Page 26 of Labyrinth of Broken Vows
My hand brushes over something hard and sharp. Without thinking, I grab it. A shard of bone—long, thick, and splintered at one end—lies in my grip, and I brandish it in front of me like a sword, even though it’s more of a toothpick compared to what she’s carrying.
Her grin widens, clearly entertained by my pathetic attempt at self-defense. She twirls the bone blade in her hand, eyes gleaming with dangerous intent. "You’ve got fight in you. I like that."
She lunges forward, her blade slicing through the air with a speed that takes me off guard. I barely sidestep, the tip of her weapon grazing the edge of my shirt. I swing the bone shard in retaliation, aiming for her neck. She shifts at the last second, narrowly avoiding the hit. Her laughter rings out, echoing in the hollowed expanse around us.
"Well, well, well," she purrs, circling me now. "A feisty little thing, aren’t you?"
I grit my teeth, holding the bone shard tighter as my knuckles whiten. I can feel my pulse thundering in my temples, but there’s no time to be afraid. Not now. Not here.
"What are you doing in my quadrant, little girl?" She asks, taking another step toward me. "What are you hoping to achieve in the Maze? Why are you trying to defeat it?"
I falter for a moment, words sticking in my throat. The truth, or something like it, slips out, shaky and unsure. "I… I came to save someone."
But even as I say it, the doubt creeps in. Save someone? Or survive? I don’t know anymore. Everything here, the maze, the mist, the Maze King, has twisted the purpose behind every step I take.
Her eyes narrow, her blade dropping slightly. "Save someone?" she repeats, like the words are a joke. "And now you’re not so sure, are you?"
I don’t respond, and she takes that as an answer. She steps closer again, her voice lowering to a purr. "Here’s the thing, little human… You don’t save anyone in this maze. Not yourself. Not anyone else. You survive, or you die. There is no middle ground."
My grip on the bone shard tightens. My breath is shallow, ragged. The truth in her words twists in my gut like a blade. Her sharp gaze bores into me, and the moment hangs in the air like a string ready to snap.
“Who are you trying to save?” she asks, her voice a dangerous melody.
The question catches me off guard. For a fleeting moment, I falter, the weight of my journey pressing down on me. “I thought I was here to save my monster of a husband,” I say, my voice steady despite the chaos swirling inside me. “But now I’m realizing I’m here to save myself. To prove to him, and to myself, that I’m not the weak woman he put down. I no longer have his foot on my neck, and I aim to prove that when I slice his.”
The words spill out of me, surprising even myself. A strange sense of power washes over me, like a fire igniting within my chest. But then I see her expression shift, her surprise fleeting but genuine, and the air grows thick between us.
“That's the thing about the maze,” she replies slowly, a small smirk creeping onto her lips. “You will learn the truth about yourself… or die trying.”
She sheaths her weapon with a fluid motion, her demeanor shifting from hunter to ally, albeit a wary one. She extendsher hand toward me, her glowing skin casting an ethereal light against the shadows.
“Villina is my name,” she says, a slight tilt of her head as if she’s assessing my worth.
I hesitate, unsure of this sudden shift in energy. I take her hand relieved to drop the makeshift weapon. Villina's grip on my wrist is fierce, and before I can process her intentions, she yanks me into her, our bodies colliding with an electrifying force. The sudden proximity sends shockwaves through my system, and I can feel the heat radiating off her body as she leans closer, her breath warm against my ear.
“Aren’t you just the prettiest little thing?” she whispers, her voice dripping with mockery and something darker. I shiver as she licks a teasing stripe along my cheek, her tongue leaving a trail of heat “So many monsters in this maze would have fun with you.”
“Let me go,” I hiss, trying to pull away, but she only tightens her hold, a blade pressed firmly against my throat.
“Not just yet,” she purrs, her tone shifting to something more serious, almost seductive. “When you slice his throat, make sure you go deep. Don’t be soft. Be rough and tear through his flesh. Let his blood, your revenge, wash over you.”
Her words sink into me like a poison, stirring up a rage and longing for retribution. The thrill of her breath against my skin leaves me breathless, and before I can even react, she kisses my cheek, a sudden, fleeting softness that contrasts with the steel of her blade.
As she releases me, I gasp, my fingers instinctively moving to my throat, where I can still feel the imprint of her weapon, a reminder of how close I came to being cut down in an instant. “You’re… letting me go?” I stammer, bewildered by the sudden shift in power.
“Yes, I am,” she replies coolly, her eyes glinting with a mixture of amusement and something akin to respect. “But I’m also coming with you.”
The declaration shocks me, and I blink, trying to grasp the implications of her words. “Why?”
Villina’s smirk grows, revealing a hint of mischief beneath her composed exterior. “Because I want to see just how deep you can go. And in this maze, you’ll need someone who understands the shadows.”
As the tension crackles between us, I realize that I’m standing at the precipice of a choice I didn’t know I’d have to make. This nymph, with her ethereal beauty and ruthless demeanor, might just be the ally I need; or the monster that’ll devour me whole. But as I look into her vibrant eyes, I sense a flicker of something genuine. I hope I’m not wrong… again.
twelve
Thorne
I stand at the window, watching the maze writhe and pulse like a living, breathing thing. It twists, reshaping itself, walls shifting as if mocking my control. Days… it’s been days since I last saw her. Brielle. The thought of her name alone sends a spike of rage through my chest. How could I have let this happen? She’s mine, and yet she’s slipping further into the abyss.
