His anger sent a thrill through me. “Unconscious.”
Those black eyes darkened in satisfaction, swallowing me, making my blood heat. “Good.” His stare lingered over my various cuts and bruises. “You don’t have to worry about my reaction to your magic. I trust you, Rose. I know if you use it, there must be a good reason. I only want you to be careful. Remember the consequences.” He brushed a thumb against my bottom lip. “I’m not going anywhere just because we have a disagreement. Do you believe me?”
I mulled over his admission, letting it collect my residual guilt and squash it beneath his tenderness. It felt…good, learning how to release these defenses I’d had all my life. Learning how to let someone choose me. I’d never had anyone to call my own before.
“I’ve already chosen to love you, Rose Wolff. Beyond sense, beyond reason. There is no part of you I do not choose.”
He wasn’t going anywhere.
He was mine.
“I believe you,” I whispered. “And, Leo, about what you said at the ball. I?—”
“Rose! Leo! We’re here.” Lark’s voice echoed down the tunnel. She and Horace had disappeared around a corner as Leo and I talked. He gave me a small smile and led me after them, my words forgotten as we rounded the bend.
The narrow tunnels opened to a circular cavern the size of a small house, with rocky formations jutting from the ceiling and floor. Torches were fastened to the walls every few feet, illuminating the space. More strips of the same navy garment I’d seenearlier were caught on the sharp edges. Clumps of dirt were strewn about on the far side of the wall, as if the area had been disturbed by movement.
“Is this the exit?” I asked.
Lark nodded grimly. “Somewhere in here. We have to find it. This labyrinth was Salome’s project.” Her voice broke on the name. “I signed off on the plan, but she was the expert with the details.”
I sighed. “I suppose it was too much to hope for there to be an arrow pointing to the door.”
Horace slowly circled the cave. There were two tunnel entrances leading to it—the one we had come from, and one directly across from it on the opposite side. I crept closer to the second one, squinting to see in the dark. There were no torches or sconces lining this path. Shadows seemed to stretch and broaden as I neared the entrance, summoning me with tendrils like fingers. I thought I heard something moving deep inside…
“You know,” Horace said with a grunt. “This looks like an arena.”
“For what?” Leo asked.
“A fight.”
“That wasn’t part of the plan,” Lark countered.
I huffed out a bitter laugh as my feet guided me closer to the second tunnel. “I don’t think much of anything is going toplan, Lark.”
Lark growled angrily in response. I turned to shoot her a look when the growling sounded from behind me again.
It wasn’t Lark.
Everything happened in slow motion.
Lark’s eyes widened as she reached for me, her shadows lashing. Horace unsheathed the sword at his side as Leo’s lips parted and took the shape of my name, but I couldn’t hear him.
Hot air tore at my back.
Something furry circled my wrist, yanking me away from the tunnel. Leo was at my side in an instant. He shoved me against the wall, using his body to shield me.
Out of the second tunnel came a raging, roaring beast. A cross between a lion and a bear, its paws were twice the size of my face, its canines as large as a sword. It shook its enormous mane and rose up on its back legs with a growl. Rounded ears skimmed the ceiling. It landed with a boom, shaking the entire cave.
“What are we supposed to do?” I asked Leo frantically.
“Youneed to get out. Go back the way we came.”
“I’m not leaving all of you down here.”
His jaw twitched. “So stubborn,” he said, then crashed his lips to mine.
He kissed me for strength. For courage. And I took the same, my heart pounding faster, my body filling with resolve. He released me and pushed off the wall. The usual small, dark lock of hair fell across his forehead as he brought his palms together with a crash, his henbane and amaranth rings crackling with magic.
