I needed to see her, needed to know if she had changed in these past days. If she had found her powers, or if she had cozied up to him. I felt it in my bones, felt that something had changed. She wouldn’t choose me, I knew it. I just needed the heart wrenching verification.
I waited an entire day, but the ship never showed. Never docked. My blood ran cold and my thoughts raced as I thought over the many possibilities of what could have happened.
The Labyrinth King may have found her, may have taken her. She may have escaped, killed the men herself if they had been stupid enough to give her access to her dagger. I had advised they place heartsbane around her wrists just in case she had access to her powers already. We didn’t know what type of powers she would manifest, but we knew she would be powerful when she learned how to use them. Nearly unstoppable.
But even without powers she was resourceful, had always been resourceful, that’s how she had made it so long. How she had survived despite the long hours of work and perpetually empty belly.
Then there was the other possibility. There were rumors of a monster that lived in Caligo Bay. If that monster had attacked the ship, if it had killed the men, then Valeria was likely dead too. And if she was dead… all of our plans were over.
If she was dead, she would never know I had betrayed her. Never know the pain that was coming. A small part, a very small part, of me almost wished for it.
I debated my options. I could start searching for her, or go back to the citadel to await orders from the Archpriest. I knew which one I should do, which one the Archpriest would want me to do. But placing the future in his hands after he had already fucked up the attack on Labyrinth City…
No. I would go off on my own and find her. I made her a promise. I would keep it till the day I died.
Chapter 41
It was a short swim before we came to a little outcropping leading up to the walls of the Labyrinth. I was not an experienced distance swimmer, but thankfully my power fueled me forward through the murky waters. The walls of the Labyrinth here were gorgeous. They were a deep purple, as if carved from amethyst. Clearly, I was far away from the obsidian walls that we had come from. I made a mental note to ask Alder what the various wall changes of the Labyrinth meant if I ever saw him again.
No. I would see him again. I thought. I couldn’t let myself become pessimistic.
Sierra waved goodbye before diving back into the grey waters. For the first time since I had entered the Labyrinth, I felt truly alone. Fear clutched my chest as I pondered my next step.
I didn’t have my knapsack, having left it in Alder’s room that day. I only had my instincts and my dagger. I felt for the pull, trying to see if Alder knew where I was, but it never came. Which made sense. If he knew where I was, he would just have whirled himself to me. I worried about Labyrinth City. How distracted must he have been when they took me to have completely lost track of where I was?
Why couldn’t his power find me? Hadn’t he been watching me all these years?
But then again, my life was very predictable back at Villam. I slept in the same place, worked in roughly the same area, visited the same spots in the evenings. Finding me in the behemoth that was this Labyrinth would be an entirely different beast.
I took in a large breath to steady myself and walked through the nearest entrance into the Labyrinth. The walls were tall and thick. I wondered if they actually were carved of the gemstone or only appeared that way by some magic.
I reached out to run my hand against the smooth grain of the deep purple walls as I walked. It was about sunrise. The moon was disappearing, small tentacles of sunshine beginning to reach out and illuminate the stone.
I kept walking, taking this turn and that without much thought. Alder seemed to think I could find the center somehow. And since I did not know how, I figured letting my instincts guide me would be the best way to go about this.
After a few hours, I had a growing worry about the fact that I had no food or water. No magic parchment to lead me there. I had only eaten bread with small gulps of water for three days. I prayed the magic of the Labyrinth would lead me to an oasis. My throat was already dry, begging for a drop of water. Caligo Bay had been salty, impossible to drink from.
Still, I had no choice but to keep putting one foot in front of each other. Now would be a great time for the power inside me to reveal that she could make food appear out of nothing. I thought of the honey biscuits I had in Labyrinth City. The roasted duck I had in that village. My mouth salivated, moistening my throat. A pang of hunger hit my stomach hard. I was used to this feeling, but it never made it any less painful.
The weight of the trauma of the past few days hit me, weighing me down even more. I had exacted my revenge, but the feeling of his fingers on my neck, his blood on my face, echoed through my soul. I was completely alone, there was nothing to distract myself with. Nothing to chase away my thoughts and feelings. Nothing but my own mind, my memories and anxieties. I tried focusing on survival, to focus on making it. But the weight of it all made it difficult.
Dark thoughts crossed my mind as my steps grew weaker. Dark thoughts on if survival was even worth it. The hunger pain, the ache in my joints, the memories, the thought of disappointing Alder, of abandoning Leo, of this entire world’s future on my shoulders, of a several thousand year life, the thought of releasing a demon upon this world. I longed for peace, for rest.
Several hours later, I couldn’t go any further. The sun was setting. I had walked all day, used all of my remaining energy. No food, no water, no rest, no escape from my thoughts. I could barely feel my power inside of me, as if my fatigue had snuffed out her flame.
I tried, but I was so tired. So exhausted. I didn’t know how close I was to anything. I didn’t know what dangers may or may not lay nearby. I could not take another step. The fatigue blanketed me and pulled me to the ground. I leaned against the amethyst wall and closed my eyes.
I just needed a few minutes of sleep……
I felt myself being lifted up, being carried. I was too weak to open my eyes. Too weak to focus on what was happening. I collapsed into whoever’s arms were holding me. The smell of musk hit my nose. It smelled familiar, but it could not rouse me from my sleep. I felt the world fade again, fade away as I slipped into the peaceful dark.
I rubbed my hand vigorously against the cold stone of my alley. Trying to rub off the memory of what I had just done, trying to rub him off of my skin.
I was starving, lightheaded. I had gone in to the tavern to beg for food, but opportunity had presented itself instead. The man was young, only a few years older than me. He had kind eyes and smiled at me when I begged him for a piece of his bread.
“A piece of bread? Honey, you look starved. Sit down, I’ll order you a meal,” he said sweetly.
I sat and savored the meal, my stomach feeling full for the first time in weeks. I wanted to cry.
I was almost finished when he placed his hand on my thigh, leaning over to whisper in my ear.
“Now, how are you going to pay for that?”
Fear shot through my heart. I felt my palms moisten and sweat form on my neck.
“I-, I thought it was a gift,” I stammered.
“Nothing in this world is free, darling.” His hand slid up my thigh. I froze in shock.
I had an option, a choice.
I grabbed his hand, stopping him. I drew every ounce of courage I had as I turned to him. His face was no longer kind, it was lustful and hard. His eyes told me what he would do if I refused. What he would do if I tried to run.
I swallowed hard and turned my eyes to him. I blinked slowly as I kept his hand still. I moved it back to his own leg as I leaned closer.
Take back control. Take control, Val. If you don’t— if you don’t then you become one of them.
I steadied my head and forced a seductive look. He smiled.
“Let’s go, I know a place we can be alone.” He grabbed my wrist and pulled me along to the back door
. I wanted to scream, wanted to run.
I wished to be in control, wished I could give him what he wanted and leave unscathed.
His grip loosened on my wrist when we were outside. There was a back wall. No one could see us from there. I was terrified, terrified that no one would hear me if I screamed.
But he turned to face me and leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms on his chest and gestured towards his pants.
I gulped.
I am in control. I am in control. I radiated the thought out, tried to imagine he was Leo. Tried to imagine I was safe. He leaned his head back and waited patiently. The knife on his hip glinted in the moonlight.
I did what I had to.
And now I was back here in my alley, scrubbing the feeling of him off of me. The food warm in my stomach, but the pain in my chest was even worse. Tears streamed down my face. I prayed my parents hadn’t seen that. I prayed I would never have to do that again.
The door to the cobbler’s house opened. Leo stepped out into the moonlight. I turned my face quickly, trying to wipe away the tears before he saw.
He came over and sat down next to me.
“Hey, how’s your night been?”
“Fine,” I said, my face turned from his.
“Fine? What’s wrong, are you ok?” he said, reaching his hand out to me and pulling my face to look at his. The tears were still falling.
“Hey, hey it’s ok. What happened? Did someone hurt you? Tell me, Val. Tell me, I’ll kill them.” His arm wrapped around me, pulling me to his chest. I shook my head against him, burying my face into him, into his smell.
He smelled like home, like safety.
“No one hurt me. I just feel— I don’t know how much more of this life I can take.”
“Don’t say that, Val.”
“It’s true. I- I-”
“Shh, it’s ok. I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you, just like I promised.”
“There has to be more, there has to be more to life than this. I have to be meant for more than this.” I thought of the letter, my letter. It felt like a lie, one big lie that had filled me with hope for so long, but now the cold hard truth of the world had slapped me in the face. I felt like I was drowning.
“I’ll keep you safe, Val. I’ll keep you safe forever. My dad, he’ll pass eventually with as much as he drinks. This house can be ours, we can have a life. A family.”
His words echoed through me, but didn’t make me feel better. Why? They should have, I should feel comforted. I should feel happy, loved. But I still felt empty.
He lifted my chin, my eyes staring up at him as he spoke.
“I love you, Val. I’ll always keep you safe,” he said, leaning down and kissing me.
His kiss was warm, his words sweet.
But it was all a lie. He couldn’t keep me safe, he couldn’t fill the void inside me. He couldn’t change the past, couldn’t change what I had done.
I knew then I couldn’t tell him about what happened, couldn’t disappoint him too. And if he couldn’t know the truth, then only I could protect myself. I hardened my heart. The tears stopped falling as our lips parted.
He probably thought I had stopped crying because of him, because of his words of comfort.
But I had stopped because I had to, because I had to be strong. I was the only one who could take care of me, the only one who could protect me. And I would, I would do anything, be anyone, to find meaning in this dark life.
I was meant for more.
Chapter 42
I felt warmth wrap around my body. Strong arms held me up, holding me to them. Through the air drifted the faint scent of a fire, burning wood and embers. The smell of roasted meat reached my nose, pulling me out of the dark. I felt water at my lips, falling down my throat with quick gulps. Someone was giving me water. Someone was cooking for me.
The water filled my belly, the dry pain in my throat easing. I felt flickers of myself returning, my power raising her sleeping head. I eased my eyes open.
It was him. How had he found me? How had he ended up here, of all places?
“Leo,” I whispered. His blue-grey eyes looked down at me, reflecting in the firelight. I was laying in his arms and against his chest, his hand holding the life bringing a canteen of water.
“Shhh, it’s ok, Val, I’m here. Just rest,” he said to me, soft and sweet. I closed my eyes and leaned into him, taking in his scent. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed him. I felt like I was home. I was safe. I fell back asleep.
When I woke up a few hours later, I was lying on his chest. His warmth against me as we both slept soundly by the fire. I felt much better. I sat up slowly and reached for the canister of water that sat next to him. I took a long sip as I surveyed my surroundings.
We were in a small garden, much like the many we had come across in the white stone part of the Labyrinth. The fire was dwindling now. The sky brightening as day appeared.
I saw some sort of meat on a stick by the fire. I hungrily reached for it and scarfed down every bite. The sweet flesh filled me and I moaned at the taste. It was not the rich duck I had days ago, but it might as well have been. Food, no matter what type, always tasted amazing after a few days of starvation.
Leo began to stir next to me, his hand reaching out and touching my back, reassuring him that I was still here.
My heart broke at the thought of Leo wandering around by himself all this time. Searching for me, he never gave up on me. He had saved my life, finding me just in time. My heart felt warm, almost whole again.
I still missed Alder, worried about him and Labyrinth City, but having Leo back filled me with so many emotions. I felt like crying out of sheer happiness.
Leo’s eyes flickered open. He sat up with a stretch. His arm went around my shoulder as he leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
“I was so worried about you, Val. I thought I would never find you,” he said, his voice laced with sadness.
“I can’t believe you did, I—” I started, unable to say the words. That I would be dead without him.
He kissed my forehead. I leaned into him, savoring the feeling of comfort and security.
Of course, there was still Alder. I realized now in my heart how much I wanted them both. I wanted the safe, warm comfort of Leo and the blazing hot passion of Alder. The enchantress inside unwilling to yield either of them.
But I couldn’t have them both. I would have to have that difficult conversation with Leo sooner or later.
“Leo, how did you get here?” I asked him. What were the odds he had found me in the miles of maze? It felt almost too good to be true.
“I just kept walking. When you were taken I couldn’t accept it. So, I didn’t. I kept walking and walking and walking. Praying that I would find you. And then, there you were. God must have led me to you,” he said assuredly.
I thought of his words, of a God who cared enough to lead Leo to me. It seemed impossible.
“You just walked? Did you come across any dangers or monsters?”
“Yes, you wouldn’t believe it, Val. I came across a snake ten times the size of the ones we have at home. He had almost wrapped himself around my entire body before I killed him. Then there was another beast like the one you killed, but thankfully I was able to escape before he noticed me. But, the worst part was the loneliness. Walking alone for days,” he said. His eyes seemed glazed, as if his mind was far away as he spoke.
“You didn’t grab me a souvenir?” I joked.
“Well, you did eat some of the snake this morning,” he said with a laugh. I felt a bit of revulsion at the thought of eating snake meat, but then again I was starving and it was delicious. I shuddered and decided I did not want to dwell on the thought of its wriggling flesh inside me now.
Leo noticed my disgust and laughed.
“Tell me what happened? Who took you?” he asked, leaning back against the stone wall. Searching my face for something.
I hesitated. How much did I wan
t to tell him? Should I tell him about the Brotherhood? Mention I had killed them? My powers? Labyrinth City? Alder?
“They were pirates. They thought they could sell me to the Labyrinth King,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t notice the slight raise in the octave of my voice as I lied.
“And did they, did you meet him?” he prodded.
I shook my head. “No, I escaped before we got there. I’ve been traveling on my own ever since, searching for you,” I answered. Guilt hit me. But how could I tell him what really happened? That I hadn’t even searched for him once since I had been taken. That I had been living in luxury and fucking Alder in those days. In the long days that he had never given up looking for me. I felt ashamed. I did not deserve him.
He seemed to accept my answer, his face lifting up to look out across the garden.
“Leo, have you seen the tower? At any point have you been able to see it?” I asked him, changing the subject.
“No, I have no idea how far away we are. Or how close,” he said, sounding disappointed.
I stood up and stretched, feeling the stiffness in my bones and joints disappearing.
“Well, then we continue on,” I said to him.
He nodded, but his face still shone with disappointment. Did he know I had lied to him? But how could he have known that?
He snuffed out the fire with his feet and placed the bedroll back into his knapsack before pulling it over his shoulder.
He looked at me and smiled, a weak smile, but a smile nonetheless. He reached over and brushed a piece of hair from my face, his gaze loving and warm for just a split second. But then the expression dropped and he walked away.
We started off. I led the way, letting intuition guide me as we chose each turn. The purple walls still glistening in the sun as we walked.
I worried about what would happen when Alder inevitably found me. They were both so protective of me, it would likely be a big fucking mess. But it had been four days since I was taken from Labyrinth City, and Alder was still nowhere to be seen. I still felt no pull, no touch of his power against mine.
The Labyrinth King (The Labyrinth Series Book 1) Page 23
