chapter thirty-six

Thea's heart pounded like a stampede. The men had her pinned in their sights, each one looking more ready to tear out her throat than the next. How many days had they been searching for her? Two? Three? A week? She had lost all sense of time in the tunnels, but they looked about a hundred times worse than when she first encountered them.

Their hands and faces were covered in dirt, their eyes dark from lack of sleep, and each one gripped their weapon with enough power to crush even a beast's skull. Only two of the men were armed since Zared had destroyed one of the swords, and Thea stole the other one, but she wouldn't put it past the other two to strangle her with their bare hands.

"This doesn't have to be difficult," the leader said, his voice as gravelly as the dirt under their boots. "Just hand over the flower and we might even let you starve to death on your own."

The rose... they'll destroy it.

Thea clutched the flower against her chest, its warm pulses synching with her crazed heart. If they destroyed the rose, then any hope of curing Zared would be gone with it.

"I can't let you destroy it." Thea tried to sound brave, but it was difficult while looking at the filthy edge of a sharpened blade. "The rose is our only hope of escape. If you destroy it, then—"

"We know what happens when we destroy it..." the man with the beard hissed. "Which is exactly why we need to do it. Now hand it over, or we'll cut it out of your dainty little fingers." He took a step forward.

"Wait!" Thea held up her hand, her lungs constricting around the word as she prayed that they would hear her out. The men paused for a moment, but they were itching to pounce. "Lord Malik lied to you! You have to believe me. He wants you to destroy the rose so no one ever escapes. It's true that the rose is the key to something, but it's alive. If the magic in it is snuffed out, then we'll never know how it can help us!"

"Are you daft?" the leader snorted. "We know what the blasted flower does! We don't need you trying to twist our minds so you can have its power all for yourself."

"But I'm not twisting anything!"

"Oh?" The leader narrowed his eyes, tracing his finger along the dusty blade. "Lord Malik told us all about your trial. We know how you tried to poison the lord for revenge, and then coaxed your dear father into taking the blame. It wasn't until the guilt overran you that you finally decided to confess the truth. Clearly, you have no issue manipulating the lives and minds around you to get what you want. You even persuaded the beast to keep you alive."

"Probably by promising him an escape with the rose," one of the men huffed. "That's why she hasn't used it yet. She's been trying to shake off the monster so she can escape on her own."

"That's not true!" Thea tried to argue, but it was no use. They had already decided what to make of her, and they didn't look interested in being persuaded.

"Once a liar, always a liar," the leader tsked. "Now, hand over the flower. We don't want to mutilate that pretty face, but we will."

I can't let them take it... Zared has waited too long for the hope it's brought him.

The second she tried to turn around, the leader slashed his blade at her. She held up her hands in defense, backing up just enough to avoid being slashed in two, but still getting her palm nicked by the sword's tip.

She ran, begging her legs to move faster than they ever had, dodging fallen stones and dips in the ground to run as smoothly as she could. The labyrinth guided her without her even asking, illuminating the paths she needed to take. The men were right behind her, fueled by their days of endless searching and the desire not to lose sight of her again.

Her lungs puffed, the stale cave air burning in her chest as she forced every ounce of energy she could find into her sprint. The rose pulsed against her chest, acting like a warning bell that encouraged her not to slow down. Blood ran down the rose's stem, staining the dark green leaves from the fresh cut on her palm. It wasn't deep, but every drop it left probably acted as a trail for the men to follow.

Pain ripped through her as a stitch tore into her side. She hissed through the pain, reminding herself of what the consequences would be if she let them catch her.

Zared will lose everything...

She wasn't sure why that pained her so much. She'd barely even known the beast, yet he'd already shown her more kindness than anyone other than her family ever had. He may have been coarse and had a short temper, but he didn't deserve to spend his life cursed and alone in a labyrinth.

I have to keep the rose away from those men, but they're so close...

"Labyrinth?" Thea called into the tunnel walls, unsure if it even understood words. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I need you to help me hide the rose."

She kept her voice low, trying to ensure that her plans didn't echo behind her. The rose flared in her hands, responding to her request in a manner that Thea couldn't quite translate.

"Please. Don't let the men find it. I don't care what happens to me," Thea begged as she darted around another corner, her lungs feeling on the verge of collapsing, "just make sure the beast finds the rose!"

She felt the rose heat in her palm, but there was no time to try to interpret what it was trying to say. At the next crossroad she came to, she threw the rose as far as she could down one of the paths, then darted down the opposing one, ensuring her steps were loud enough for the men to follow. She held her breath, waiting to hear the echo of their feet behind her.

They're still behind me.

They weren't quite as close, but they were gaining on her as her energy depleted. All she could do now was hope the rose wouldn't be discovered by the men before the beast.

"Please," Thea begged the labyrinth again. "Don't let them find that tunnel."

She tried to gain as much distance between her and the flower as she could. The labyrinth had great power, but she never knew if it took special requests from the beast's favored prisoners. She stumbled over a rough patch of ground, gasping as the motion slowed her down.

"Over there!" a panting breath called behind her, and Thea forced all her strength into pushing forward a few more steps.

I can't do it…

Her legs burned, her heart was ready to beat free from her chest, and every breath she took was shallower than the last. She staggered forward a few steps, making one last silent plea to the labyrinth to protect the rose before a rough pair of hands grabbed her from behind.

"I got her!" the leader gasped, his sour breath heating her neck as he pinned her arms behind her. "Immobilize her, quick!"

Thea's eyes were fuzzy, still lightheaded from her run. Despite the blurred vision, she could still see the rock in the man's palm. She closed her eyes, hoping the shock would cancel out the pain as she whispered under her breath.

"Good luck, Zared."

The rock met her skull.