Page 81 of To Dwell in Shadows
Sam returned her smile. “Then I will see to it that Nyrah wins the last and final trial.”
Chapter 40
Sam hadn’t appreciated the surprise element of the previous trials, so overhearing a rumor about the next one was an unexpected relief. A day after his conversation with Vanthee, he was leaving the Sanctum when he saw a cluster of imps hovering behind a nearby column. Their hushed voices caught his attention.
“Sire says maze must be cleared,” a gray-warted imp croaked.
“Too much green,” another said.
“Must destroy green,” a third imp replied. “Cut.”
“No, pull.”
“No! Hack.”
Sam listened closely as the imps argued about how to destroy the “green.” His parents rarely asked the imps to work together on a task, so he was certain their assignment had something to do with the next trial.
With this new information, Sam asked Vanthee to meet him in the library that evening to strategize. She was sitting on the steps outside when he and Selene approached. Vanthee looked surprised to see Selene was accompanying him and cautiously peered behind her.
“What are you doing here?” Vanthee asked Selene. “Is Zetta with you?”
“No, I left her in the kennels,” Selene replied. When Vanthee continued to eye her warily, she added, “I’m not here to interfere with your planning. Sam just asked me to help with some research.”
“Oh.” Vanthee’s expression was unreadable. She began twisting her fingers together as though nervous. “Well, since you’re here… I-I wanted to say thank you. For the nice things you said about me to Prince Samael.”
Selene’s evident surprise made her pause then say, “You’re welcome.”
“Also… ” Vanthee paused to swallow. “I didn’t get a chance to say thank you that day in Spirit Veil Valley. For helping Ruth cross over.”
“Of course. I’m glad we succeeded.”
Sam placed a hand at the nape of Selene’s neck, pride warming his chest. “My mate has many skills, too.”
Selene beamed up at him then pulled open the library doors. “Shall we go inside?”
Sam had been in a rush when Selene first showed himThe Sovereign’s Reckoning,but now he had time to appreciate the work she had done on the library’s restoration. The floor had been swept clean, revealing intricate sigils carved into the black marble below their feet. Though some tables were still buried under books and several pendant lights remained broken, much of the shelving was now neat and orderly. It wasn’t finished, but it was easy to imagine how beautiful the space would be at its best. The thought of leaving for Aurelia before Selene completed the project made Sam a little sad, but he was certain his parents would be impressed by her efforts.
Selene pulled out two chairs and dusted them off. “Have a seat. I’ll find a cloth to wipe down this table.”
Sam sat across from Vanthee. Without preamble, he said, “I have a suspicion that the next trial has something to do with a maze. Do you know of any structure like that in this realm?”
“A maze?” Vanthee drummed her fingers on the table thoughtfully. “Only one comes to mind—the Maze of Endless Paths. But no one has been in it for centuries.”
“Maybe they’re reviving it. What is it?”
“Long ago they didn’t have Guides to sort souls as they arrived. They used to send them through a maze to determine where they would end up.”
Sam considered this. There was so much of the Underworld’s history that remained unknown to him. “Was the path difficult?”
“I’m not sure.”
“How large is the maze?”
“Huge, I’d assume, since hundreds of thousands of people die every day.” Vanthee turned her head and called, “Hey human—er, Selene. Have you found any books on the Maze of Endless Paths?”
Selene approached with a dust cloth in her hand. “That doesn’t sound familiar. Would it be something that’s fairly new or very old?”
“Ancient,” Vanthee said.
