Page 41 of Crown and Dragon

“To watch for predators,” Tahlia added, feeling a glimmer of Lija’s pride through their bond. “I felt your pride, Lija! Maybe this aural connection makes it possible for us to examine one another. Can you tell if I have any serious internal injuries?”

Lija made a low growling sound and Tahlia knew what she was thinking. “I sense pain,” the dragon said, “but nothing that will stop you from getting out of there and back home to me.”

Tahlia chuckled. “Spot on.” She closed her eyes. “I’m going to begin now. I hope I’m facing the place where I fell so maybesomething will come to me and show me how to escape. It’s tough to tell direction down here.”

And it was tough not giving up. Tahlia swallowed and breathed in slowly.

Hold on, Marius. Just stay alive.

Chapter 20

Marius

Marius crept down the top of the labyrinth’s wall, keeping his steps completely silent. Breathing sounded a short way down the labyrinth. It had to be the minotaur… Unless there was another massive mouth-breathing monster down here. It was possible, but he certainly hoped it was just the one beast.

The tops of the minotaur’s horns showed above the third turn past where they had been fighting. Marius’s heart lifted. It was injured. He could finish the job now and go back to helping Tahlia.

But that was odd… The air didn’t smell of blood. The beast had definitely been bleeding from the eye wound. At least, the fluid had been red like a basic creature’s blood, and it had smelled as such at the moment. Perhaps the minotaur was capable of more than portalling from one spot to another.

He took as deep a breath as he dared, not wanting to alert the creature in this tomb-like silence. There was an occasional noise, like a bang and a murmur, far off, but that wouldn’t cover Marius’s sounds this close to the minotaur.

He crept closer, closer still. The beast’s scent—like any barn animal’s homely smell—touched Marius’s nose.

Marius leapt from the wall and rammed his blade into the base of the minotaur’s head. The creature shoved backward, crushing Marius between beast and wall. Marius swore, pain lashing through his spine. With a mighty roar, the minotaur shook itself. Marius held on, eardrums buzzing and cracking with the minotaur’s noise. The agony of being crushed grew to a point that seemed deadly. Shouting out in desperation and frustration, Marius pushed the blade in further. The minotaur dropped. Exhaling a gust of pained breath, Marius fell with him, but…

The minotaur blinked out of existence.

Marius snarled and lifted his weapon. There wasn’t even a speck of blood on the blade. It was madness! His mind whirled and he gritted his teeth. What was happening here? What was he missing? He’d thought the traps would be primarily physical until the siren, but this…

Wait.

The siren. What were sirens capable of exactly? In the stories, they were so beautiful that those attracted to the female form were drawn into the water the sirens inhabited. Some tales claimed sirens were half-fish while others said half-bird. All had elements of song to the myth, and many included illusions. He assumed the siren would make herself appear as the victim’s most desired form, but perhaps there was more to the creature’s powers. Perhaps a siren could make him see a minotaur and fail to see a hole in the floor.

He hurried back to where Tahlia had disappeared. Kneeling, he felt around for any break in the stones, anything off at all. The path was smooth though. He reached farther, then his hand dropped, and he nearly tumbled through a break in the labyrinth’s floor. There it was. As plain as the sun in the sky, though this was black as night. He could see the ground, wet and rough.

“Tahlia?” he called out as loud as he dared.

He didn’t wish to alert the siren if his guess was correct and she’d been the one creating the illusion. If she found out he’d broken the magic, surely she’d be angered and perhaps she’d come for him. He needed time to help Tahlia.

Praying, he called for Tahlia again, this time a bit louder. Should he drop into the hole himself or would that be ruining their chance at success here? He looked around, wishing he had something—anything—that could serve as a rope. He could rip his clothing into strips.Yes, that might work.

Or should he leap into the hole?

He could see the ground at the base of the hole, and even with his Fae blood, he wouldn’t be able to handle that drop without risking injury. No, he had to be smart here and not let the feral side of him panic for fear of his mate. He bridled his growing alarm and put his meager plan into practice, calling out for Tahlia between his quick ripping and braiding work. He only needed the lower half of his trousers. They were double-layered.

A great howling echoed through the labyrinth, raising the hairs on Marius’s arms. What was that? Gods, they had to get this job finished and get out. Who knew what other horrors awaited them in this terrible place?

He went back to fixing the rope, constantly debating whether he should make it thicker or longer and which would help her more.

After a few minutes of braiding, he finally finished. He removed two of the blades he had stashed in his uniform and knotted each end of the rope around one of the sheathed weapons. A space about a hand’s wide had opened up between the cobblestones that made up the labyrinth’s floor. He wedged one blade into the space, securing the rope. Tugging, he tested the blade and knot’s position to see if it would hold Tahlia. Satisfied, he dropped the other end into the hole.

“Tahlia! I’ve lowered a rope down. Can you hear me? Tahlia?” He dared to call out a bit louder this time.

Then his ears began to buzz. A song filled his head. Chimes. Bells. A voice so clear and full of mourning that tears burned his eyes.

“What are you doing, Fae male?” a light voice asked a few steps down the labyrinth’s path.

He turned but could only see a shadowy silhouette. But she was the one singing.

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