Page 48 of The Labyrinth

I clasped her hand to my cheek, her perfect hand touching my beastly skin. It didn’t make sense to me. Maybe it never would. “You’re perfect. Far more perfect than I could ever imagine or ever deserve.”

Somewhere down the hall, a door creaked open and slammed shut. I needed to get out of here. They would find the body soon enough, but hopefully long after I was gone. But if they caught me at Rissa’s cell, it wouldn’t be good for either of us. “You should go,” she whispered.

I nodded. “You can do this, though. You can take on whoever is in that cage. You can do it because you have to. I’m not accepting anything else. Use your size to your advantage. Be small, be quick, and don’t make any stupid moves, okay? Play it smart, take your time, let them tire themselves out. Keep moving. Whatever you do, keep fucking moving.” I grabbed her hands, pulling her as close to the bars as I could get her. “I love you, Rissa. I meant what I said. Whoever lays hands on you will pay the price. Just this time, you’re doling out the punishment. Make them pay, deliciae.”

“I will. I promise I will.” Her eyes were alight with a fire I had never seen before. Whatever I had said resonated with something in her. I just needed to keep it burning until tomorrow.

The footsteps drew closer, and if I didn’t leave now, I never would. I couldn’t think that this might be the last time I saw her alive. I wouldn’t let myself think that. She could do this. She was so fucking strong, and more powerful than even she knew. I reluctantly let go of her hands, leaving her to the cell, a place she shouldn’t be. She should be home, in my bed, with me. But maybe after tomorrow, she would be.

Or maybe after tomorrow I’d be bathing in a tub filled with their blood.

Chapter21

Rissa

Sometime in the night, fear took over. The legitimate, overwhelming, very real idea that I was going to die the next day. That I would never see my family again. That the last time I would ever see Ten would be through bars separating us. My body trembled, rattling my teeth, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t stop the shaking.

If I didn’t get a handle on it, the fear would consume me whole. I would walk into that cage tomorrow already at a disadvantage because everyone would be able to taste the fear radiating off me. No matter how badly I wanted to give in to the feelings taking over my brain, I couldn’t. If I was going to go down, I couldn’t go down without fighting. I was going to fight for this life I had only just begun to see the beauty in. Instead of thinking of the things I wasn’t capable of, I began to list the things Icoulddo.

I could fight. My brothers had taught me how, not wanting me to be unprotected in the village.

I could use my size to my advantage. Small meant maneuverable, right?

I could use my brain to outwit my competitor. I could fight smarter, not harder.

I could do this.I could do this.I just had to keep reminding myself of the facts, instead of the emotion the fear wanted me to remember.

I was strong. I was capable. I wasn’t going to let these be my final moments, huddled away in a cell that smelled too strongly of the captive before me.

I thought of my family, the smiles we’d shared on nights I was able to trade for a rabbit. I thought of Ettie, of the role model I wanted to be for her. I didn’t want her thinking we just gave up when things got hard, and life seemed impossible. I wanted her to know we dug our heels in, and tried even harder.

I thought of Ten, of the shy smile that crossed his face when he thought I wasn’t looking. I thought of the way he cared for me, the small things he did, like marking my pages in books when I fell asleep reading. The way he had made me stronger. The way he had made me feelalive. I wasn’t ready to give up that feeling yet.

I was so deep in my mantra I wasn’t aware night had given way to day until the cell door rattled. Griffin stood at the door, a grim expression on his face. Alongside him stood another man I recognized from the other night. He didn’t look all too happy, either. “Let’s go,” he snapped. “I don’t have all day.”

I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest. The energy radiating off my body could’ve lit a match. I was alive. And I was ready.

Griffin grabbed my arm as I passed, hauling me ahead of the other man. “I’ve got her,” he announced. Then in a quieter voice, only to me he said, “You’re fighting the only woman they have right now in the cells. Melinda is, uh…”

“Twice my height?” I whispered. I snuck a glance over my shoulder, but our companion seemed so miserable he wasn’t paying us any attention.

Griffin rocked his head from side to side. “That, too. But she’s a convicted murderer. Somehow, she got in with the Ravens. They used her as an inside source to take out women in the Camp.”

The Camp? But that meant…“Are you telling me she killed other humans she was imprisoned with…because the Ravens told her to?”

He nodded. “That’s exactly what I mean.”

Being with Ten made me realize there weren’t sides anymore. There was just a bunch of people in a really shitty world trying to survive. The more we fought amongst each other, the less strength we had to fight the elements. For Melinda to kill other humans, other prisoners, that was lower than low. She of all people should know how vulnerable captivity made you. And instead of trying to help her fellow captives, she exploited their weakness. For the first time, a spark of anger took over the fear still simmering in my stomach.

We were walking down the hall, and I could hear the low murmur of a crowd build to a dull roar the closer we got. I opened my mouth to say something, but fell quiet when the hard hand of the other man grabbed my shoulder. “Awfully quiet now, aren’t you? A night in the cells usually does that.”

I tensed my shoulders, wanting him to remove his hand from my body—now. But I needed to keep a level head if I was going to survive this, and being annoyed with this asshole wasn’t going to help things. I shrugged away, and we all fell back into step.

Griffin pushed open a set of double doors, and I squinted against the bright spotlights beaming through. There had been no natural light in the cell, so it was a stark contrast. The cries of the crowd were deafening, escalating when they saw the door had opened.

The other man pushed me through the door, and I stumbled outside. It took me a minute for my eyes to adjust to what I was seeing. I was in a massive ring, lined by staggered seats that rose high into the air. Every seat was filled by a screaming patron, demanding blood—they didn’t care whose. In front of me was the Cage. It was smaller than I was expecting, maybe the size of Ironforge’s market. It was tall and domed, an imposing structure made of wire. There were two doors on either side. Scattered around on the concrete floor were random tools and weapons. A hammer. A rusty scythe. A shovel. These people had come for a show, and they were going to get one.

Across from us, at the other door stood a tall woman, glaring at me. Her face was stone, and from what Griffin said, she had done this countless times before. What was one more? My chest tightened, and my fingertips tingled. I wasn’t sure I could feel my feet anymore. But here we were. The time had come, and I needed to be ready whether I liked it or not. The other man started to unlock the door, and the crowd cheered. Griffin grabbed my shoulder, taking the chance to pull me close again.

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