Page 46 of The Labyrinth

“Jesus, Ten, what the Hell blew up in here?”

I spun around to see Griffin standing in the hall, mouth open as he took in my destruction. His cheek was still swollen where I had punched him the night before, but I was too far gone to feel sorry about it. “I…I…” I sank to the floor, cradling my head in my hands. “I don’t know what to do without her. She’s gone, Grif. She’s fucking gone, and she’s in the Cage and it’s all my fucking fault.” I was crying, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had cried. The tears were hot on my face, and I swiped at them.

Griffin crossed the room, crouching in front of me. “Don’t fucking let them see you cry,” he snapped. “Don’t let them see they’ve gotten to you. They’ll use it against you.”

I nodded, knowing he was right. They knew they had something that belonged to me, something I would do anything for. And they had been desperate to get back into power since I had fired them all those years ago. I couldn’t let them hurt her. “I need to get her back. I need to make them pay for what they did.”

“She’s in the holding cell. They’re going to make her fight tomorrow night. I don’t know where they all are, but at least two of them are at the holding cells. They’re expecting you to do something, Ten. They’re waiting for you.” Griffin looked at me, an unspoken conversation passing between us. I knew what he was trying to tell me. Whatever I was going to do, I needed to do it quietly.

“Can you help me take care of the two at the front door?”

“Already on it.” He stood, walking to the front door, and I followed without a sound. He swung open the door. “Hey, we’ve got a situation here!”

One of the guards peeked in. “What’s going on?”

I smashed his head against the doorframe with a solid crack, heaving his body inside my house. The other guard stumbled at the commotion, racing inside, but Griffin had my back, headbutting the guard right in the stomach until he flipped over his back and landed with a groan on the marble floor. I smashed the guard’s head in my hand against the frame once more with a sickening sound, and he slumped to the floor. While Griffin closed the door, I walked over to the other guard, placing a well-aimed kick to the side of his head. Neither of these men had helped to take Rissa. I just needed them out of the way.

“Right.” I dusted my hands off on my pants, the slick fury still pounding through my body. I was ready to take Rissa back. “What holding cell is she in?”

“Four. But Ten…listen.” He paused, chewing his lip. “Even if you kill them all, she’s going to have to fight. Your father’s council still has a lot of sway in the city. Rissa is going to have to fight if she ever wants a place here.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I knew he was right. If I freed her now, it was likely the people would toss her right back in for not paying her dues. Why did she get to be any different than the rest of the people who were thrown into the Cage?Because she was fucking different, dammit.“Fuck. Grif. I can’t lose her.”

“Then you’re going to have to have faith that she can win. Because if you take her out now, no one will ever accept her, and she’ll be in even more danger than she is right now.” Griffin rested his forehead on mine, something we had done before every battle and fight we had ever fought together. A reminder that we were in this together, no matter what it was. “She’s tougher than she looks, Ten. She can do this. But you need to tell her what she means to you. Go. I’ve got this.”

I nodded, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I owe you.”

He shook his head. “No. I owed you. We’re even. Now, go!”

I took off, walking as quickly as I could through the streets of the Labyrinth without attracting suspicion. I needed to make it to the holding cells of the Cage without someone flagging down my father’s council and tipping them off. Who knew what spies they had on the streets. Word traveled quickly inside the Labyrinth. Everyone and their aunt would know about Rissa and me, and where Rissa was now.

I knew the path to the Cage like the back of my hand. It was seared into my memory as if it were just yesterday I had walked these streets to my death. I hadn’t been back since. But I wasn’t going to leave Rissa there without her not knowing I was coming for her. I told her I was coming for her, and I intended to keep my promise. I intended to keep every promise I had ever made her.

The field that housed the Cage rose up in front of me. A squat building where the holding cells sat in front of the ring lined with seating. Tomorrow, the ring would be full. It had been awhile since we’d had a fight, and people were itching for violence, especially with the anxiety the Ravens were inducing. It would be Rissa inside that cage, facing up someone who was likely twice her size, looking up at them with that same look of defiance I had seen on her countless times before. I hated thinking about it. It should’ve been me in that fucking cage. How I wanted to take her far away from this world, this violence. But I knew the same as everyone else did, the very essence of life was violence, and it was up to us if we met it head on or shied away from it.

I listened outside the front door, but I couldn’t hear anyone inside. It didn’t mean it was empty. The door was unlocked, and I swung it open as quietly as I could, slinking inside.

So far so good. The hallway was empty. Maybe Griffin had been wrong and no one was here after all, or perhaps they had all left. I just needed to get to Rissa now. I took a step inside, and then another. A thick arm grabbed my wrist and wrenched me to the side. “What do you thinkyou’redoing here?”

I looked up into the grinning face of one of the old councilmen. I recognized him as one of the men who carried Rissa out of the house last night, so he was on the top of my list. He didn’t look surprised I was here. If anything, he seemed rather pleased. I wanted to punch the smile off his face. “I’m here for Rissa.” I tugged my arm out his grip, and his smile dropped.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” He licked his lips.

I raised a brow. “Are you planning on stopping me? Because as far as I can see, you’re alone here. You’re going to have trouble taking me down on your own.”

I was bluffing, hoping he was actually alone, but I knew even if someone else was here I would take them both down to get to Rissa. It would just be easier if there was only one.

The man in front of me gritted his teeth. “I’m twice your age, boy. Didn’t your father teach you any respect?”

I coughed out a laugh. “I learned to respect people who earned my respect. Not people who come into my house at night and take innocent women to the Cage.”

He balled his hands into fists. “Neither of you are innocent. Humans have a place in this world, and it’s not at our side. You knew this, and you still decided to bring her home. She’s a womb at best, to help us further the cause. She’s a fucking pet, Ten—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence before my fist connected with his face, a satisfying smash of bone and flesh. “You willnotspeak of her again.”

The man grinned up at me, wiping blood away from his nose. “You don’t like me talking about yourpetthat way? Maybe I should tell you what I have planned for her before she goes into the Cage, then. I’ll give you a hint. It involves my cock, and her lush little ass.”

I lunged, wrapped my hands around his neck. “You won’t lay another fucking hand on her, do you hear me? Never again.” I squeezed harder as his eyes bulged and he clawed at my wrists, determined to get me off. “She’s not yours to touch.”

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