Mara’s heartbeat.
Fast. Uneven. Fear-spiked.
It pulsed through the tether on his wrist, syncing with his own pulse until he couldn’t tell where hers ended and his began. The labyrinth reacted instantly—an ice wall slammed down in front of them, blocking their path.
He tightened his grip on her hand. “We need to stay calm,” he said, forcing his voice steady. “I’m trying to figure out a path across this thing.”
Mara inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. He felt her heartbeat begin to steady, the frantic rhythm easing. She lifted her chin, eyes clearer now.
“This is a labyrinth,” she said. “It’ll have one continuous path to the center and back.”
He met her gaze. Her blue eyes were focused, sharp, determined. “So we go to the center, then come back out?”
She nodded. “My dad—”
“Your dad taught you,” he finished for her.
“Yes.”
He squeezed her hand. They stood still for a moment, breathing together, letting their heartbeats fall into rhythm. The tether warmed slightly, responding to their alignment.
“Can you feel it?” she asked softly, touching her chest, then his.
“Yes,” he murmured. “It’s not a natural bond, but I can still feel you.”
A sudden shout echoed through the labyrinth.
Vaelor whipped his head toward the sound.
Blaine.
The human was sprinting wildly through the shifting corridors, slamming into walls, cursing, panicking. Dugan chased after him, shouting for him to stop.
The labyrinth reacted violently.
The ground beneath Blaine cracked open, jagged ice spikes erupting upward. One grazed his leg, slicing through his pants and drawing blood. He screamed, stumbling backward.
Dugan grabbed him, trying to pull him away, but Blaine shoved him off.
“Get off me! I’m not dying here!”
The more Blaine struggled, the more the labyrinth convulsed—walls slamming shut, floors splitting, ice raining down like shards of glass.
They were moving away from the center.
Away from safety.
Away from any chance of survival.
Vaelor turned back to Mara. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation.
The word hit him like a warm surge through the cold.
“Okay,” he said. “If you start to feel scared or panicked, squeeze my hand. We’ll stop until we’re calm. Rushing won’t work here.”
She nodded.
