There. A door, barely visible in the dimness, set into the trunk of a twisted oak.
I don’t slow, don’t second-guess. I just hit the door at full speed andwrench it open, hurling myself through, slamming it shut. The door vanishes, the knob disappearing from my hand, my fingers closing around nothing.
I stand there, my chest heaving, my knees trembling with relief. New trees surround me, now.Friendlyones, lit by a violet glow.
My hands shake, then my shoulders. Even my teeth chatter. The tremors spread through my whole body, and I sink to the ground, letting the burst of adrenaline run its course.
I gulp at fresh air until my breathing finally slows. When I raise my head again, this place looks like the Wildwood I first stepped into. But I must have arrived in a different section, because a vine-covered archway stands tall against the sky, framing the entrance to what looks like a hedge maze. Beyond it, the fae castle rises from a clifftop, a beacon of green and blue light, marking my destination.
It’s the very place I’m trying to escape. Yet somehow, I have to go backward in order to advance.
I climb to my feet, my gaze scaling the spindly towers. Is Amriel up there right now, watching through one of his telescopes?
Maybe. Or maybe he’s already moved on.
I shove the thought away. I don’t have time to dwell on it. I need to make my way through the hedge maze, get closer to the end.
Moss squishes beneath my boots as I approach the archway. I cock an ear, but nothing moves, either inside the maze or out. Just the faintest of breezes, ruffling my braids, tickling the back of my neck.
No howling monsters. No fae king’s Shadow, either. Just a simple hedge maze—the easiest thing I’ve faced so far.
I hope.
I step inside. The castle sinks from view, swallowed by the towering hedges. Tangled vines twine upward as if reaching for the narrow strip of sky. Overhead, the stars are fading, ceding to the impending dawn.
My skin prickles, but I roll my shoulders to shake it off. The sun will rise soon and the Shadow will come hunting, but this time, I have a strategy. A way to evade him. With any luck, he won’t catch me again.
Leafy corridors branch off to my left and my right. Both look identical, save for the cluster of glowing orange mushrooms in the righthand one. With nothing else to tip the balance, I head in thatdirection. Why not? I’ve always liked mushrooms. And the color orange.
I follow the corridor through a left-hand turn, then stop. Dead end. I turn back, retracing my steps, engraving the route on my mind.
The other direction brings me deeper into the maze. Each time I hit a wall, I make my way back, mentally crossing off options, keeping track as best I can. Every so often, I pass another cluster of mushrooms, all glowing cheerfully orange, but I don’t dare investigate. They might be poisonous, and besides—I don’t trust this place. My plan consists of heading toward the castle, touching nothing, and trying not to die.
I push further into the maze, my legs growing heavier with each turn. How long since I entered here? An hour? Two? And how long since I last slept? Nearly a whole day, I realize.
No wonder my body begs for rest. But dawn is upon me, and with it, the Shadow.
I force myself onward.
I soon reach yet another dead end, where I spin a perplexed circle. I could swear I’ve exhausted every other option, that this corridorhadto lead me out. But it doesn’t. Dense vines hem me in on three sides, leaving me no choice but to go back.
I grit my teeth. The first rays of sun lighten the sky.
I backtrack to the last junction. I must have gotten turned around. I probably should have left myself a trail of some type, dropped stones along the way to mark my path, but it’s too late now.
I’m peering down the right-hand corridor when a sound echoes behind me—a guttural rumble, almost like a laugh.
I tense, ice and fire clashing beneath my skin. I’m not alone in here. Goddess, why would I be? That would be too easy.
My frantic glance bounces off the walls. The corridor before me looks familiar—I could swear I’ve explored it already, that it leads to nothing but another wall. But my only other choice is to go back, toward whatever else is in here.
A voice cuts through the quiet, low and rumbling, definitely male. The maze muffles the words, but a second voice joinsin, equally low-pitched.
My chest seizes, my whole body locking up. Whoever they are, they’re coming my way, leaving me with no choice.
I hurry down the corridor, away from the voices. Maybe their owners are friendly, but I doubt it. Alanna wanted Amriel’s mate to fail. She wouldn’t have populated this labyrinth with anything that aims to help me.
I break into a jog, my hand finding my dagger, sliding it free. Air whistles along the blade as I pick up speed. The leafy passageway stretches and stretches, the walls pressing in, too high, too close?—
