Page 120 of A Trial of War
Seamus muttered a curse under his breath, stumbling back from the threshold. “Skylar, this thing—it isn’t right. I can sense a presence stirring beyond the veil. Something is very wrong in there.”
Wasn’t that the understatement of the century?
Magic shifted around us as the Labyrinth entrance stirred, pulsing with a swirling mass of black mist, threaded with grains of black sand that glittered like crushed night. This place was cold, as if death lingered in the cracks along the gray stone walls. It was desolate, isolated, and, above all else,petrifying. The hairs on my neck stood on end, with my phoenix restlessly stirring inside me.
The Labyrinth was alive.
It was an ancient entity unable to make it through the crossing and forced to remain here in limbo. The moment my aunt Julia told me, in the afterlife, that I knew of such a creature that could not cross, I realized she was speaking of the Labyrinth.
ButIwas the champion of the trials, and I was the only one who could do this. Taking one final step, I allowed the trial of the mind to swallow me whole.
Champion, we meet again.A dark chuckle filled the space around me.What a delight.
“Good to know I made a lasting impression,” I said, stepping closer to the entrance.
I remember everything…the voice of the Labyrinth said.
Perfect.
It remembered how I’d bested its tests when I should have died a dozen times over. And because I’d endured its illusions, its monsters, its suffocating mist, and overcame the devastation of my phoenix being torn from me, it owed me afavor.
During our first night in Aelius a few weeks back, after the nightmare woke me, I told Daxton everything. He’d held me until the shaking stopped, and my voice returned. I’d shared every detail I’d kept locked away. And he shouldered my burdens, my fears, making the world seem safe once more.
The ground beneath my feet rumbled, followed by a deep growl that vibrated up my legs. The mist peeled back, revealing the tunnels exactly as I remembered them. Cobblestone walls framed the walkway with an endless blackened sky above and ivy vines growing like cobwebs along the stone.
Then, I saw it. A lone figure emerging from the magic mists, standing only ten paces away.
Have you come to test your mind again so soon?
“No,” I said, throat drying instantly.
My pulse tripped over itself as the Labyrinth took the form of Daxton once more. The phantom smirk that still lived in the corner of my mind sprang forth, a ghost I hadn’t fully shaken.
“I’m not here for another trial.”
The Labyrinth tilted its head, a slow, unnatural motion that scraped a chill down my spine.
“Really? Do tell, then, why you’ve returned.”
The chamber seemed to vibrate. Walls humming, vines twitching, the very floor trembling as if it were displeased by my presence.
“My favor.”
The Labyrinth hummed, stroking its chin. “A favor earned from our little wager.” Its gaze sharpened. “What do you ask of me, Champion?”
My heart hammered, but I didn’t look away. “I need you and your children on the battlefield,” I said. “I need you to fight with us.”
A low, rumbling laugh spilled from its chest, making my skin crawl.
“Your favor is steep, Champion,” it said. “You ask for my powers, my monsters, my might…” Its shape flickered, distorting Daxton’s features and reemerging as Seamus. “Your favor also has many complexities that may be out of my control.”
“If you come, you’ll be able to lift your burdens and make the crossing.”
The chamber went silent. Even the trembling stone went still, like the entire world stopped breathing.
Freedom?the Labyrinth repeated inside my mind, its voice deathly calm.You dare speak of such things.
“I don’t dare,” I said. “I promise.”
