Page 15 of Labyrinth of Broken Vows
“Why, love?”He chuckles again, slow and deliberate, his words weaving into my thoughts with ease."Does it scare you to admit how much I affect you? Or perhaps it's because deep down, you know you enjoy it...”
My breath catches. His voice slithers through me like poison, but it sets something alight in me that I can't ignore.
“You know nothing, " I mutter, stepping forward, desperate to put more distance between us.
"Don’t I?"His voice follows, like a shadow I can't escape."I’ve watched you. I’ve seen the fire in you, the hunger to survive. But more than that... I’ve seen the part of you that wants this."
“Wants what?” I snap, turning to face the empty space where his voice comes from.
“This dance, this game of control. You want to prove yourself, to show me you aren’t afraid. But you are, Brielle... and that’s what makes this so delicious. I’ve tasted fear before, but yours?”He pauses, letting his words sink in.“Yours is addictive.”
My throat tightens, the air growing thick around me. His words burrow into my skin, leaving a mark I can’t ignore. "How am I supposed to know which way to go?" I demand again, my voice sharper now, more desperate. "If you're not going to help me, then stop wasting my time."
He sighs, almost disappointed."Oh, but I am helping you. I’m preparing you for what’s to come. The Maze, Brielle, it’s not just about finding your way through it... it's about finding yourself. And how can you do that if you’re too busy denying the truth?"
“What truth? What are you talking about? Stop talking in riddles.” I bite back, even though part of me dreads the answer.
“That you’re not just here for him."His voice lowers to a seductive whisper, and it feels as though his lips are ghosting over the shell of my ear."You’re here for yourself. To prove you’re more than the broken girl he left behind. You don’t want to save him. You want to be free, my she-wolf."
My heart slams against my ribs, his words cutting deeper than I’m willing to admit. But I don’t have time to dwell on it. Before I can respond, a flutter of wings startles me, and I jerk my head up.
“Your she wolf? I am not your anything.” I turn left and then right, wandering blind in a place that is just waiting to take my life.
“We will see about that. Have fun, don’t die.”He teases as the crow flies away, leaving my mind quiet.
I take another sharp left, my heart racing as I move through the endless twists and turns of the Maze. My thoughts feel suffocating in the sudden silence, and I hate it. I hate that I miss him—the Maze King's voice in my head, as insufferable as he is. His taunts, his teasing... they were something to cling to in the chaos. Now, with only my own panicked breaths echoing in the darkness, fear gnaws at the edges of my mind.
The Maze feels alive, shifting around me like it’s playing its own twisted game, and I’m the mouse being chased through its winding corridors. I can hear it before I see it. A low, guttural snarl, like something slithering and growling all at once.
The air around me feels thicker, damp with the scent of stagnant water and rot, making it harder to breathe. That’s whenI spot it—a hulking, amphibious monster, half submerged in the murky ground, its slimy green skin blending into the shadows. Its eyes glow an eerie, phosphorescent yellow as it slides toward me, long claws scraping against the stone beneath the sludge.
Fear grips me, but there’s no time to process it. I turn, sprinting down another path as the creature lets out a shriek, its slimy tendrils whipping through the air, closing in. My breath is ragged, heart slamming against my chest as I push harder, legs burning as I flee.
I round a corner, and—bam! I slam into something solid—no, someone.
I reel back, my vision spinning for a moment as I meet the hard gaze of a towering figure—dark eyes narrowed in suspicion, his muscles tensed like he’s ready for a fight.
“Who are you?” he barks, voice sharp and commanding.
Before I can answer, he glances past me at the creature now gaining ground. His jaw tightens, and with a swift motion, he shoves me behind him, shielding me from the beast.
The thing lets out a snarl, slime dripping from its fangs as it slithers closer, but the stranger doesn’t flinch. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out something small and foul-smelling. It looks like a chunk of rotting meat, slick with decay. He throws it toward the creature, and it lunges for the bait, gnashing its jaws before dragging its bloated body back into the swampy shadows.
I’m left standing, breathless and shaken, staring at the man in front of me. He’s tall, broad, with dark hair falling into his eyes as he glares at the ground, almost like he’s avoiding looking directly at me. His fists are still clenched from where he threw the bait, his jaw set tight.
“Who are you?” His voice is a low rumble, gruff and irritated, as though he regrets having to ask in the first place.
I blink, still catching my breath. “I—uh, I was looking for someone,” I stammer, trying to pull myself together. “Henry.”
His eyes finally flicker up to meet mine, and for a second, I catch a glimpse of something uncertain beneath his hard exterior. He scowls, shoving his hands into his pockets, like he’d rather be anywhere but here.
“The Maze doesn’t give back what it takes,” he mutters, almost as if he’s talking more to himself than me. “Whoever you’re looking for is gone.”
My heart clenches at his words, but I don’t let it show. “I have to try,” I snap back, refusing to accept it. I can’t.
He shifts awkwardly, his eyes darting toward the path, then back to me. “You’re gonna get yourself killed wandering around like this.” His tone is grumpy, but there’s a nervous edge to it, like he doesn’t really want to be saying these things out loud. “You don’t even know where you are, do you?”
I bristle at the comment. “I’ll figure it out.”
