She grins. ‘Let’s just hope Ember catches some awful illness before the third trial. The verythoughtof being lorded over by that arrogant, insufferable –’
‘Elaith,’ warns Flint.
‘Fine – that obnoxious, intolerable –’
Sheen stoppers her mouth with a champagne bottle.
Spinner leans against Flint’s shoulder. ‘I overheard some of the Eyes talking about heading down to the palace grounds. There’s a competition taking place, apparently.’
Elaith takes a swig of champagne. ‘Well, I’m up for a challenge. Flint?’
My brother wraps an arm round Spinner. ‘Count me in.’
Sheen frowns. ‘I’m not sure this is a good idea.’
Flint just rolls his eyes. ‘That’s because you’re allergic to fun. And parties. And seemingly, me. So why don’t you take the night off, Sheen? I’ve already got one chaperone here who appears more than willing to keep averyclose eye on me.’
He nuzzles Spinner’s neck and she giggles, swatting at him. Sheen shoots him a withering look, but makes no further protest.
Elaith hands me the bottle. ‘What about you, Blaze?’
I hesitate. Tonight is the one night I can be anybody. So, with this in mind, I think about what I would most likely do in this scenario, and then do the opposite. Tipping my head back, I drain the rest of the champagne. ‘Let’s go.’
Spinner whoops. A few people turn to stare at us and I beam brightly back at them.
The five of us weave through the crowded ballroom and down the first of many flights of stairs. Elaith teeters and totters so much that eventually Flint just sighs, bends down and tosses her over his shoulder. She props herself up on her elbows and I follow along behind so as to continue our conversation.
‘Aname? Gods, I’d never have got that in a million years. Mine was something about … Oh, what was it? Something broken, something fixed … something about a gap … or was it a map? I can’t remember. Anyway, I guessed teeth.’
‘Teeth?’
‘All right, genius. How was I supposed to know? Not allof us are sharp enough to outsmart the Council.’ Still slung across my brother’s back, Elaith reaches out and plucks a glass off a passing tray. ‘Boys are a bit like riddles, don’t you think, Blaze?’
Voices mingle with the faint chimes of music drifting from the palace as handfuls of golden courtiers make their way across the moon-bleached lawns towards the maze looming tall and dark in the distance. The effects of the champagne are starting to kick in. I feel slightly disorientated, as though a thin layer of fog is clouding my brain.
Alator is waiting at the entrance to the maze. He grins at us, showing off his rows of solid-gold teeth. ‘Ready to play?’
‘Definitely,’ someone responds. I think it might have been me.
‘Rules are simple,’ he says. ‘You enter alone, and no revealing your gifts. Remember, everybody is an Eye tonight. Whoever makes it to the centre of the maze wins.’
‘But nobodyevermakes it to the centre!’ cries Elaith. ‘It likes to change.’
‘Please don’t go getting yourself lost again,’ Flint tells her, grimacing. ‘I don’t want to have to carry you out a second time.’
Elaith blows him a kiss.
Alator claps his gloved hands. ‘Who’s first?’
Spinner nudges me forward. I’m about to mutter an excuse, to turn back. But I don’t. Taking a deep breath, I walk straight into the maze.
The air around me is gloomy and eerily still, the silence swallowing my footsteps. My dress lights the way, its gentle glow illuminating the path ahead, which forks into three.I choose the one veering off to the right. At the next set of paths, I choose the one on the left.
Soon I begin to lose track, my feet aching in the pointed slippers Spinner picked out for me. I slip them off and toss them behind me, the soil now soft and cool beneath my feet.
Then, voices. Muffled but growing gradually closer. I recognize neither.
‘They say the Fire Queen favours him.’
