Page 39 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
I shook my head and rushed toward the middle of the maze, pinpricks all over my arms.
I didn’t know exactly what I had witnessed, but it only spelled danger.
The fearsome Blood Brotherhood Commander, a fearsome story around Malhaven as much as I was, knew our Sanctua Sirena maze well enough to tell those children how to get to the castle safely.
A massive breach was threatening our defenses.
Our vaults were bleeding.
Our island had been invaded.
We were being hunted.
This is not normal.
As soon as I checked the entire maze and found my own way to safety, I needed to uncover what the fuck was going on with my Clan and who wanted to destroy us.
Perhaps tearing it from the inside out.
I didn’t know if I was ready to face whatever danger had managed to kneel us today.
I had to be, though.
Two more maze paths were free of bodies.
The arrows were fading, either from the distance or the sheer number of them being exhausted.
I allowed myself a sigh of relief.
Perhaps the worst had passed.
The maze was tricky to navigate, few people could have made it all the way here, especially in a frightened daze.
But my First Daughter instincts wouldn’t let me rest until I checked every nook and cranny, even as my own fatigue beat at me. If one survivor was still hidden here, I’d find them.
That’s what it meant to be a First Daughter. To bleed and burn so others wouldn’t have to.
I smelled the earthy, slightly bitter scent of the ancient olive tree before I saw it. My mind was instantly flooded with sweet memories of my mother reading to me under it while my father enthralled us with details about all the small birds that flew above and visited us.
I finally peeked past the last hedge into the round center of the maze, where so many Protectorate ceremonies had taken place guided by nothing but candlelight.
The olive tree which had fed so many Vegheara generations stood as tall and proud as ever, no arrows stuck to its bark. It would survive us all.
The little fountain at its base trickled sweetly, like always, clearing the air dampened with so much misery. I took a deep inhale, finally feeling like I could breathe.
For a second, I allowed myself to believe we were safe.
But the small relief was short lived.
Shit.
Another body was slumped near the edge of the sacred circle–dressed in a blue suit, too.
The world slowed as I inhaled another breath, this time stuttered.
Nausea overtook my body before my tired mind caught up.
It took me too long to register the exact hue of blue, one that matched my dress.
