Episode One Hundred Five

THE LABYRINTH

There is a moment of silence while the commander hangs on my blade, the life draining out of her.

Her army stands behind, stunned.

As her weight sags forward, I reign the power back in and the blade melts. The water runs down my arm, sinking into my skin. A cool rightness floods my veins.

I duck out from beneath the dead commander as she finally tips over, her body thudding to the ground.

There is a clatter from the army as some of the soldiers whisper amongst each other looking for orders or direction.

Thunder still rumbles in the distance.

What now?

The queen is still out there. She is still the supreme commander of these soldiers. If she wants them to attack, they will.

The fae at the front line share a look.

A stocky man with a thick golden beard steps forward, sword already drawn.

"Summer Army," he says, his voice reverberating across the garden. He hoists his sword into the air like a banner of war. "On me."

With a roaring cry, he races toward me and the soldiers form up behind him.

How long can I hold them off?

Where is Bran and Arion?

"Wait," I call and hold up my hands. As if I can talk my way out of this one.

The ground trembles with their approach.

I can't summon enough ice swords to take them all on.

My ears grow hot and my head rings.

This is it.

This is how I die.

And the Summer Queen will win. She will dance over my corpse.

I dip back down into that well of power because if I'm going down, I'm going down swinging.

But right before the bearded fae reaches me, an arrow pierces his back.

He staggers forward.

More arrows slice through the air, lodging themselves into the attacking fae with dangerous precision.

Several go down immediately, dead on impact.

Many others collapse, howling in pain.

Appearing, almost out of the shadows, are the Faeries of Suffering.

Even though I know Draggun struck a deal with us, that he's supposedly on our side, goosebumps still run down my arms at the sight of him.

The bearded soldier is on one knee just ten paces away from me, struggling to break off the arrow sticking out of his back.

But the moment he sees Draggun, any color that remains in his face drains away immediately.

"What are you—" he starts, but Draggun clamps a gloved hand over the man's mouth, silencing him.

"Let me tell you a tale, lieutenant," Draggun says. "Your queen made me a bargain. I know you know that part."

The man's brow furrows over his eyes.

"What you don't know is what she bartered with."

The man's shoulders go rigid.

"She promised me your suffering. All of your brethren. One night a year for the rest of your immortal lives."

The man tries to get up but Draggun shoves him back down and then tsk-tsks like the soldier is a misbehaving child.

"The problem is, of course, that you wouldn't survive a night with me." He smiles, sharp teeth gleaming. "So I took the vampire's offer instead because— and here's the best part. " He leans in and lowers his voice to a menacingly wicked tenor. "I still get your suffering."

He shoves the arrow deeper, then twists.

The soldier screams into Draggun's gloved hand, thrashing beneath the pain and the pressure. But Draggun holds steady even though on appearances, he's at least half as small as the lieutenant.

It's hard to watch.

It's not at all what I wanted.

But Draggun must be telling the truth. No other fae can lie. Which means, the Summer Queen was bartering with some of her most loyal soldiers in order to win this fight.

I almost feel bad for the man.

Draggun twists the arrow deeper and the man's eyes finally roll back in his head and he falls sideways into a cluster of white flowers.

The Fairy of Suffering hangs his head back and tastes the last of the lieutenant's pain, his black mark swirling over his face.

When he refocuses, he looks over at me. "Winter Princess. We'll handle the rest of this." He gestures with a flourish at the mayhem in the garden. The Fairies of Suffering are destroying what remains of the queen's army. And everywhere I look, the dark fae are feasting on the pain and suffering.

"You'll find your enemy deep in the summer labyrinth," Draggun goes on. "If you want her dead, I suggest you hurry."

"Why?"

"Because there was a second part of my deal with her. She wanted an escape plan, so I showed her the way into the Forbidden Garden—my domain. It's on the other side of the labyrinth. If she reaches it, you will likely lose her. The Forbidden Garden is no place for a princess like yourself."

"And is it a place for queens?"

He smiles, flashing me sharp incisors. "Oh no. If she steps into our realm, we will pick the meat from her bones."

One way or another, she'd be dead. But there would be no justice in that.

And I wouldn't discount her so quickly. If she found a way to survive this Forbidden Garden, she'd return and we'd be fighting this battle all over again.

"Which way?" I ask.

Draggun points over his shoulder, where the soldiers had lined up, where the Summer Queen disappeared deeper into the garden.

"Follow the cobblestone path. Keep to the left. You'll find the labyrinth soon enough."

"Tha—" I catch myself before I can say thanks. Draggun's smile deepens. "You've been most helpful," I correct.

Behind him, his soldiers are a blur of movement as they fight what little remains of the army.

"Go on then," he says. "And leave us to our prize."

Careful not to get caught in the fighting, I skirt my way around the battle and slip into the garden.

Once I'm behind a hedge row, it's like the garden swallows up all noise beyond it.

The sound of fighting and suffering is immediately gone.

I take quiet steps on the pale cobblestone path through the main garden, sticking to the left as Draggun instructed.

I only hope Bran and Arion will find me. Bran can usually smell me anywhere. I have faith he'll catch up considering this was never our plan. He and Arion were supposed to meet me in the palace.

It seems stupid now, to have fallen for the queen's illusion of Sam. It was an amateur mistake.

It takes everything in me not to turn around and run back to my best friend, or look for my vampire boyfriend, or my fae brother.

I've never been spiritual or religious, but I have faith that this is the right path.

I just have to keep going.

I have to trust myself and my instincts and?—

A hand clamps over my mouth. Bran's whisper is at my ear a second later. "It's me, Mouse."

There is a moment of dread and fear that I've been tricked again, that the queen has used illusion magic. But then I inhale and I know that scent. I know the smell of Bran. That amber and leather and musk.

Happy tears spring in my eyes and I twist around, latching on to him. I'm so grateful for him, I could scream.

When I pull back, I spot Arion behind him.

"You aren't supposed to be out here," Arion says.

Bran's jaw flexes as if he too is annoyed by this deviation but he says nothing.

"I'm sorry. Everything happened so quickly."

My brother nods and looks beyond us. "She's out here. I can sense it."

"Draggun said she's running for his realm. He said it's on the other side of the labyrinth."

Arion snaps his attention back to me. "Truly? She must be desperate."

"I don't want to lose her."

His mouth sets in a grim line and he nods. "Neither do I. So we won't. Come on."

Arion knows the way to the labyrinth so there is no more guessing on direction. We find the entrance soon enough, but before we slip inside, my brother stops us.

"There is something you should know about this place."

"Go on," Bran says.

"It can sometimes change, depending on its mood. Stay close by my side. Do not split up. Or you may never find your way out."

I glance at Bran. His pale, handsome face is unreadable.

"Should we be worried?" I ask Arion.

"Not if you listen to me."

That's not exactly soothing.

"All right." I tuck several loose strands of hair behind my ear. "Let's do this then?"

"Is that a question, little mouse?" Bran's eyes are glowing amber in the dim lighting. "Or an order?"

His words are dark and husky, but there is a playful edge to them too.

"An order."

"Good girl."

"For fuck sake." Arion rolls his eyes and walks into the labyrinth. "Save that shit for later."

I smile up at Bran and he steals a quick, deep kiss. When he breaks it, he says, "We will end this enemy and when we are finished, I will tie you to my bed and have my way with you until you beg for mercy."

"I can still hear you!" Arion says.

On my tiptoes, I whisper into Bran's ear. "I dare you."

His eyes flare and I know he will take that dare any day of the week.