He nudges a bag at his feet that I hadn’t even noticed. “New clothes for you. Food and water. And a couple of other items Rhykus left behind.”
I dress swiftly, then slip into my purloined boots. They’re a size too big for me, but better than the slippers he found. Winding my hair into a tight braid, I tie it off neatly. There’s a rumble under my feet, a sign I’ve been waiting for.
He glances to the side.
“Don’t look!” I yelp, easing his bag off the ground and sliding it over my shoulder silently.
“You’re not dressed yet? The Labyrinth is about to reset.”
“Thank you. For everything.” I take a step back into the Labyrinth as the ground begins to buck and shift.
Bael stares resolutely ahead. Then he stills, and I see his chiseled profile as he realizes what I’m doing. “You little?—”
“Bye.” I give him a wave as the walls start moving.
Bael lunges toward me.
Too late.
The wall slams shut between us and I hear him slap his palms against the other side. “You’re fucking kidding me. Youstolemy supplies? We had a truce.”
“This is the bride hunt, Bael. You’ve been more chivalrous than anyone else, but you’re still here for one reason and one reason only. You know more than you’re saying and Idon’ttrust you.”
“I will find you,” he growls.
“And then you’ll spank me. I know.” I survey the passage. Fog curls along the walls to my right, cutting down visibility. Thorny vines climb the walls to my left.
Lannia said Rhykus was heading in a westerly direction.
“Good luck with your hunt,” I tell him, then bolt into the Labyrinth.
It takes me an hour to find tracks. Five men, all wearing military style boots, and a pair of soft-soled impressions that might indicate Kari’s slippers.
My hunt begins.
The moon gleams overhead as I slip along the dark paths of the Labyrinth, on edge as I listen for every sound. Screams catch my attention, some male, some female. The clash of steel drifts toward me on the wind. And then it’s gone again.
The rain eases off, thank the Gods. It makes it easier to track my prey, for the mud bears their marks clearly, but any more rain may obliterate them. They’re traveling fast. Little spots of blood here and there reveal one of them is bleeding.
A whisper of noise comes from behind. I pause, taking a moment to sip from the waterskin Bael packed as I take stock of my surroundings.
Someone is following me.
Someone preternaturally quiet.
The hairs down my spine lift as I continue, moving faster now.
In three more turns, I find an alcove covered in vines and slip inside, vanishing into the shadows. A dark form materializes in the mist, and I watch him pass, breathing slowly as his footsteps fade.
Bael.
This could become a problem.
What is his purpose? Why has he?—
A hand bursts through the vines, snatching at my wrist. I stagger out, swinging a punch, but a hard forearm meets mine, blocking me.
“You son of a?—”
