowers his feet into the pool. “Veronica and I… it isn’t what you think.”
I raise my eyebrows with a disbelieving look. “You mean she wasn’t fishing for your tonsils a couple of weeks ago?”
I swear the top of his tanned cheeks hint pink. “When you train together, boundaries can blur. You depend on and trust the other with your life. Sometimes that intensity can be mistaken for intimacy.”
I hate how his words make me doubt what happened last night. Make me doubt my feelings and connections to all of them.
“She and Cassandra tried to kill Scarlet earlier this year.”
Kai’s gaze slams into mine, something dark flashing in his eyes. “I didn’t know—” His jaw ticks. “If I had—” He doesn’t finish the sentence.
I’m so damned relieved to see the shock in his expression, that my whole body seems to exhale. I don’t think I could forgive him if he had been complicit or even negligent in them hurting Scarlet.
“Does Veronica know that you have all the elements or that you can shift?” I hope the question doesn’t convey my jealousy. It isn’t meant to. Or maybe it is. I lose my footing a little more every damn second.
The hint of amusement curls his lips, showcasing those dimples that make me lose focus. “Does it matter?”