39. Laia

39

LAIA

I wake to an eerie silence. The warmth of the minotaurs' bodies is gone, replaced by the cold, empty space beside me. My heart pounds as I sit up, my eyes scanning the house and the clearing outside. The bonfire has long since died down, leaving only smoldering embers and soft fur that Thalos placed under me.

But more importantly, they’re gone. Thalos, Irix, Kael—none of them are here.

Panic flares in my chest as I stand, my eyes darting around the camp. The usual sounds of their movements, their breaths, even their grunts—nothing. The clearing feels unnaturally quiet, almost as if the forest itself is holding its breath.

My gaze sweeps over our home. Their weapons are missing from their usual spots. My breath quickens. Did they go hunting? But why didn’t they wake me?

I stumble towards the edge of the clearing, my mind racing with possibilities. The shadows between the trees seem to loom closer, darker. My fingers brush against a fallen leaf still damp with morning dew.

“Thalos?” I call out, my voice sounding small and fragile in the vast silence. “Irix? Kael?”

No answer.

A shiver runs down my spine as I move towards where we usually keep our supplies. It’s not here, too. The sight of their missing weapons sends another jolt of fear through me. They wouldn’t leave without them—not without a reason.

I force myself to think logically, to push through the rising tide of panic. If they didn’t wake me, it means they didn’t want me involved—whatever it is must be dangerous.

“Where are you?” I whisper to the empty space around me.

I scan the perimeter of our lair again, hoping for any sign of them—a footprint, a broken branch, anything. But the forest remains still and silent.

My heart thuds painfully as I turn back to the house. My fingers tremble as I reach for one of Kael’s discarded herbs, still tied in a bundle from our last forage together. The scent is faint but comforting.

“I need to find them,” I murmur to myself, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves.

But where do I even start looking?

The silence presses down on me, heavy and suffocating. Something isn't right. I grab a dagger from the ground, my fingers trembling as I hold it close. Every instinct screams that something is wrong.

A shadow moves behind me, and I spin, my heart leaping into my throat.

Eryndor steps out of the shadows, his dark eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. “Looking for your protectors, little one?” he asks, his voice dripping with mockery.

I stumble back, my breath catching in my throat. “What are you doing here?” I whisper, fear gripping me like a vice.

Eryndor’s smile widens, his teeth sharp in the dim light. “They’re fighting, thinking you’re safe here. Usually, they’ll leave one behind with you, but I’m so smart, I outsmarted them.” He steps closer, his presence suffocating. “They’re so wrong for leaving you alone.”

My blood runs cold as Eryndor steps closer, his voice a sickening purr. “I’ll kill them. Skin them alive. Use their fur as rugs beneath my feet.” His eyes gleam with malice, and I can see the cruel delight in his expression. “Unless, of course, you come with me willingly.”

My heart races, my mind flashing back to the horrors of my past. The memories of my friends, my family—slaughtered by this monster. The screams, the blood, the lifeless eyes staring back at me. I can’t let that happen again. I can’t lose them.

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head as if denying his words could make them untrue.

Eryndor’s smile widens, and he takes another step forward. “Oh, yes,” he hisses. “You know what I’m capable of, Laia. You’ve seen it firsthand.”

The dagger in my hand feels pitifully small against his towering presence. My grip tightens around the hilt until my knuckles turn white. I can’t let him win. Not again.

“Stay away from me,” I say, trying to inject strength into my voice, but it comes out as a shaky plea.

Eryndor chuckles darkly, his gaze never leaving mine. “Do you really think you can stop me? Your precious minotaurs are fighting for their lives as we speak. And when they fall—and they will fall—I’ll make sure they suffer.”

My heart clenches at the thought of Thalos, Irix, and Kael being hurt—or worse—because of me. The images flash through my mind: Thalos’s stern gaze softening when he looks at me, Irix’s playful grin, Kael’s gentle touch as he heals my wounds.

I can’t lose them.

“I won’t let you hurt them,” I say, my voice steadier now despite the fear gnawing at my insides.

Eryndor’s eyes narrow, and for a moment, I see a flicker of annoyance in his expression. “Brave words for a little girl who couldn’t even save her own friends.”

His words cut deep, but they also ignited a fire within me—a determination that burns brighter than the fear.

“I’m not the same person I was back then,” I say through gritted teeth.

Eryndor tilts his head, studying me with a mix of curiosity and amusement. “We’ll see about that.”

He looks at me as if he can see through me. Fear grips my whole being, and the dagger in my hand drops to the ground. Tears sting my eyes as my body trembles. “I’ll go,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “Just… don’t hurt them.”

Eryndor’s smile is triumphant, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Good girl.”

He gestures for his men to take me, and rough hands grab my arms, pulling me away from my home. The fear and desperation in my chest feel like a physical weight, crushing me with every step.

As they lead me away, I glance back at the lair, my heart shattering. The place that had become my refuge, my home—it feels like I’m being torn from it all over again. Thalos, Irix, Kael—they’re fighting for me, risking everything. And here I am, walking away with the very monster who destroyed my life.

The pain of leaving them behind cuts deeper than any wound. I haven’t even told them I love them.

I haven’t told them how much they mean to me.

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