They made to turn around when the ground rumbled beneath them, tossing the women into each other, a wall of perfect roses threaded with thorns grew in front of them.
“Flowers? Are we to make a bouquet?” Seren let out a laugh, but as if hearing the scorn in her voice, a creeping black fog rolled over the ground, rising to block out the sky above. The maze was an abyss, and she felt a chill creep up her spine as she stumbled blindly into its darkness. She struggled to breathe as the strong, cloying scent of the roses filled the air, making its way to the back of her tongue and choking her. The leaves and branches rustled, and a whisper of a touch brushed her skin.
“Was that you, Lilith?” Seren whispered, her breathing heavy.
Lilith shrieked in response. “Something touched me!”
Seren thought she could feel the darkness moving around them, writhing over their skin, undulating in the presence of their fear.
She grabbed for Lilith’s hand in the dark. The ground rumbled again, and the creaking of the hedges followed, echoing through the air.
“What’s happening?” Seren’s voice cracked, and she hated how weak she sounded, but she couldn’t control the wave of hysteria that slipped through. She stretched her arms out, searching the darkness for Lilith.
“I think the maze is moving,” Lilith whispered back as they found each other, their hands gripping each other tightly.
“Moving?” Seren asked, but realized what Lilith meant as the scraping sound drew near. The maze walls were closing in on them. Seren felt her chest seize in panic as she gripped Lilith’s hand. Her throat felt raw from the scream she was holding back. The darkness grew heavy and Seren felt as if she would drop to her knees from the weight of it.
Lilith raised her hand and a beam of purple light cut through the darkness, her magic pouring from where the blood had pooled into the compass. The shadows shied away as if they were living creatures. The roses withered, their petals shriveling in and the branches growing dry and brittle, leaving the barrier skeletal.
The darkness lifted and Seren felt like she could finally breathe. Great gulps of air filled her lungs, her chest rising and falling with each breath.
Lilith peered at Seren as if trying to work out a puzzle. “You’ve been at the top of each task until now. Are you okay?”
Seren stiffened at the other witch’s observation. “I’m fine.” She would not flay her wounds open and give her competition an edge.
Lilith gazed at her, studying her features before nodding and turning. The sound of her boots crunching against the charred branches echoed through the air.
They followed the twists and turns of the maze, Lilith leading the way with her compass. This time it pointed true and Seren wondered if Lilith was right, and a professor’s magic had been tampering with the blood witch’s own.
They continued deeper into the maze as the wind howled around the corners, throwing gritty dirt and leaves into their faces, making their skin sting. Heavy storm clouds threatened overhead. A shrill scream sounded in the distance every so often.
“It sounds like one less witch to compete with,” Seren said, sharing a smile with Lilith as a scream pierced the air close by.
“Suddenly, that’s my new favorite sound,” Lilith said, the glint in her lavender eyes was wicked.
The only male professor of Calami waited for them around the corner, a sphere of dark grayish-blue magic glowing in his hands, the same hue as the ominous clouds above. He seemed oddly out of place in his pristine three-piece suit and gold-rimmed glasses. The wind rustled through his dark hair, taking away from his serious demeanor as it whipped through the maze. He planted his feet wide and drew his lips into a tight line. He took a gold pocket watch from the inside of his suit and glanced at it, as if he had better things to do with his time.
“What are we expected to do?” Seren asked, her arms crossed and her brow raised as she tried to sound more confident than she felt.
The professor tucked the watch back into his pocket and tossed the ball again and again, catching it each time before hurling it at them. Lilith shielded herself, crouching low with her eyes closed, embracing for impact. The ball of magic seared Seren’s shoulder and left behind a smoldering hole in the hedge, smoke and the smell of burnt leaves pouring from it.
Seren stumbled, pain radiating from her shoulder. She touched it, and when she pulled back, blood stained her hand. Her fear turned to anger, her magic surging to be released. A bead of sweat dripped from her temple from the effort to contain it.
Thunder rolled, and lightning cracked overhead, illuminating the hard lines of the professor’s face. Seren held out her palm, conjuring the same ball of magic that he appeared to be using, though her own was as dark as spilled ink on white parchment. She rolled it in her hand, liking the weight of it, and raised her face back up at the professor. Taking her magic in both hands, she wielded it like a whip and lashed out at him. His own magic clashed to meet hers, and she felt a hint of satisfaction at his surprised face of begrudged approval.
Again and again, she tried to breach his defenses, exhaustion settling into her bones. It was clear he was toying with her. He was hardly winded, but she realized she had pushed him further into the maze, leaving the path he was blocking open. With one final thrust of power, she met his magic again, her magic melting into his. He pulled back his magic, ripping away from hers. She felt an aching chasm open within her at the loss of it. He gave her a slight nod of his head before gesturing for them to pass.
“That was amazing,” Lilith said, her voice low.
Seren nodded, unable to speak. She had never used her magic like that before. Had never seen what she might be capable of with proper training. The hedge witch tasked with instructing her and her sister until it was time for them to start their formal education when their magic matured at eighteen could hardly conjure a strong tea, let alone magic like Seren just had.
The further they made their way into the maze, the harder her heart pounded. Her skin and clothes were damp with sweat and her muscles were tight from the effort it took to contain and direct her magic. Her eyes felt heavy, and if Lilith hadn’t been there, she might have paused for a moment to rest.
As Lilith turned the corner, a beast jumped out of the maze wall, snarling and snapping its jaws, razor-sharp tusks dripping with slime. The creature’s massive body blocked the maze ahead, and a hedge grew up from behind them. They would not escape this trap. Lilith screamed and stumbled back into Seren.
Seren caught the other woman in her arms and felt her throat close around a scream, suffocating it. She had seen this beast before as a child, had cowered in the darkness, and prayed to the gods that it would not find her. Fear paralyzed her body. She felt as if she was still in that cave, begging for someone to save her. The putrid smell of the beast caused her stomach to heave and churn. Its eyes were beady and wild as it shook its head and growled. Seren was shaking, unable to formulate thought. Unable to use her magic to defend herself. She shrank back as the creature snapped its jaws at them, coming ever closer.
It lunged at them and, as they fell, Lilith threw out a hand, and a hurried burst of magic blasted from it. The creature yelped with pain but continued towards them. Seren scrambled backward, her palms scraping on the rocky soil, but Lilith threw her magic out again and again, driving it away from them and back into the hedges. Its whimpering disappeared and Seren closed her eyes and relaxed her body, letting the tension ease from each muscle.
