Page 21 of Labyrinth of Broken Vows
“What do you mean, changing?” I ask, still catching my breath, my mind racing to make sense of everything that just happened.
Grom keeps his eyes scanning the maze, his usual stoic expression twisted into something more troubled. “Each quadrant of the maze has a lord. That lord rules over the creatures and beings that live in their quadrant.”
I frown, my forehead creasing. “I thought the Maze King ruled over the entire maze.”
“He does. The Maze King rules all,” Grom says, his voice low, almost reverent. “But the lords oversee their quadrants. They keep order, keep things… contained. Everyone still answers to the Maze King in the end.”
I nod slowly, trying to piece together the puzzle he’s laying out. “So, what does that have to do with the Shade Hound?”
Grom’s jaw tightens. “The Shade Hounds are under Nyria’s control. She’s the northern lord, well northern lady. There’s no reason why one of her hounds should be here, in the southern quadrant. This isn’t right. Something’s gone wrong.”
My heart skips a beat. “What could have gone wrong?”
He shakes his head, looking even more uneasy. “I don’t know. But we don’t have time to figure it out. I need to get you to the castle and out of here as fast as I can.”
I stumble as we continue walking, the shock of the fight and exhaustion finally catching up with me. Grom’s hand shoots out, steadying me before I can fall. He holds onto me for a second longer, looking down at me with an expression I hadn’t seen on him before; concern, almost something softer.
“You didn’t have to save me back there,” he says quietly. “I told you to run.”
I smile up at him, still feeling a little shaken but relieved that he’s okay. “I know. I chose to save you. You’re my friend, Grom. You’ve helped me survive this far. I wasn’t about to leave you behind.”
For a second, he just stares at me like I’ve said something in a foreign language. Then, slowly, the corner of his mouth quirks up in a smile, a smile that looks odd and out of place on his usually gruff face. “Friends?”
“Of course,” I say, nudging his arm playfully.
He pauses, his brow furrowing as if he’s trying to understand what this whole ‘friend’ thing really means. “I’ve never had a friend before.”
I smile softly. “Well, now you do.”
Grom’s smile widens, and before I know what’s happening, his large hand comes down on the top of my head, giving me a solid bonk. “But next time I tell you to run, you listen, understand? You trying to get yourself killed or something?”
I laugh, rubbing the top of my head where he hit me, even though it didn’t hurt. Grom turns around, already walking again like nothing happened, but I can’t help but smile to myself as I follow him.
“I’m serious,” he calls over his shoulder, his voice gruff but lighter than before. “No more heroics. You let me handle the monsters.”
I roll my eyes but don’t argue. “Got it.”
As we walk on, the tension from the Shade Hound encounter slowly fades, but Grom’s words linger in my mind. Something’s wrong in the maze.
The silence between us stretches on, thick and tense. My legs ache, my throat is dry, and I can still feel the adrenaline pulsing through me from the Shade Hound attack. Grom walks ahead, his broad shoulders shifting beneath his tunic as if nothing happened, but I know he’s on edge. I can tell by the way his hand stays close to the knife at his waist. We haven’t spoken since he explained the lords of the maze, and the longer we walk, the more I feel like the maze itself is pressing down on me. Twisting, endless, suffocating.
We stop for water when we find a small pool nestled between the massive roots of some ancient tree. The water is cold and bitter, tasting faintly of metal as I drink it. I splash some on my face, hoping it will clear the fog from my mind. Grom drinks, too, but doesn’t say a word. I try to push down the growing unease in my chest, but it’s hard. Everything about this place feels wrong, like the walls themselves are watching us.
As we continue on, the silence is broken by the uncomfortable fullness in my bladder. I try to ignore it, but the pressure is growing unbearable. I roll my eyes at myself. Of all the things to worry about in a deadly maze, I have to pee. “Grom, I, uh, I need to stop,” I say, shifting awkwardly as we step over a root the size of my leg.
He doesn’t respond at first, just keeps walking like he didn’t hear me. His huge frame is moving through the maze with such ease while I’m barely keeping up. “Grom!” I call again, louder this time.
He grunts in acknowledgment but doesn’t stop, so I try again. “Seriously, I need to… you know.”
He finally halts at a fork in the maze, three different paths stretching ahead. One looks like more maze walls with dense, dark roots curling into the stone. The second is an open clearing with towering trees, and the third is a wide corridor lined with statues and stone archways. Grom crosses his arms, still clearly annoyed.
“Fine,” he mutters, waving a hand toward the trees. “Go squat somewhere, but don’t wander far. I’ll stay here.”
I huff, irritated at his dismissiveness. “Such a gentleman,” I mutter under my breath, making my way toward the trees. The clearing feels oddly peaceful compared to the rest of the maze, but I keep my eyes on the twisted trunks and shadows just in case. Dropping into a squat behind a tree, I take care of business quickly, relieved for the brief break from walking.
As I stay squatted, I can’t help but think about how far I’ve come. A few days ago, I was alone, lost, and terrified. Now, I’ve stabbed a monster to save Grom’s life. He’s helped me more than I ever expected, and despite his gruffness, I can’t help but feel grateful. I’ve already done things I never knew I was capable of. I could be withering away, struggling in a town that turned its back on me so many times. I wonder if they would still see me as sad Brielle if they saw me take out that shade hound thing.
Just as I start to smooth down my skirt, I hear it, a low, rumbling growl. But this one sounds different from before. My heart stutters in my chest, and I freeze. I don’t want to turn around, but I have to. As I slowly stand, more growls follow, multiplying. Fear spikes through me, and I spin around to see shadows moving through the trees. Shade Hounds. More than one.
