Mortal Rites

by Melissa McShane

  Dianthe swore. “This is ridiculous. We haven’t seen a single blind corridor in this whole damned labyrinth until now. I refuse to believe there’s no way out of here.” She pressed her hands to the wall and closed her eyes, feeling her way along it.

  Sienne stood watching the cube advance. She felt Alaric put his arm around her shoulders and squeeze gently. “Get out of here,” he said.

  “Make me.”

  “I would if I could. Sienne—”

  The cube pressed against the gray barrier, which started to sizzle. The scent of jasmine and mint mingled sickeningly with the stench of acid. Sienne and Alaric backed away. “I have one more shield blessing,” Perrin said. “I will not go without a fight.”

  The shield popped like a soap bubble. The cube lurched forward. Perrin invoked another blessing, stopping the cube three feet from them. Sienne stared through the barrier at it. “At least we know which corridors are safe,” she said. “The ones with moss still growing on the walls. I wonder why those don’t get cleaned.”

  “If I remembered which ones they were, I could make a guess,” Perrin said.

  The barrier shivered. “Dianthe, if you’re going to make a discovery,” Alaric began.

  “Shut up, mountain,” Dianthe said through gritted teeth.

  With a pop, the shield vanished. The cube once again advanced. “Well,” Alaric said, “it’s been—”

  A whoosh of dank, sweet air free of acid taint blew past them. “Save it for later,” Dianthe said, grabbing Kalanath and hauling him through the gap she’d just opened. “Move!”