Page 12 of Labyrinth of Broken Vows
“Your Majesty,” he rasped, voice rough and uncertain. His massive hands fidgeted nervously as he approached, the ground creaking under his weight.
I strolled over to my chair, back to business. Leaning back I watch him with mild amusement. Grom wasn’t an enemy, but he had never been comfortable around me. Despite his brute strength and the fact that he could snap a man in two, he feared me more than he feared the Maze’s treacherous paths. That always amused me.
“You’re worried,” I said.
Grom gulped, his thick throat bobbing visibly. “The Maze, something is changing, the borders Your Majesty, I—I’ve done my best to keep it—”
I waved him off before he could ramble further. “Brielle is coming. Soon.”
His eyes widened, the thought clearly unnerving him. “B-Brielle, the woman you mentioned?”
“Yes, the one I mentioned.” I kept my tone even, though I could see the fear flickering behind his gaze. “She will need someone to guide her. Keep her safe, make sure the Maze doesn’t tear her apart. Unlike the others, her path will be... less difficult.”
“Y-Your Majesty, what if she refuses?” Grom stammered, gripping his cap tighter.
“She won’t refuse,” I said simply. “Befriend her. She will be frightened, but I expect you to make sure she reaches here. If anything happens to her...” I let the words hang, allowing his imagination to do the rest.
Grom shuddered, lowering his head. “Of course, Your Majesty. I will make sure.”
“Oh, and Grom,” I added with a dark smile, “if she asks you about the intruders, tell her nothing of the traps or the bodies they’ve left behind. She doesn’t need to know how... messy this can get yet.”
Grom nodded quickly, his nervousness palpable. “I—I’ll do it. I won’t fail you.”
“You better not.” I say, my gaze steady as Grom trembled. “I am counting on you.”
He nodded and scurried off, leaving me with the faint sound of Henry’s whining echoing from the cage behind me. I turned my attention back to the map, imagining the look on Brielle’s face as she made her way through the Maze, unaware of what truly lay ahead.
Henry’s voice rang out, hoarse and raw. How I wish I could kill him now.
“You really think she’ll come?” he spat, his voice a mix of disbelief and bitter anger. “She can barely leave the house without fear. You can’t make her come.”
I didn’t bother turning around. Instead, a slow, dark smile crept across my lips as I studied the maze’s intricate design, each twist and turn carved into the map like veins of a living creature. I could already feel Brielle’s footsteps on those paths, hear her breath quicken as she faced her first real test of strength.
“She’ll come,” I said softly, my voice dripping with certainty, every syllable a promise. I let the silence stretch out, savoring the weight of what was to follow.
I finally turned toward him, my gaze locking with his. The amusement was gone, replaced by something darker, more primal. “She’ll come through my maze, Henry,” I continued, my voice low and vicious. “She’ll come on my fingers, my tongue.. and on my cock. And you’ll get to watch every. Single. Moment.”
The color drained from Henry’s face, his eyes widening in disgust and helpless rage. His hands clenched the bars tighter, as if willing himself to break free, to strike me down. But he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. The shackles of his own weakness bound him tighter than any cage I could have constructed.
“Brielle doesn’t belong to you,” I added, my tone sharpening. “Not anymore. The Maze will show her who she really is, and when she’s finished, she won’t be the timid little thing you remember. She’ll be mine.”
Henry’s fury twisted into desperation. “You can’t! She won’t fall for your lies, your manipulation.”
I chuckled darkly, “You’ve never understood her, have you? You’ve kept her locked in that shell of fear, pretending it was for her own good. But she’s more than that, far more. And I’m going to be the one to unleash it.”
Henry’s breath hitched, his face filled with a look of impotent rage. But there was nothing he could do. Not now. Not ever.
And when Brielle finally came to me, he’d see just how wrong he was.
six
Iwalked through the familiar streets, trying to ignore the way people's eyes followed me. Each glance seemed to carry the same unspoken phrase,poor Brielle, and it twisted something deep in my chest. I can not be that girl anymore, I told myself. Henry was gone. I was supposed to feel free. Instead, their pity weighed me down, almost as heavy as his presence used to be. No one had ever helped me. Not once. All those years, they saw it. The bruises, the way I’d flinch at the sound of his voice, the way my spirit seemed to shrink whenever he was near. And still, they said nothing. Not even a kind word when I needed it most.
But what did that make me? If they were cowards for looking away, what did that make me for staying so long? I shoved the thought down before it could settle, pushing forward toward Alaric’s shop; the one place that didn’t feel suffocating. I pushed the door open to Alaric’s shop, the soft chime of the bell ringing above me. For a brief moment, the scent of old books wrappedaround me like a shield, and I wished I could stay hidden in it. But there was no hiding anymore.
Alaric was crouched behind the counter, picking up a stack of books, the quiet thud of their spines landing one after another on the counter. He stood as the door closed behind me, wiping his hands off on his apron before his eyes met mine.
“Brielle,” he greeted, a warm smile tugging at his lips, though it was tinged with concern. “How are you?”
