“My father had refused to sign over his financial interests in the properties he owned in town. Anyone who would have inherited ownership was eliminated. Even the mayor’s own son, my sister’s husband, wasn’t safe from their greed and thirst for control over Falston.”
Her face softened, a thread of guilt drawing her brows together.
“I’m sorry.” The apology offered both her condolences and regret for her choice of words moments ago.
My Adam’s apple bobbed as I swallowed past the knot in my throat at the unexpected soothing sensation that her acknowledgment provided. It shouldn’t have meant anything at all. Hell, I wish it didn’t.
But it did, and it stirred up something in me that hadn’t been felt in almost a century.
Fear.
Fear of being seen. Fear of suffering loss. Fear of being unworthy.
Refusing to linger on the sensation of something unfurling in my chest, perilously close to human vulnerability, I continued my explanation of the events that have been taking place since that fateful day.
“Corbin and I barely had time to come to terms with what we were before nightfall,” I said as my mind drifted back to the very first hunt we participated in.
Mayor Polk stood on the platform, drawing a name from a hollowed-out pumpkin. The slip of paper unfolded in his hands in front of the whole crowd of Falston’s inhabitants.
“Our guest of honor for the inaugural corn maze chase is Miss Maribelle Miller!” he announced gleefully while applause and cheers erupted in the courtyard.
Corbin and I stood at the edge of the fields, looking at one another, unaware of what was in store for the three of us.
Waving vigorously for Maribelle to come up onto the platform next to him, she looked as uncomfortable as we both felt. Once she was at his side, the mayor’s hand clamped down on her shoulder, fingers digging in enough to make her grimace. Preventing her from fleeing.
Her name wasn’t coincidental. If the Town Council had known Corbin witnessed their chanting nonsense, they must have known Maribelle had overseen it as well.
“Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s go over some rules for this exciting event, shall we?” Meeting our eyes from across the courtyard, he flashed a smile akin to a wolf that still had the lamb’s blood dripping from his incisors.
He turned to face Maribelle, using grand hand gestures while explaining the event with half-truths and bold-faced lies.
“In an hour’s time, you will enter the twists and turns of Falston’s newly-designed corn maze. Now, don’t be fooled. The maze is far larger than it looks from the outside. You will have all the time you need—until dawn shall you need it—to make it to the end. While inside the maze, you will encounter many challenges and obstacles.” The bastard described it like it was some childish funhouse that should provoke excitement instead of terror.
“If you make it to the maze’s exit, you will be rewarded with a grand prize. It will be with the greatest honors that you will light the festival’s bonfire, signaling the conclusion of this incredible event!”
Crossing my arms in front of my chest, an unsettling sensation prickled at parts of me unseen. Rage collided with a taste for bloodshed and other savory things. My conscience was at war with the instinct that the curse hung over me.
The newest Council Member came up on the other side of Maribelle, smiling with far too many teeth exposed and as crooked as he was.
“Now, Mayor Polk, let’s not forget one important caveat. To keep things interesting, we have elected two anonymous citizens to keep you moving through the maze. If they catch up with you, the chase is over, and we can all hope for a winner next year.”
He smirked before adding, “But you’re a smart girl, I’m sure you’llfind your way through.”
The festivities continued with growing excitement amongst the townsfolk. The clock began ticking down to a night that would set the precedent for future hunts.
“Why didn’t you just expose or kill the Councilmembers?” Harlow asked innocently enough.
A chuckle escaped before I could hold back, though it lacked genuine humor. “If it were that easy, kitten, trust me when I say we would have already done so. The magic binding us to our fates is not so kind.”
Corbin chimed in as he leaned forward against the backrest of the sofa. “Whatever dark magic is being tapped into protects the Town Council members and their loved ones. It’s all part of their induction year after year.”
She frowned as she let it sink in that this was far beyond basic political corruption. These were dark and twisted powers being wielded over the entire town.
“Doesn’t anybody in the town wonder why nobody is ever seen after the chase? There can’t be that many idiots in this town,” she noted.
Shrugging, I didn’t have a good answer for her. “Magic and curses this dark and pervasive are finicky things. Most people believe that they ran off, moved away, or were attacked by animals. Or some simply forget they existed at all.”
Hesitantly, she asked the next logical question. “What happened to Maribelle?”
