Chapter 20

"What brings you to the Green Sector, Sela?" This strange, red-haired, fluffy-tailed, formerly fox-eared man asked, as he slowly stood back upright. His grip lingered on my hand, and his sharp nails grazed my palm as he held me. I felt them retract as he squeezed my fingers gently before letting me go.

Alessi's unnaturally vibrant red hair—a color that matched his fluffy tail—was tied back, while a finely tailored and heavily decorated suit hugged the lean shapes of his body. He smelled heavily of lilac, his costume resembled some strange cross between a medieval aristocrat and a conductor, and his animal ears gave him a couple extra inches on Theron. Most notably though, his catlike eyes were a beautiful, sparkling amber, similar to Pumpkin's. He was like my fluff ball come to life as a gorgeous man, and I should probably ask myself why that did something for me.

It was a wonder I'd made it this far in life without going to therapy. A wonder or gross negligence .

"I'm working my way through the Labyrinth to get my cat back." I answered honestly, but some survival instinct in the back of my mind wanted to ask Theron for a briefing on whether I should be trusting this guy or not.

Because Theron was so trustworthy himself…

Sigh .

"Obviously she's a tribute." Theron scoffed. "Why the fuck else would anyone risk life and limb to meander around this hell hole?"

"A tribute, yes." Alessi confirmed with a nod. "But even tributes have motivations. They have feelings, you know. Just like foxes, and just like devils do." The way he raised his brow at Theron seemed like a silent conversation I wasn't privy to. Their spat didn't feel entirely platonic to me. "Just like you do, in case that subtext was lost on you." Alessi made one last jab, but Theron remained still and standoffish. His arms were crossed over his chest and his stance was wide and defensive. Considering I was also annoyed by the so called Dream Weaver's current denial of his feelings, I felt a tinge of solidarity with Alessi. This bastard was textbook Tsundere, in my delusional opinion.

But Alessi was a mystery all his own, and his appearance didn't track with everything else I'd learned about this place.

"Are you also a devil?" I asked our new companion. Alessi didn't have any obvious horns. Unless his horn was also his— don't look down, Sela. I chastised my brain before my eyes could examine his dick for its sharpness.

His orange eyes practically sparkled at the question, and his lips cocked to the side in a smirk "Sweet Bijou." He purred. "I cannot wait to teach you everything about this world."

"He's not." Theron interrupted. He seemed rather irritated and on edge, despite having technically been the one to save Alessi from the vines. "He's from Olympus, so he's the exact opposite of a devil, and he shouldn't be in Tartarus at all. He's a blight on this whole realm."

Alessi full blown snort laughed. "Your bitterness is unbecoming. But then, what else should I expect from someone who put Jericho before someone who actually gives a flying fuck about him."

Theron's eyes narrowed, and the lightning in them sparked violently. "Is that what you think?" He growled through gritted teeth. "That's hilarious coming from an Olympus spy."

Oookay , there were some deep grudges here, and I really didn't have time or patience for them. "Will you two stop fighting for four seconds?"

"One, two, three, four." Alessi counted quickly, before he resumed glaring at Theron. Something about the look he was giving him seemed more playful than genuinely angry though. It reminded me of the look on Pumpkin's face when he was brutalizing a toy mouse full of catnip.

"So fucking immature." Theron spat back.

"And you're both wasting my time." I interrupted again, while pointing up at the always ticking clock. Fifty-four-and-a-half hours remained, and whatever feud was between these two, it was going to slow me down. "I have an actual mission to accomplish, in case you forgot."

Alessi tilted his chin and watched the clock for several seconds. "Hmm, so you do. That's plenty of time though. The last person to play Jericho's game was only allotted fifty-four minutes , while you're already in the Green Sector with days to go." He returned eye contact to offer the most dazzling of fang laden smiles. "You'll have plenty of time if you let me help you through the Labyrinth, lovely Sela."

I looked to Theron, like I needed his permission to invite this guy along, but I wasn't sure if that was actually a good idea or not. I felt like an outsider looking in on the boys' club of Tartarus. While that should have been another day in my life, this whole scenario was considerably more dire than simply having a vagina on the programming floor.

"Alessi is a coward. You don't want to count on him as we enter the Yellow, Orange, or Red Sectors." Theron shut down my pleading immediately. "Especially not the Yellow Sector."

" I'm a coward?" The fox never lost his cool, even through the insults. If anything, he seemed to revel in defending himself. A man after my own heart. "She knows everything you do is for his royal highness, right? That the moment he comes to collect, you'll sell her down the river for a pat on the head?"

That reminder made me frown. To my surprise, it made Theron frown too.

"She's aware." Though Theron spoke sharply, I couldn't help but notice the subtle way he still stood to separate us. "I've always been up front about my intentions, unlike you."

Alessi recoiled ever so slightly, like that was the first jab that actually hurt. "That's not a fair statement."

His playful demeanor immediately broke down, and I felt obligated to step in and smooth over Theron's usual lack of social grace.

"Obviously you two have a bit of a history, but it's also obvious that you don't actually hate each other, so how about we all move on together and stop being so dramatic. I could use both of your help if it's really that bad up ahead." One more appeal to reason.

"It's obvious, huh?" Theron glared at me briefly, then he unceremoniously shoved the fox with excessive force, sending him back into the green walls of the Labyrinth. The vines immediately coiled around him and started dragging him into the thicket. "I hope that shit eats you alive, you furry fuck."

"Hey, hey, hey!" I ran to Alessi's aid, which only earned more of Theron's aggravation.

"You two deserve each other." Theron growled before he stormed off into the maze.

Alessi took my hand and pulled himself free of the vines. By the time he was done brushing leaves from his jacket, Theron had disappeared around a bend, and I had completely lost sight of him.

"He's always been a drama queen. Don't take it personally." Alessi patted me gently on the shoulder. "He'll be back when he realizes no one is crying over his little tantrum. He cares too much to leave it be."

"He was helping me a lot though." I muttered nervously.

No, this was fine. I was strong and tough and resourceful. I'd figure out this maze with or without him. I'd never intended or expected to have help in the first place, and he'd openly admitted he planned to betray me. So… so it was fine .

"I'm sure you were helping him more than the other way around." Alessi chuckled, before he hugged me around my shoulders and nuzzled into my hair. "If you're worried about the monsters, I'll take you through the Labyrinth from here, Bijou. You helped me, so I'll help you. Unlike our prickly little Dream Weaver, I don't have any loyalty to Jericho, so you're safer with me anyway."

"Because you're from Olympus?" I turned my head so we were nose to nose, and Alessi gave me a squeeze.

"Because I'm an independent person with a mind of my own." With a quick rustling of my hair, he ruined my pony tail, and then he released me from his hug. I'd traded one impossible to read, dangerous companion for another, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "Plus, it serves my own amusement to assure you don't fall into the hands of Jericho, and there is no higher purpose in all the realms."

Something about the way he said that put me immediately at ease. Theron had confirmed he was from Olympus, so he had to be safer than anyone from Tartarus, right? Although I had my reservations about trusting anyone too easily in a place like this.

Still, even if he was a safe bet, I was a bit sad to have lost Theron's company. He was becoming a weird comfort in an uncomfortable place, and maybe I'd already trauma bonded with him more than was reasonable. I didn't know what grudge these two held between them, but the sad knit to Alessi's brow led me to believe that it wasn't actually nefarious in nature. I may not have been a great judge of character, but I had a decent understanding of heartbreak. That look was heartbreak.

"Do you think he'll come back?" I asked idly, and I shook my head when I realized what I'd said, embarrassed to imply I wanted him to.

"Where else is he going to go?" Alessi smirked, like he was enjoying his own inside joke. He patted me on the shoulder with a reassuring pressure. "He was just going to hold you back anyway. I've been around long enough to understand the assignment. Let's go get your cat back."

I nodded, sharing an easy smile, then we both faced the wrapping corridors.

Alessi took the first step towards the castle, before he added, "Now try not to get too close to the walls, but I can get you free again if you do. The Yellow Sector isn't terribly far."