chapter twenty-seven

What was I thinking, trying to reason with a beast?

Thea wrapped her arms around her torso, her palms feeling strangely empty without the warm rose in her grasp. She should have expected something like this to happen, yet she couldn't have anticipated what the beast actually did .

He let me escape.

He had every reason to kill her. She was in his domain, had already given him everything he wanted, and was making unreasonable requests. So why did he let her go? Perhaps that was his true way of letting her suffer. Without the rose or any access to food, she was left with no other escape but to succumb to starvation. It would make sense to assume that was the fate he intended for her, yet she didn't fully believe it. He didn't act like he wanted her to suffer.

She recalled how gently he had pressed her against the wall. His sharp claws could have easily shredded her flesh, yet he was careful not to scratch her. He pinned her as gently as one would catch a butterfly by the wings, only applying enough force to hold her in place so he could take what he wanted. It would have been so easy for him to crush her in his strong grasp, pierce her skin, or claim her head. It was probably harder to be soft...

So why? Why did he do it?

Trying to understand it was torment, which made her wonder if the beast was more sadistic than he realized. He would likely never seek her out again, which meant she would die with these questions picking at her mind. Frustration burned through her veins, quickening her steps despite not having a true destination. It would probably be wise to hunt for another water spring like the first one she had come across, but without the rose, she had no sense of direction. The maze seemed colder somehow, like she was left without the torch that guided her. She wondered how long she could walk. Should she give up and sit down? Continue walking to hope she'd find something new?

Walking was more appealing than feeling restrained. The maze at least was never boring. Thea thought about how Lord Malik's magic worked, and how his puzzle magic was always fastened to an object. Could that object be the rose?

It would certainly make sense. The rose was a living plant, which would explain why the maze was capable of growing, changing, and adapting. It would also explain why rosebushes sprouted in its walls, despite not being able to survive in these elements under normal circumstances.

From what she understood, Lord Malik's puzzle magic had to be centered on one object, but could encompass a great deal depending on the strength of the object he selected. Had he ever used a living vessel for his puzzles before? It makes sense why the labyrinth would be so powerful, but how was one supposed to unravel it?

Killing the rose felt like the obvious option, but what would that do to the beast if his curse was tied to the same flower? Other than having a strange appearance, he didn't seem to have done anything to deserve to be trapped in the labyrinth. Was he locked down here simply because of how he looked? If that was the case, Lord Malik was even crueler than she imagined... Who would toss away their son just because of how they looked? The questions persisted, echoing in her mind until she could almost hear them around her.

Wait... those aren't my thoughts I'm hearing...

She paused, listening closer until she was certain she heard something down one of the tunnels. Was it a voice? Footsteps? She couldn't fully make it out with the way the walls echoed .

Maybe it's the beast.

She started moving toward the sound. She knew it wasn't the smartest idea to run back to the beast—who nearly killed her twice—but too many things were left unfinished for her to leave it alone. The path opened up, showcasing two possible tunnels she could go down.

It felt strange not having the rose to guide her, but she could follow the sound well enough on its own. The path with the sound looked distinctly darker, like the labyrinth was trying to guide her away from it. She paused for a moment, but decided the light was too insignificant for it to mean anything without the magic of the rose. Not to mention, the sound was coming from the other path, and she didn't want to miss an opportunity to speak to the beast. It wasn't as if she had much else to look forward to in her prison.

"Hello?" she called down the tunnel, moving slowly through it as she kept an eye out for the beast's looming shadow. "Beast? Is that you?"

The sounds stopped. It was definitely him then. Clearly, someone had to have heard her to freeze like that. Was he not planning to run into her? Or maybe he was hoping to sneak up on her with his axe and realized he lost the element of surprise?

"If you've come to finish me off, you don't need to hide," Thea said with a huff. "Come out and face me. I have some questions before you fulfill your duty as executioner."

The sound of footsteps followed, but it sounded different than the ones she'd heard from the beast before. The beast had hooves that clacked on the ground... so why did this sound like boots? And why did it sound like more than one?

A bad feeling crept into Thea's gut, but before she could act on it, a figure stepped out of the shadows. "I'm not the executioner, darling..." A coarse voice, paired with a scarred face, and a twisted grin that gripped her in the darkness.

Thea staggered back a step, and her heart hammered as three more men stepped forward behind him. New prisoners? No, they're not wearing red.

Each man was dressed in common attire, each with a weapon proudly clasped in their hands. Prisoners weren't permitted to bring items into the labyrinth... she was lucky Ceyden smuggled in the rose for her. These men weren't sent here the same way she was.

Then why are they here?

"W-who are you?" Thea asked in a wobbly voice, her eyes glued to the wicked point of the first man's sword.

"Not the beast," the man snorted, a crooked smile crossing his lips as he looked Thea up and down, "but we're happy to stand in for his duties."