chapter thirty-five

Thea hated saying it out loud. She never would have imagined that her promise to Ceyden would actually have the potential of being fulfilled. Though she also never expected to befriend the labyrinth's blood-thirsty beast.

"I don't understand..." Zared said, his snout flaring as he curled his claws into a fist. "Why would he do something as terrible as framing your father, only to ask you to marry him later?"

"Well..." Thea twirled the rose in her fingers. "He actually asked me to marry him first , and when I refused him, he tried to threaten my father as a means to make me agree to his terms."

Zared blinked, his lips parting with his fangs flashing proudly. "Pardon?"

"I said he—"

"No, I heard you." He held up his palm to silence her. "Is everyone in my family a selfish piece of scum? My father abandoned me because I didn't fit the form of a perfect son, and now I find out my brother imprisoned an old man to force a woman into marriage?"

"Well, then there's you. You did try to kill an innocent a few times," Thea said, trying to lighten the mood, but only managed to wash a look of guilt over Zared's features. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"No, you're right," he said. "I've been just as selfish. I wanted you dead until I realized you could be of assistance to me. I'm sorry for that."

Thea's chest buzzed, his eyes pouring into hers as his apology filled her like an empty spring. That was the difference between Zared and the rest of his family; he wasn't afraid to admit his mistakes and look to correct them.

If only he had been the brother who stayed on the surface... Ceyden would have made a great beast.

"What about now?" Thea asked him. "Do you still only want me to stay alive because I can help you?"

Zared paused, his hoof scuffing against the dirt as he twirled his claws together. "No..." he said shyly. "I believe you when you say you're innocent. You never deserved to be sent here, so there's no reason for me to kill you."

"Does that mean you'll help me escape?" Thea asked, her blood heating with hope. Underworth may have been a dangerous escape route, but it was an escape route, nonetheless. With Zared's help, she could be the first to ever escape the labyrinth.

"I..." Zared took a long breath. "What about Ceyden? If you escape, you'll have to fulfill your promise to him."

A shudder rolled down Thea's spine at the thought, but she knew he was right. Ceyden could easily find her with his gift if he wanted to. She wouldn't be able to avoid him.

"I know..." she admitted. "But that doesn't matter as much as it used to. Right now, there's a chance we can decipher the rose's magic and break your curse."

"Yes, but at the cost of your freedom," Zared said, his tone growing low and growlly. "Maybe I don't want you to exchange your life for mine."

What?

"Why not? I thought you wanted to be human again?" Thea asked.

Zared didn't answer at first, like he couldn't quite piece together his thoughts into words, no matter how desperately Thea wanted to hear them.

"I don't want you to go," Zared said under his breath. "It's not worth your life. You could either lose it in Underworth, or lose it to my brother."

Frustration burned through Thea, her shoulders growing stiff as she tightened her grip on the rose. She felt her cheeks grow red. Why was he being so stubborn about this? She was trying to help him!

"Well, maybe I don't want to stay. Did you ever think of that?" Thea huffed. There was no point in her sitting around doing nothing when there was an opportunity to help him. Why couldn't he see that?

"You don't?" His voice cracked, broken up by what Thea thought was another growl, but she couldn't quite make it out.

"Maybe I want to see my sisters again," Thea said. "Or maybe I'm not afraid of dying in Underworth, as opposed to—"

"Dying with me?" His tone turned grim.

"What? No, I just meant—"

"I get it. The labyrinth and my company are too insignificant to you now that you've survived."

"Zared, I didn't mean it like that. I just don't think there's anything I can do here to help."

He turned away, his dark shadow blanketing the wall behind him as he stared straight at it. "That's where we disagree..." he said softly. "I'm sorry, Thea. I won't help you through the portal. I can't."

"Zared!"

"That's final."

"But I'm doing it for you! "

"And I told you I don't want you to!" he snarled, whipping his head around to bare his fangs. Thea jumped; it was the first time since they met that he had truly startled her. He stepped back. "The fact that you're still pushing means it's really for yourself. Who knows, maybe you actually want to marry my brother. I'm sure he's far prettier to look at than me."

"Zared, don't say such things!" Thea reached out for him, but he pulled back before she could touch his arm. Her heart twisted, burning with anger and hurt as he shut her out. "Fine... If you want to be left alone, then so be it. It's not like you don't know where to find me if you want to. I am your prisoner, after all..."

Thea stormed toward the door, waiting for the magic wall to vanish and then stepping out into the unshielded tunnels of the labyrinth. She didn't know where she was going, but she'd been in that cave long enough. If Zared couldn't realize that she was trying to help him, then he was beyond saving.

If only he trusted me... I really think I could break the curse.

She looked down at the rose that was still pinched in between her fingers, noticing the petals had dimmed as if reflecting her mood. She wasn't sure if she said the right things to Zared, but he hadn't been much better. If he wanted her help, then he shouldn't tell her what she could do.

He either needs to see her as an ally or a prisoner, not both.

Maybe we can talk through it better later. Being angry won't fix anything.

"Well, would you look what we have here?" A low, raspy voice froze Thea in place, the rose burning in her grip as she turned toward the voice. "It's about time we found you."

No...

The men from earlier stood in front of her, looking far more ragged than before and about a hundred times more bloodthirsty. She hadn't realized how far she'd walked. Where was she? Where was the cave from here? She looked down at the rose, noticing the glow was pulsing like a panicked heartbeat.

The leader looked down at the rose, a twisted smile curling up his lips. "And look, you've brought us a gift."