Chapter 27

Ellery

I glanced at the towering,twenty-foot walls of the perfectly manicured, green plants taking up acres and acres of the rolling hills around us. The entrance remained blocked off with a red rope, but as the king spoke, a servant took the rope down.

The maze wasn't the safety of our cramped room or home, yet it would provide shade, shelter, and an opportunity to slip away for a few hours. I was all for it.

Tugging at the collar of my dress again, I was about to run into the shadowed interior of the maze when King Ivan's next words froze me. "The first one to successfully navigate the labyrinth and return will receive fifty thousand carisle."

My attention swung back to the spoiled man perched upon his throne. The possibility of fifty thousand carisle made him a lot more appealing.

"And they'll also enjoy a private dinner with me tonight," Ivan continued.

My stomach dropped as that awful prospect made finding my way in and out of this labyrinth a lot less appealing, but I would do it. Ever since Ryker nearly caught me in the woods, I'd been too scared to steal anything; the amsirah in the towns were suffering because of it.

Not to mention, we could really use some money for the manor. The roof required fixing, the stable doors were falling off, the chicken coop was leaning to the left, and maybe we could reopen the school.

My fingers twitched with their need to touch that money. So much good would be done with it if I won.

I examined my competition, many of whom looked almost as eager as me, but more than a few appeared bored… including Ryker and his father. This money was nothing for them. They pissed away fifty thousand carisle a day, so what did this matter to them?

My fingers dug into my palms as I fought the ire building inside me. Being annoyed wouldn't help me win this competition.

"In the labyrinth's center is a bowl full of gold coins," King Ivan continued. "The first one to bring me a coin is the winner, but getting to the center of the labyrinth won't be easy. There will be some not-so-fun surprises along the way."

I tore my attention away from the other contenders as Ivan uttered these words. Of course it won't be as simple as finding that bowl and getting out again.

I eyed what little I could see of the maze. It ran down a hill, so I could see some of it stretching outward before coming to flat land again and vanishing.

I had no idea how big it was; it was impossible to tell from here, but it spread for acres before me. It had to end somewhere… didn't it?

A murmur ran through the crowd, and some of them shifted uneasily. I bet the ones who didn't require the carisle were thinking twice about going into the maze, but would King Ivan's words deter the others?

The king plucked another grape from a bunch and popped it in his mouth. He rolled it around, playing with it before chomping on it.

We were exactly like that grape… little bites he toyed with before destroying us. Those who went into the labyrinth were the weaker ones, desperate for money, and the ones he could play with the most.

King Ivan clapped his hands. "Tut-tut now. Run along, my friends, because you will encounter obstacles and only have three hours to complete your mission. If no one has succeeded by then, the game is off."

Three hours? I eyed the endless maze again. Even without obstacles, would it be possible to get to the center in three hours?

I had no idea, but I was going to find out. I looked at my mother, who had settled on a bench ten feet away. When she started to rise, I waved her down.

We needed the money, but I wouldn't risk her life for it. She hesitated before sitting again; we both knew that out of the two of us, I was the one who could handle whatever lay within.

Whatever was in there would be determined to stop me from getting the prize. They wouldn't succeed.

Walking past one of the many carts of food spread out for the day, I stopped to eat some of the meat while surreptitiously slipping the carving knife from the table. I wasn't about to go into the unknown without a weapon.

Throwing my shoulders back, I slipped the knife into my pocket and smiled as I followed the throng into the maze.