Page 4 of The Labyrinth

While my father had taught me those two important things in life, I had picked up on others along the way. Taking pleasure in inflicting pain was another. The sweet sound of a scream set my blood on fire in a way nothing else ever could. Because, you see, that was half of what made me so terrifying in the camps. While the others spent their time there counting the clock, and waiting until their shift was over, Ienjoyedit. Emotional pain was as delicious to me as physical pain, and the camps gave me endless opportunities to exact my gratification. The best part was watching them cave to the pain. Witnessing them go from one feeling to the next in the blink of an eye—pain to pleasure before they even realized what was happening.

I already knew how the next hour would play out. I would explain the situation to this poor, sad family, and provide them their options. The green-eyed girl who was so set on not showing an ounce of fear would sacrifice herself for the family, and I would take her to the camps.

There, I would make her fear me. And I would take extreme pleasure in it, watching the strength behind her eyes crumble as I chipped away at her, piece by piece. I would make her scared of the sound of my footsteps coming closer. I would make her terrified of the sound of my voice. Worse yet, I would make her worship the ground I walked on. I would make her crave the touch of my hand, desperate for anything I would give her.

I bet she was beautiful when she was terrified. Stunning when she screamed. I could imagine what her fear would taste like on my tongue, the way I would lap at it, eager for more.

But I was tired of the silence, and the way the girl seemed to stare right through me in a most unsettling manner.

“Who is the lord of this house?” I rumbled. My voice sounded strange to even me, rough from disuse. I had spent too much time hidden away recently, and in my house there was no need to speak aloud.

Her voice was nothing like I expected. I anticipated a voice that suited the strong aura she gave off, something gruff and powerful. Instead, I got honey. The sweetest syrup, dripping over my senses as her eyes rolled down my body. “There is no lord in this house. There’s only us.”

“Ris—” The older woman began to speak, but the girl squeezed her arm quickly, likely anticipating I wouldn’t notice.

“There’s only us,” she repeated. “Who are you?”

I paused, not used to being spoken to in such a direct manner. Did she not realizewhoshe was speaking to? These humans knew nothing. Asking a name of your superior was incredibly disrespectful. I shook my head. “You’re asking the wrong question, human.”

Her eyes narrowed as she took me in. “I don’t want to play games with you. You’re standing inmyhouse. I’m owed answers.”

This time, I did laugh. “I owe you nothing. But you, you owe me everything.”

“I have no idea who you are,” she snapped. “How could I possibly owe you anything, let alone everything?”

Oh, I would enjoy breaking this one. I would enjoy it all too much. Making her submit to me, using her as I wished. I smirked. “You have something that belongs to me. I want it back.”

Her hand snuck to her side, subconsciously patting, and I knew she knew exactly what I was talking about. She wouldn’t have been able to hide it even if she hadn’t given it away. She had no idea I had seen her, tracked her here, the green-eyed beauty glaring at me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she murmured.

I sighed. “Let’s not do this. We both know it’s here.” Under normal circumstances, I would have never allowed cleaners I didn’t know into my home. But Griffin, my right-hand man, was sick of my shit and had hired them without my knowledge. By the time I realized what was happening, they were nearly done. It was their fault I was in this fucking mess in the first place, touching things that didn’t belong to them. We had the signs posted outside the walls, but we all knew it didn’t keep the boldest of them away. I held my hand out toward the girl. “Give it back, and maybe I won’t kill your mother.”

It was a guess that the older woman was her mother—they looked nothing alike except for their dust-covered skin—but judging by her reaction, I had guessed correctly. Good. Maybe she’d start realizing she was in trouble, and get that pissy fucking look off her face. I’d love to wipe it off myself, watching her gag around my cock…

“Rissa, what the hell is going on?”

The deep voice from behind startled me. I should’ve sensed him.Them. Three men stood in the doorway, dusty as hell, and looking absolutely confused. I couldn’t pretend to care, because I was too distracted by the name they had spoken.Rissa. Was that the green-eyed girl’s name? It suited her.Rissa. I rolled it around on my tongue, imagining how it would feel ordering her onto her knees in front of me. Rissa. The girl who wasn’t afraid.

The men in front of me knew better. Their eyes were wide, hands gripping the pick-axes they carried in their grimy hands. Something cold slithered through my chest as I realized one of these men might be Rissa’s husband. They might know what it felt like to make her strength bow down. I didn’t want to look too closely into why I cared, but then I realized it didn’t matter. None of these men were her husband. The familial resemblance was too strong. Two were dirty blond like the older woman in bed, and one had dark hair, nearly identical to Rissa’s. It was this one who stepped forward, the word passing his lips before he could think better of it. “Monster.”

An instinctual growl grew deep within my chest. I hated the word, maybe even more than my last name. They both carried a weight within my world, a chain and ball I dragged behind me wherever I went. What did this human know of me? The dark-haired man stepped back, but didn’t loosen his grip on his weapon.

Rissa had lied to me. She had told me there was no one else in the home, but what reason would she have to lie to me if it was men coming home? Shouldn’t she have used them as a shield, protecting herself with the knowledge that men with weapons would arrive home at any moment? I couldn’t understand her mindset, and for some reason, it made me want to dig deeper.

Which was dangerous. Too dangerous.

“Rissa? Rissa, what’s going on? I can’t see anything! Why didn’t you pick me up from school? Lars had to get me.” A tiny voice called behind the three men, and suddenly everything fell into place. A small, golden-haired child pushed through, and nearly collapsed when she looked up at me. “Mo-mo-monster!” she shrieked. She sprinted across the room, fleeing into Rissa’s arms. Rissa hadn’t been protecting the men. She had been protecting this tiny human.

Rissa stroked the child’s head and glared up at me as if to say,now look what you did. “Shush, Ettie. It’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

This was utterly ridiculous. I had never been in such a situation before, where a woman showed no fear of me. What made it worse was that she hadeveryreasontobe afraid of me. Rissa had stolen from me. I was here to reclaim what was mine and exact my interest due as well. I tossed my head back and roared, my bellow shaking the walls of the shack once more. The small space felt even more claustrophobic with the new additions, and I couldn’t imagine how they lived here together. How did they not want to kill each other every day of their sad, pathetic lives?

I glanced around the room, to the men who looked ready to attack at any given moment, as foolish as that might be, to Rissa’s unflinching gaze, to the burrowed head of the child—Ettie, Rissa had called her—and the woman who still hid behind her. “You have taken something from me. Something quite precious. And I want it back.Now.”

“How could we have taken anything from you? None of us have ever been inside the Labyrinth.” The dark-haired man stepped forward, a frown on his face. He was either the bravest or the dumbest of the bunch. “You’re scaring my sisters. Leave, before I—”

“Before you what? Kill me?” I closed the distance between us until I loomed over him. Tall for a human, he still only came up to my shoulder. “I could snap you in half, boy.”

He gripped his pick-axe, his knuckles turning white. “I could take you.”

---