“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I reply, my voice shaky.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sylvian says, desperation in his voice.
We break through the last strands and surge out of the opening. Rain slams into us instantly, cold and violent, soaking through everything, washing away the heat and smoke and filth of the chamber. The storm roars overhead, wind tearing at us as we stumble onto slick stone, blinking against the sudden gray light.
“Move!” Oberon barks.
There’s no argument.
Behind us, the spiders are still coming. The opening isn’t safety. It’s just another part of the labyrinth.
We run.
My boots slip in mud and water, my lungs burning as I force myself forward. The ground is uneven, twisted, half-swallowed by roots and mud, but I don’t stop. I can hear them behind us, skittering, screeching, the sound cutting through the storm.
“Don’t slow down!” Ashton shouts.
I push harder.
Every step feels like it might be the one where I fall, where I don’t get back up. My ribs scream, my arms shake, my breath tears out of me in ragged bursts, but I keep going because they’re right behind me.
Because they’re still alive.
Because I am too.
Eventually, the sounds start to fade. Not gone. Just… farther. The spiders don’t follow as fast in the open. The fire. The storm. Something slows them.
And then, the sounds of a chase fade altogether, and I know it’s over. At least surviving against the spiders.
My legs give out before I decide to stop. I drop hard into the mud, catching myself with my hands as my whole body shakes, my breath coming too fast. Rain pours over me, cold and relentless, plastering my hair to my face, washing blood and dirt down my skin.
Around me, the others stagger to a stop. No one speaks. We’re all just… breathing. Alive.
I press my hand to my side, wincing as pain flares with every inhale.We made it. I don’t know how, but we did.
Except, we’re all injured.They’reinjured. I push myself upright, unsteady, and look at them.
Cassius stands closest, his blade still in his hand, rain soaking through his clothes, his chest rising too fast. There’s a cut along his arm, dark against his skin, already slowing. Sylvian is a few steps away, one hand pressed to his side, his jaw tight. Oberon’s shoulder is bloodied where the spider struck him, the fabric torn. Ashton is breathing hard, braced slightly like the fall and the fight both hit him harder than he’s letting on.
They’re all hurt.
I move to them without thinking. “Are you okay?” My voice comes out rough and uneven.
Cassius’s gaze snaps to me immediately. “Are you?”
“I’m fine.” It’s a lie. “You’re bleeding.”
“So are you,” Sylvian says quietly.
I ignore that and step in close to Cassius first, my hand brushing his arm, checking the wound even though I barely know what I’m doing. It’s already slowing.
Fae. Of course they’re already healing.Still, my chest tightens.
I rise onto my toes and kiss him. It’s quick, but not light. His hand closes around my waist the second I sway, anchoring mewith a touch that feels almost desperate, like he needs to know I’m real too. The moment lingers, perfect and fragile, before I step back and turn to Sylvian. He’s watching me, something softer breaking through the tension. I reach for him, my fingers brushing the place he was hit.
“You’re hurt.”
“I’ll heal,” he says.
