Page 69 of Silent Oaths
Idown the last of my whiskey, letting the burn settle in my chest before placing the glass aside.Myphone screen still glows withJulian’smessage.
Ichuckle under my breath.Isabelis fucked.
Theanticipation sends a tingle down my spine asIpush off the bar and move through the crowd.Maxwellis somewhere nearby, probably taking his sweet time, butI’mnot waiting.
Theentrance to theHallofIllusionslooms before me.JustasIstep forward,Maxwellappears at my side, his lips curling into smirk.
“Youready, brother?” he asks, voice laced with amusement.
Inod and huff out a laugh, cracking my knuckles.
Withoutanother word, we step inside.
Themoment the doors close behind us, the atmosphere shifts.Themusic from the club is muffled now, replaced by silence and the echo of our own footsteps bouncing off the glass walls.Themaze is lowly lit by bulbs overhead and the occasional pulse of neon casting distorted reflections along the endless corridors.
Isabelis in here somewhere.
Wemove in sync as we weave through the maze, our reflections multiplying with every turn.Theway the mirrors bend and warp our figures is almost hypnotic, but we know better than to be fooled by the illusion.
“Siren,”Icall out, my voice twisting around itself like a whisper in the dark.
Maxwellchuckles beside me. “Comeout, come out, wherever you are.”
Thesound ricochets off the glass, making it impossible to tell where we actually are.Theeffect is disorienting.
Afigure moves in the reflections ahead, andJulianappears from a corridor to the right, barely sparing a glance at the warped versions of himself in the glass.
“She’sfast, but she’s not faster than us,” he murmurs.
Maxwellgrins, adjusting his cufflinks like we’re about to walk into a business deal instead of cornering a runaway. “Poorthing must be terrified.”
Ichuckle under my breath. “Good.”
Wemove as a unit, falling into step with each other as we maneuver through the passageways.
“Youran fromJulian, but now, you have all three of us to deal with,”Maxwelltaunts.
Asoft gasp.Ahurried shuffle.
Iturn my head just in time to see movement in the mirrors.Asliver of dark fabric disappears around the corner.
Ismirk.
Gameover,Siren.
“Overthere,”Iwhisper.
Theglass walls reflect every angle of us, making it feel like there are a hundred different versions closing in onIsabel.Ican hear her now.Thesound of her heels tapping against the floor picks up speed, the soft rush of her movements only getting louder as she panics.
“You’vegot nowhere to hide,”Maxwell’steases.
Wefollow the sound, weaving between mirrors and disorienting reflections of ourselves.Fora moment,Iwonder if she’s already slipped through a door we missed, but thenIhear a sharp intake of breath followed by the distinctthudof her back hitting the glass wall.
“Foundyou.”
Iround the corner just in time to see her, eyes wide and filled with fear.She’sbreathing heavy, her hands gripping her dress.Hergaze dances between the three of us, her face pale under the flickering lights.Sheknows she’s trapped.
Istep forward, watching her flinch as my reflection mirrors my every move.
