The crackle of the fire and the strange wail made hearing anything else impossible. I didn’t know where the man and woman who entered the maze were; I hoped they’d seen the minotaur leap into the labyrinth and run back toward the cave entrance. If they hadn’t, they would die in here.
I stumbled through the next set of hedges and nearly fell when I tripped over a flaming branch; Hawk caught me before my knees hit the ground.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” I whispered.
“I know,” he said.
I realized he had complete confidence in me, and that unwavering belief only made me love him more. Resting my hand against his cheek, I took a second to gain strength from him before turning and setting the next set of hedges on fire.
I had no idea if we were heading for the exit, but I kept going straight ahead and toward the golden light. When the roar of the minotaur pierced the air, I glanced back to discover fire in place of the hedges.
“Bale,” Corson murmured.
Wren rested her hand on his arm. “She’ll be okay.”
I kept waiting for open-air, space, and freedom, but the next hedge burned away to reveal another wall of bushes. Ashes and sparks rained down as wall after wall of green shriveled and died. The others slapped at their arms to smother the sparks and ducked the flames, but I didn’t feel the golden embers eating through my clothes and leaving small, pink spots on my arms that faded as soon as they appeared.
My increasing urgency to break free of the maze and get the others to safety drove me onward. Then, just when I was sure we were never going to break free and the fire would consume everyone behind me, another wall gave way, and I stumbled into an open area.
The elation that came with the rush of open-air that blew the smoke away from my eyes vanished when my gaze fell on the thousands of bones piled before me. The pile was so high I couldn’t see the hedges behind it as it rose halfway to the domed ceiling. It must be located over the hill that blocked my view of the maze; otherwise, I would have seen it from above.
There were all different kinds of human and demon bones while others could only be the smaller, delicate bones of animals. Despite the death piled before us, it didn’t reek of rot as there was no flesh left on the bones. They’d been picked cleaner than my father picked a chicken wing at the annual Volunteer Day picnic.
The minotaur didn’t swallow its victim. No, it skinned them, feasted on their organs, and picked their bones clean before tossing them into this horrible graveyard.
At the very top of the pile, a single skull faced us, and I couldn’t help thinking it was watching us and reporting our location to the minotaur.
* * *
Hawk
The fire licking at my heels caused sweat to roll down my back. The heat of the flames and the thick smoke made moving difficult. Some of the humans were starting to lag, and the pile of remains hadn’t boosted their energy.
Aisling turned a corner around the pile and briefly vanished when a billowing cloud of smoke rolled between us. I ran to catch up and nearly collided with her as she stopped on the other side of the bones. The hedge ahead of us was free of fire, and the air through here remained cleaner, but that wouldn’t last.
When Aisling took my hand, hers trembled slightly before she steadied it. “There are more bushes up ahead!” she shouted over the crackling fire.
From behind us, someone let out a startled cry, and a woman collapsed. She kept her head bowed before stretching her hand out to the demons in front of her. For a second, they didn’t react; then one of them turned back and lifted her off the ground.
The demon hefted her over his shoulder and started after the others as we followed Aisling back into the maze. She burned her way through another section of bushes and kept going until we were almost directly beneath the strange light illuminating the labyrinth.
Then, Aisling broke free of the hedges and stumbled back as her hand flew to her mouth and she gazed at the ceiling.
* * *
Bale
Claws raked across my back and bit into my flesh as the minotaur lifted me off the ground. I almost lost my sword, but my fingers clamped around the handle as the beast plucked me off the ground. When it swung its horn at me, I deflected it with my blade and threw myself forward.
I couldn’t withhold a scream as its claws shredded my flesh, and hot blood spilled down my back as I tore free of it. The minotaur tried to catch me before I hit the ground, but I twisted to the side as I fell. When I hit the ground, air burst out of my lungs and stars popped before my eyes. Unable to see, I rolled toward the heat licking at my back.
The flames enveloping me burnt away the blood on my back as my skin stretched to cover my gashes. I came to a halt within the fire and lay with my arms spread out beside me while I stared into the inferno and took strength from the fire.
I would have liked more time to recuperate, but the vibrations against my back told me I had to go. Rolling over, I pushed myself to my feet and sprinted through the flames. I had no idea where the minotaur was, but I had to return to the others.
Bursting out of the flames, I gasped in the fresh air enveloping me as I ran down an open corridor. To my left, the minotaur trampled bushes as it ran in a row parallel to mine.
Ahead of me, a wall of fire consumed the hedges, and I charged back into the flames. The earth shook so forcefully I knew the minotaur was close, but I had no idea where it was anymore.
Faster!
I pushed my body to the brink of endurance as I sprinted into another fire-free corridor. Smoke clogged the air while I ran heedlessly forward and into another wall of fire. This one must have been set more recently as some of the hedges remained standing. I threw out my hands and shoved aside the branches slapping at me.
To my left, I spotted more bushes crumbling beneath the weight of the minotaur; we were on a collision course with each other, but it didn’t know that. As the distance between us narrowed, I reduced my speed, so I didn’t come out ahead of it.
When it barreled past me, I jumped out of the hedges and swung my sword down. The blade sliced across the back of its knee; the creature howled as its leg gave out. My blood dripped from its claws when it swung a hand at me. The wind whistled past my ear as one of its talons sliced it off. It took a few seconds for my body to register the missing part and then a searing pain lanced through my head.
Tit for tat. I smiled grimly, over taking a piece of its ear and losing all of mine to it, but if I made it out of this, my ear would regenerate.
Blood spilled down the side of my face as I darted back into the flaming hedges. A blast of air followed me, and when I looked back, I saw the minotaur’s gigantic hand crushing what remained of the bushes I’d run into.
Turning to my right, I stayed parallel with the beast as it rose and started shoving bushes out of its way again. When it traveled another twenty feet, I dashed out of the flames and brought my sword down across the back of its other leg and ran for the fire.
I was almost in the fire when its hand connected with the side of my head and sent me reeling into the flames. Scrambling to my feet, I pushed myself off the ground as my head spun and stars danced before my eyes. I only made it thirty feet before I fell to my knees and bent my head against the dizziness assailing my body.
I had to get up, but I was pretty sure the minotaur had rattled my brain. Inhaling deep breaths, I lifted my head to stare into the inferno while the fire renewed my strength. Feeling like I could stand without falling over, I planted the tip of my sword in the ground and pushed myself to my feet. I steadied myself before running to catch up with the minotaur.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Aisling
I gawked at the dome and the radiance it emanated while I tried to understand what I saw. It was like glass as it reflected the labyrinth in the smooth silvery surface. Flames consumed more than half the maze.
Back toward the entrance, green bushes remained, but the fire was spreading toward them. The s
moke drifting across the surface of the dome made it difficult to see everything about the labyrinth, but I could make out enough of it.
“What the…?” Hawk’s voice trailed off as the question died on his lips.
“I don’t understand,” one of the humans said.
“Is it a map?” I asked.
“It’s something,” Lix said.
There had to be something important about it, but I couldn’t figure out what. Closing my eyes, I rubbed at my temples while I tried to puzzle out what the mirror image of the maze could mean.
Opening my eyes, I studied the ceiling version of the labyrinth more intently as a yellow, magical sun shone down on the maze. That mirror sun illuminated our labyrinth; I didn’t know how, but a lot of the impossible had proven to be possible since the gateway opened.
As I studied the reflection more closely, I discovered the entrance to the minotaur’s cave, but that didn’t make it easier to locate where we were in the labyrinth.
“Look,” Corson said and pointed at the maze above us. “There’s the minotaur.”
It took me a minute to see where he was pointing, and then I spotted the hulking creature smashing through the hedges. The minotaur was cutting through a section that wasn’t yet on fire, but it was only a matter of minutes before the fire reached it. If I could see the minotaur, then we had to be somewhere on there too.
My eyes narrowed as excitement pulsed through my veins; it was like a giant game of Where’s Waldo, except we were Waldo. Then I spotted the pile of bones and straight ahead of that…
There we were!
The height of the bushes made seeing us difficult, but a cluster of what looked like ants grouped near a dead end only twenty feet away from the encroaching fire. I searched for the man and woman the minotaur brought into the maze, but I didn’t see them anywhere. I hoped they managed to avoid the flames.
“There!” Wren shouted and pointed at the dome. “It’s the exit!”
I followed her finger and saw the opening of another tunnel carved into the other side of the mountain. It had to be the exit, and it was only a hundred yards to our left.
“Why is there a map on the ceiling?” Hawk asked.
“Maybe it’s a reward for those who made it this far,” Randy suggested. “Because I doubt many do.”
“The minotaur doesn’t strike me as the type to reward anyone.”
“He’s right,” Corson said.
He was right, but I couldn’t think of why else a mirror image of the maze would be on the ceiling. And then, it hit me.
If it was a mirror image, then it was reversed.
And suddenly, I understood why the minotaur rewarded its prey for making it this far; it wasn’t rewarding them at all. Worried that if its prey made it this far, it might break free, the beast added this little trick to the labyrinth so it could confuse them and ensure they didn’t make it out alive.
The creature probably added the sun not only to offer light in the maze but also to get its prey excited by the possibility of almost being free of this place. This mirror maze and the sun was meant to distract them from thinking about what they were seeing.
“The exit isn’t over there,” I said and pointed to our right. “It’s over there. It’s a mirror, and it’s meant to disorient the minotaur’s captives if they make it this far. It’s just one more trap.”
“What makes you say that?” Lix asked.
“It’s a mirror image, which means everything is reversed. So instead of the exit being to our left, it’s actually to our right.”
Their heads went from the dome to the left and then to the right as they tried to decide what to believe.
“I think she’s right,” Wren said.
“So do I,” Hawk said. “If someone made it this far, the minotaur is going to do everything it can to keep them from escaping. And giving them the hope of freedom, only to tear it away, is one more cruelty the minotaur can deliver.”
“I agree,” Corson said.
“What about Bale?” Lix asked.
“She’ll find the way out,” Corson said, but I saw the apprehension in his eyes when he glanced over his shoulder. “But we have to go; the fire and minotaur are getting closer.”
I hesitated before turning to my right. I hated leaving Bale behind, she’d run into the fire for us, but if we didn’t get out of here, the humans would die. We hadn’t come this far only to lose half our number now.
While we jogged down an open corridor, I followed our movements through the labyrinth in the mirror overhead. The mirror effect was confusing, but we had to be right as winding our way through the hedges, we got closer to the exit. I tried not to use my fire, but whenever we encountered a dead end, I burned my way through it.
The minotaur stayed away from the flames, but it was gaining on us. With a sinking heart, I realized breaking free of the labyrinth didn’t guarantee us freedom from the creature.
“What do we do if it follows us out of the maze?” Wren asked.
That was a damn good question as fighting it had proven to be useless already.
“We’ll deal with it if the time comes,” Corson said.
I appreciated him saying if, but I suspected the beast would be hot on our heels when we reached the other cave.
“One more row to go,” I said as we skidded around a corner and came face-to-face with the last bushes separating us from freedom.
Resting my hands on the hedge, I willed the fire forth and watched as it spread from my palms to my hands. That awful keening started up again as the bushes fell away to reveal the tunnel leading out of the labyrinth.
I couldn’t recall a time I’d ever been so excited or apprehensive as I raced out of the hedges and toward what I hoped was freedom and not another trap.
* * *
Hawk
I kept close to Aisling’s side as we ran through the tunnel. The fire encircling her wrists was the only source of illumination in the cave. The flames bouncing off the rock walls and stony floor cast shadows all around us as our feet pounded across the ground.
Though the air was fresher here than in the labyrinth, the smoke choking it made breathing more difficult as it wafted past us in thick plumes. After the searing heat of the fire, the cooler air of the cave was a welcome balm against my blistered skin. The humans were suffering far worse than any of the demons, and I didn’t know how much longer they could go on.
A flutter of wings drew my attention to the ceiling as I waited for a bunch of bats to break free and swoop down at us, but there were no bats. Instead, Caim soared overhead before turning and sweeping back towards us.
“The horsemen are coming!” he shouted as he flew overhead before turning and coming back. “The horsemen are coming! The horsemen are coming!”
“He’s the fucking Paul Revere of angels,” I snapped.
We’d just broken free of the labyrinth, we had no idea if we’d evaded the minotaur, and now the fucking horsemen were back. What else could go wrong?
I probably shouldn’t ask the question; since the gateway opened, I’d learned anything could go wrong, and it often did.
“Where are they?” Corson demanded.
Caim landed in front of Aisling. She skidded to a halt to keep from plowing into the angel and bent over to rest her hands on her knees. Stopping beside her, I placed my hand on her back as her breaths wheezed in and out. Her exhaustion beat against me, but when her eyes met mine, I saw the determination in them.
“They were headed for the town,” Caim said.
“So they could be trapped in the town?” Wren asked.
“They could, but it’s doubtful,” Caim said. “The smoke will probably draw them here like it drew me. It’s how I found you.”
“Shit,” Corson muttered.
“We have no choice; we have to keep going,” Lix said.
“Caim, can you see if you can find Bale?” Corson asked. “She’s still in the labyrinth behind us. The flames won’t hurt her, but she has to ge
t out before the minotaur finds her.”
“I’ll try,” Caim said. Unfolding his wings, he lifted himself into the air.
I watched him disappear into the tunnel before turning my attention back to the freedom and danger ahead.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Bale
I had no idea where I was in the labyrinth anymore. I stumbled blindly ahead, or at least I assumed I was going forward. I might be going behind or back or left or right; it had all become the same.
I stopped to examine the dome and saw the labyrinth reflected there. What the…?
The ground vibrated with the minotaur’s heavy footsteps, but where it was in the maze was as much of a mystery to me as to where I was. Then, it released a bellow of rage and agony. Its thundering footsteps became heavier, and the ground lurched beneath me as the bushes to my right suddenly parted.
I leapt back and raised my sword as I prepared to battle the beast again, but it barreled past me on all fours. The flames trailing it snapped at the air as it howled while charging heedlessly forward. I felt no sympathy for the suffering it radiated. I’d seen its pile of remains; this thing had never shown an ounce of compassion for anything.
I should probably keep going, but since I had no idea where I was going, I decided to follow it. The minotaur turned a corner and reeled back as fire shot toward its face. Then it spun and came straight back at me.
Gripping my sword with both hands, I darted out of the way and swung the blade up and into the minotaur’s belly. The creature grunted as I yanked the blade out, but it barely paid attention to me as it vanished into the flames again.
I followed it with the hope it would lead me out of this place. We ran back beneath the dome, but I didn’t bother to look at the ceiling as the minotaur charged forward. The fire consuming its body revealed patches of muscle, and on one section of its ass end, bone showed through.
Kiss of Death: Hell on Earth Series, Book 3 Page 23
