He gestures vaguely in my direction. “You’re trying to kill us now, apparently.”
Oberon huffs quietly, but he doesn’t disagree.
Sylvian’s gaze softens slightly. “He’s saying you look beautiful.”
The word sends an unexpected jolt through me.Beautiful? Me?
Cassius says nothing, but the way his eyes move over me, careful, assessing, almost reverent, says enough.
My cheeks warm again, and I smooth my hands down the front of the gown, suddenly very aware of myself. A flash of lightning illuminates the room, followed by a crack of thunder that rattles faintly through the walls. The storm isn’t letting up.
Before anyone can say anything else, there’s another knock at the door. This one is softer. More formal.
Cassius moves first this time, opening it without hesitation.
A servant stands just outside, bowing slightly as the door opens. “The evening meal is prepared, your highnesses… my lady,” he says, his voice respectful, but distant, like he exists just outside whatever this moment is.
The reality of it hits immediately. Dinner. The lord. This place. The tension shifts again, lingering beneath everything.
I draw in a breath, straightening slightly. “We should go.”
No one argues. But they don’t move away from me, either. If anything, they close in just a fraction, forming around me without thinking. As if it’s already become instinct.
So, I guess I’m leading. Wherever I go, they go.Which is oddly nice. Together, we step out into the corridor.
“If this is another trick of the labyrinth,” Oberon says quietly, “don’t worry, we’ll see it coming.”
There’s no doubt in his voice.
Only certainty.
I note their swords, then touch my own, just to make sure it’s still there. I haven’t seen a lot of people in this castle, or a lot of guards, but it doesn’t mean we won’t need our weapons if we have to escape.
Sylvian falls into step beside me, close enough that his presence feels deliberate, grounding. “We don’t let our guard down,” he adds. “Not here. Not anywhere in this place.”
His hand brushes lightly against mine, and it steadies something inside me.
Cassius’s voice comes from just behind us, calm as ever. “We observe first. React second,” he says. “If something is wrong, we’ll know.”
“And if everything is fine,” Ashton cuts in, a quieter edge beneath his usual tone, “then we take the win.”
I glance back at him.
He shrugs slightly, one corner of his mouth lifting. “We’ve earned a decent meal.”
Sylvian’s gaze flicks to me again. “This storm won’t last forever,” he says. “When it breaks, we move on.”
Cassius nods once. “Which means this may be the only moment of relative stability we’re given.”
I draw in a slow breath. “So we stay alert, but we enjoy this time.”
The dining hall comes into view ahead, warm light spilling into the hall. For a moment, it almost feels… normal. Almost.
As we step inside, the space opens up around us, grand without being overwhelming. A long table stretches through the center, set with a feast. The scent of roasted vegetables and fresh bread fill the air, and I breathe it in, happy for the good food.
Lord Ferngull rises to greet us, his smile warm, his posture relaxed, every inch of him the gracious host. But after everything we’ve learned from our time in the labyrinth, none of us take it at face value.
“Welcome, my kings and my lady,” he says, gesturing to the table laden with food. “I hope you’re hungry.”
