Page 69 of Summoned
By the time evening rolls around, I pull on leggings and a sports bra, thread my ponytail through the hole of the cap, and head out for a run, Three Days Grace blaring in my ears withGet Out Alive. I sprint down the eco-trail that winds close to our house, pushing until my chest burns.
The green trees provide relief from the brutal summer heat, but the cap stifles my scalp like a damn furnace. I want to rip it off and toss it into the bushes. Let someone ask me what the mark on my forehead means! I’ll take it as a green light to unload everything that’s tearing me up inside.
Like a Storm is already blastingLove the Way You Hate Me, when goosebumps rise. My senses sharpen—eyes straining, skin prickling. I dig my heels into the dirt and yank out the earbuds. The air sparkles with invisible electricity.
“Gaetano…?” My voice echoes off the tree trunks.
He’s here. I couldn’t mistake the feeling his presence stirs in me, not anymore. Maybe he’s notthatclose yet, his scent isn’t potent enough, but my body already reacts to his proximity.
The moment I edge forward, the ground in front of me cracks open. Thin branches shoot upward and twist around each other. Thick, shiny black leaves sprout between them, blocking every open space. Dark thorns entangle themselves in the foliage.
I gasp and jump sideways, crashing into another cluster of rising branches. They arc toward each other, weaving into a net.
A fresh wave of limbs springs up before me, connecting into the same trembling network that confines me on three sides.
I rush backward to the only opening left. I’ve barely turned when the hedges on both sides shoot forward at staggering speed, stretching into living walls to create a narrow corridor around me.
I sprint down the narrow passage, pushing as fast as I can toward the exit ahead. The walls close in with me, trying to catch up, but my legs are faster.Almostquick enough. Just as I’m within reach of escape, the corridor twists. Both hedges bend at a ninety-degree angle, following a hidden blueprint. I don’t hesitate as I take the new route.
A few meters in, I slam into a solid wall of branches. Dead end.
I pivot and try another way. More corridors. Another split.
I pause, scanning the walls in every direction. Black leaves shake like trapped wings. The branches twist together like snakes. They’re tall enough to block every line of sight, but high above, the familiar sky remains.
My temples throb. It’s a labyrinth.
“Do you enjoy fairy tales, Baroness?”
The deep timbre of Gaetano’s voice sends a shiver through me. I turn around. The empty corridor stretches out before me. I scan the hedges but see nothing.
“I asked you a question, Nicole…” This time it comes from farther down the path.
“Fairy tales?” I echo, my steps cautious.
“Stories that teach us lessons… the magical way.”
Something red flickers at the edge of my vision. I glance down, frowning. A crimson cloak drapes over my workout clothes, secured by a soft leather cord at the front. I reach for my hair, expecting my cap. My fingers touch a massive hood instead. I tug it forward, and scarlet floods my view.
He’s talking about fairy tales…
“Little Red Riding Hood?” I mutter under my breath.
Gaetano’s deep laugh fills the maze. “I created a story for you, Nicole. One where you play the lead.”
Unease tightens my chest. I hate fairy tales. They remind me of those Disney cartoons, where princesses dream of love. Of a prince to rescue them. My father made sure I knew early: that dream doesn’t exist. Yet, somehow, I guess Gaetano’s fairytale won’t be about love.
“I’m the storyteller but you’re the story,” Gaetano says. “When we meet, it will signal the end of the story.”
“So the goal isn’t to get out…It’s finding you?” I call into the air.
“Quick as ever, aren’t you, Nicole?”
I whirl toward the sound. “This is my second trial?”
“Trials test will and intellect. This is punishment for trying to kill me. And entertainment. For me.”
“That’s not fair!”
