“Did they leave on horseback?” Oisin asked.
“I cannot be sure,” Liam replied, and picked up the wreath on the ground. He touched the flowers, which were beginning to wilt and discolor. “But we need to hurry.”
“Are you strong enough to give pursuit?” Shane asked.
“Aye,” Liam replied.
“I am, as well,” Corm said. “I will look from the sky. Perhaps I can determine their location.”
“When we rode in,” Ian said, “I noticed the pillars marking the end of the forest. We are currently beyond Gilgamesh.”
“What?” Liam asked in disbelief.
“Aye,” Ian answered and took a deep breath. “I assure you, they were not visible yesterday—”
Corm closed his eyes and rose into the air.
Oisin stood still. “I cannot change. Can either of you?”
Ian and Shane shook their heads as Corm flew out of sight.
“Caleb was able to transform,” Liam said. “Perhaps the black magic in his venom was transferred to Corm ... allowing him assume his form outside of the forest.
Corm appeared on the ground beside them. “There is no sign of them in the immediate area.”
“Head east,” Liam said, “and continue to search from above. We will follow on horseback.”
“What makes you think they traveled in that direction?” Shane asked.
“Caleb went to great lengths to ensure we were out of the forest,” Liam replied. “He will not reenter it. At most, they are a few hours ahead of us. They could not have gotten very far.”
***
Ally saw her surroundings in the faint glow from a lantern. She tried to move but her body was captive in heavy gauze, her ankles tied with thorny vines. The air was damp and reeked of mold. Where was she? Her eyes adjusted and she saw a shadow not far away. She tried to free herself, but it was useless, and claustrophobia began to creep into her consciousness. Relax. Breathe. Think. An image of a warm summer’s night, a lifetime ago now, appeared in front of her.
She and her father were on their deck, gazing at the stars, when a lunar moth flew into a spider’s web in the corner. Its wings fluttered madly as it tried to free itself. “It does not realize the more it struggles, the more entangled it becomes,” her father said. “Panic is only making the situation worse but,” he continued as he tore down the web and freed the moth, “it does not know any better.”
“There is plenty of room down here for both of us.” His voice startled her. It was him… Caleb. “You are not going anywhere,” he said. “Not yet.”
“Liam! Corm! Help!” she shouted.
“The darkness will steal the sound of your screams, and your cries for help will go unanswered. You are in the labyrinth of Minos. There is at least one meter of clay above you and a half meter of topsoil above that. The Gorgon bushes that surround this hiding place succeed in discouraging undesired company. Your friends cannot hear you, I guarantee that. But, if you persist, I will gag you as well.”
“What do you want with me?” She needed to come up with a plan but for now, she also needed to be the patient moth, the one that didn’t panic.
“You have something we need,” he said and inched closer. He ripped away the cobwebs at her neck. She cringed when his fingers touched her throat. He smiled. “I will not bite.” He held her necklace in his hands. “This is very important.”
“Well, then, just take it.” She regretted the words as soon she said them.
“It does not work that way. For whatever reason, he needs you as well.”
“He?”
Caleb stared at her and smiled. “The Master. He will be here soon enough.”
It was time to think about pulling her trump card. “Your name is Caleb, isn’t it?”
He didn’t answer.
“Do you come from a family of assholes, or are you the only one?”
He snickered, but remained silent.
“A few days ago we met a little boy… an orphan, whose face was badly scarred from a fire. He had only one arm, but considered himself lucky because both his mother and brother had died in it.”
He glared at her. “I am not interested in any little boys you met.”
“We tried to help him.” She began to talk fast. She needed to know the truth. “And he’s actually going to live with Liam and his family. But do you know what he was worried about? He was afraid his older brother might come back and not be able to find him. Do you know what his name is?”
“No, nor do I care.”
She laid her ace on the table. “His name is Adam, and I think you’re his brother.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” he said, but it was too late. Even in the dim light, she saw his expression change, soften, for just an instant.
“I don’t believe you,” she said. “Do me a favor, though. Stay away from him. He’s better off without you. I don’t know why he cared so much.”
Caleb looked at her with narrowed eyes. How could she prove she was telling the truth? Adam’s shirt! “If you don’t believe me, check my bag.”
***
How could she have known his brother’s name? Was she using some trickery, trying to deceive him? He did not think so. Something inside told him she was speaking the truth. He picked up her bag, grabbed the lantern, and left her alone in the compartment.
He placed the lamp just inside the tunnel and stepped outside, opened her bag, and began to remove its contents. A folded piece of material… a flyer, like the one they had played with at the lake. He tossed it aside. Her clothing, a bottle of water. There was nothing here that spoke to him of Adam. He started to shove her garments back inside and stopped. His eyes rested on a well-worn blue shirt.
His fingers touched the buttons sewed upon the front. The letter “C” was carved into each. He looked at the uneven stitching and recognized the sloppy seam work. It was one of his own. How had she come into possession of one of his shirts? It did not confirm her words, but he could not rid himself of the feeling he had been betrayed. The anger within him swelled as tremors erupted beneath his feet.
Had the Master deceived him and taken the only thing he cared about? The answer seemed obvious. “You told me they would be safe!” he shouted to the empty garden and paced back and forth. I have what he desires. I need to get the boy’s horse and take her—
The thought was interrupted by another tremor, but his eyes saw nothing as he looked around. He picked up her bag and began to make his way back toward their camp. Ten steps later, the ground dissolved beneath his feet.
***
Ally moved her arms, gingerly at first, and the webbing that held her hostage began to loosen. She clawed at it and, a few moments later, her upper body was free. She cautiously untied the vines that bound her legs, careful to avoid the thorns. Slowly, she stood. What was she going to do now? Caleb had taken the only source of light, and was still lurking around somewhere. Chances were that she wouldn’t get very far. Could she persuade him he was playing for the wrong side? She didn’t know, but was sure that waiting for him to return would be a mistake.
The light couldn’t penetrate where she was being held. How had she gotten here? He must’ve carried or dragged her. She got on her knees and felt the dirt floor. Her fingers came upon two ridges in the earth. She reached behind and touched the heels of her shoes. They were caked with dirt. Those ridges… they’re my heel marks! She crawled forward, focused on following the slight indentations in the ground.
Twenty minutes later, she heard the sound of wind around the corner. “Freedom,” she whispered and stepped outside, but the word was lost amidst shouting not far away. She couldn’t see him, but heard Caleb as he cursed. Loudly.
***
Caleb dropped through the air but managed to land on his feet. His head slammed into a limestone column and it pounded with each heartbeat as he looked around. The second moon was above the western horizon. He had fallen into an underground room on the site of the ruins. �
��Damn it!”
He approached the steep embankment that marked his entrance into this chasm. It was no more than four meters in height, but near vertical. He tried to climb out but the earth was too soft to support his weight. The rich, black dirt under his feet returned to the marble floor with him. He tried morphing. As a spider he would be lighter. He closed his eyes and concentrated but knew, before he opened them, his attempt had failed. What was wrong?
Only one answer made sense. The Master had deserted him.
He would think about that later. He needed to get out of here—now. He inspected the boundaries of his new predicament. Behind him, two limestone columns supported most of the earthen slab that separated the heavens from this underworld. The walls to the left and right were unbroken, except for an open doorway in the center of each. There were three choices. He could venture down one of the two dark hallways, at the risk of entering an unfamiliar section of the labyrinth, or try to climb up the wall again. That was it.
No. There was more. He could no longer change, or return to the girl who was his bargaining chit. “Aaah!” he screamed, and screamed once more and again.
Chapter 32
Be careful. She followed the sound of his cries and stepped over a stone wall. Cautiously, she approached an opening in the ground and peered over the edge. It was at least twelve feet deep, and two emotions surged through her simultaneously—relief and terror.
A few truths became clear. Caleb couldn’t get out the same way he got in, and whomever he kept calling “the Master” wasn’t here, not yet. But Caleb wasn’t alone. On the ground were three snakes, each at least twenty feet in length. They didn’t try to bite him, but seemed intent on taking turns trying to trip him up. And they seemed to be succeeding in wearing him down. He continued to jump around their coiling bodies, too busy to notice she was there.
Run while you have the chance.
It was the voice of reason. She was about to turn away, convinced this time that voice was right, but found she couldn’t.
What’s the matter with you? Go!
Maybe, in another time, she’d have listened, but something inside her had changed. There was a boy down there. A boy who was Adam’s brother. She had to at least try to help him.
“Caleb, give me your hand!” She got on her stomach and leaned over the edge as far as she could.
He looked up at her, surprised, and hesitated a moment. Then he ran and leaped into the air. She had a flash of catching his hand, only to be pulled in with him, but the closest he came was a good four feet away. She looked around for something to help pull him out.
“Caleb, throw me my bag!” she cried, spotting it on the floor of the open room.
He looked at her suspiciously, but then jumped over one of the snakes. He snatched her bag with his right hand and, while his eyes remained on the two serpents in the corner, threw it in her direction. It sailed over her head. She retrieved it and looked back into the hole. Caleb was running toward the left column in the pit, but there were now eight snakes keeping him company, impeding his progress.
He leaned weakly against the pillar and paused to catch his breath. In seconds, the snakes would be on him again. Looking for anything that might help, she pulled out her clothes piece by piece. Aha!
She didn’t know if it would be long enough, but it had to do. She tied the sleeves of Adam’s shirt and her blouse together, and pulled on either end of her makeshift rope. They easily came apart. Remembering something she’d seen on TV, she retied the shirts and reached into her bag. She found the bottle of water from Lake Lorwyn and poured some over the knots, to make them stronger. The water dried instantly. She thought back to how strong she’d felt after swallowing only a sip, and drained the last of it into her mouth. She pulled on the knots. They held. She looped and tied one of the sleeves to the handle of her bag and wrapped her arms through the straps.
She leaned over the edge and hung her line over the side. “Caleb, grab hold of this!”
He ran and managed to grasp onto it. His feet scrambled along the soft wall of dirt. She grunted and clutched the bag’s straps. He was holding on, but she couldn’t lift him more than a few inches.
The water’s power must be confined to the lake. A cool breeze caressed her face while the clouds stole the moon’s light. She felt a cold presence beside her and looked around.
“No!” she screamed. “You can’t have him!”
The drops of water at last settled in her stomach and began to ignite a fire. She yanked the strap around her wrist and sat back, legs in front of her, and began to propel herself away from the edge.
***
Who was she talking to, and why was she fighting so hard to save him? It did not matter, he decided. If the Master was close, he needed to hurry.
He dug his feet into the loose slope. His arms were forced to take most of the weight, but he did not have the strength to pull himself up. Was his only hope beyond one of those doorways? No. His fate rested with the gods, who he hoped would spare him from the twelve serpents now at his feet. His strength was renewed and his spirit lifted his body. His eyes, though, reached for her, and he noticed she was still alone.
***
Ally stopped her backward progress and looked between her legs. Caleb pulled himself up the last foot and stood for a second before he collapsed onto his hands.
Gasping, he looked at her. “It appears the snakes of Medusa are not a myth,” he said. “Who were you talking to?”
“Death,” she answered.
“I see. You managed to free yourself of the labyrinth, yet you chose to jeopardize that freedom to rescue me. Why?”
She hesitated. It was a stupid answer but it was the only one that made sense. “Because I could.”
The sounds of approaching horses made her turn. Her heart lifted. Liam!
“Well, you should not have saved me,” Caleb replied. He got to his feet and grabbed her roughly by the arm. He twisted it behind her as two giant horses crashed through the brush and stopped short of where they were standing.
Chapter 33
Neither of the horses was the height of Pollux or the size of Beowulf, but something in their confident nature made her uneasy. Their eyes never left her, but she finally managed to break free of their spell. Unfortunately, the men upon their backs only notched her anxiety higher. Each man wore black silk pants reaching just below their knees. That was it. No shirt, no shoes… nothing. Even their heads were without hair.
Caleb looked from one to the other, but his words were for Ally. “You say you spoke to Death? Well, these are his half brothers. Sukata, let me introduce you to the Master’s prize. I am surprised to see you. I was led to believe he would be meeting me.”
Despite Caleb’s tone, she could tell he was nervous. His eyes remained on the blank faces of the men, which were as smooth as stone. Their eyes contained no emotion; their expressions showed only icy calm.
“The plans have changed, young man,” Sukata, the one closest to her, said. On his chest was the tattoo of a two-headed dragon. The heads stared at each other, but the bright red eye visible on each, looked at her. An orange flame curled from their mouths and ended on the man’s throat. The dragon’s body covered his stomach, its tail wrapped behind him. He smiled, displaying perfect white teeth, and she shivered.
“Sukata,” the other said to his fellow rider, “you promote him to young man? He is but a foolish boy.” A drawing of a cobra flowed between this man’s muscles, defining his chest. The snake’s hood was open, and revealed a bright red rhombus. “What of the Shayeen hawk and the young man who keeps him company?”
“Askari, you have more respect for the dead than you do for me,” Caleb replied. He looked at them with suspicion. “You will find their bodies a few hundred meters away.”
“They’re dead? What? No!” She fought to be free of Caleb’s grasp. He pulled on her right wrist and forced it toward her left shoulder. She fell to her knees and then to her chest. His knee found her lower
back while he slid her wrist a little higher.
“Aaah! Oh, God, please stop!” she screamed when the pain became unbearable.
“Caleb, release her,” Askari said.
When he did, the snake man signaled for her to rise. She got to her feet. Her knees were weak, not only from Caleb’s abuse, but from his words.
“Caleb, you will ride with me,” Sukata said, “and the girl with Askari.”
Askari leaped from his horse and landed beside her. The snake on his chest stared at her. “Let me help you find your place atop Mayhem,” he said with a twisted smile.
“No!”
“Now.” He dug his fingers into her upper arm and pushed her forward.
Her shaking hands grasped the pommel. She was able to put her left foot in the stirrup, but didn’t have the strength to do anything else. Askari grabbed the waist of her pants and lifted her onto the saddle.
“Their horses are tethered where their bodies lie,” Caleb said. “They have a stallion worthy of the Master’s collection. I would like to present it to him as a gift. We can take what life remains in them if I am wrong.”
“That will not be necessary,” Sukata replied. “Time is now the precious jewel. On the back of Catastrophe, there is more than enough room for you.” He lowered his hand and effortlessly lifted Caleb onto the back of the horse.
Is it true? Did she lose not only Liam… and Corm, but also any hope of finding her way home? Weeping, her head dropped back and she looked into the sky.
A lone shape flew in front of the moon’s silhouette. It disappeared but returned a moment later, screeching loudly.
***
At Liam’s shout to stop, Shane pulled on Beowulf’s reins. “What is your concern?”
Liam pointed to the sky. Corm circled an area not far from the campsite. “It appears he has found something of worth.”
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