Page 69 of Of Kings and Thieves

Behind us, the corridor we’d just walked through was gone, replaced by solid stone wall.

Silvius pressed against the stone, searching for any hidden latches or triggers, but found nothing. Kolvar traced elven runes along the new wall, muttering incantations, to no effect. We were trapped.

Suddenly, a chilling voice echoed in the small chamber, freezing us in our tracks. “You should have taken the other path.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

My heart thudded in my chest, and I caught the same unease reflected in the eyes of my companions.

As they argued, my mind raced through possible escape routes, my thoughts becoming more frantic with each failed option. If only I could put whoever approached to sleep with my siren song, buy us some time to think.

I closed my eyes, drew a deep breath, and sang a high, clear note, imbuing it with power. The mesmerizing sound resonated through the tunnel. I focused the magic outward, willing it to sweep past my friends and plunge our foes into tranquil dreams.

But the haunting melody bounced back, deflected by an unseen magical barrier. The notes reverberated around us, distorted and disjointed. A dark pulsating energy engulfed my song, warping it into an eerie mockery of the beauty I’d conjured.

My friends’ eyes grew unfocused as the chaotic sound washed over them. I cut off the melody in dismay, watching as they sank to their knees, hands clutched over their ears.

The corrupted echo continued to bounce wildly around the enclosed space. It crashed against the walls, amplified until the din drove me to my knees. I screamed, trying to drown out the sound, but it was useless.

When at last the wailing dimmed, I sagged against the cold stone wall, despair washing through me. My magic had failed when I needed it most, turned against us by a sinister power I couldn’t comprehend.

The others were getting to their feet.

Once more I sang, this time channeling my anguish into the notes. I summoned memories of my slain family, letting their loss fill me with purpose. The song swelled, an aching lament imbued with my grief and rage.

The mournful melody flooded the tunnel. I clung to the notes, daring whatever presence had trapped us to withstand the force of my pain. My friends stood transfixed, tears shining in their eyes, as the song laid our sorrow bare.

But once again, it faltered. This time, the stones absorbed the echoes of my song and fed it back to us, mingling with the whispered voices in the labyrinth.

I shuddered with their pain, closing my eyes and wanting it all to end. When the song died, Silvius nudged my shoulder, and I looked at him.

The air grew colder, and the shadows cast by the torches grew until they swallowed the wall to my right. I backed against the opposite wall and drew the dagger at my hip.

A woman emerged from the shadows, flanked by guards. She was the strangest looking woman I’d ever seen. Tall and thin as if she’d been stretched to her height. Her long, raven-black hair framed her cruel face, and her unnaturally large eyes gleamed golden. Her skin had a slight greenish tinge to it, a subtle glow that made her both terrible and beautiful. She wore a glittering green gown that fell over her like water and was adorned with silver accents.

And she carried a long staff with a red stone at the top. A Deviant, I thought, but without a mask. I glanced at the soldiers standing next to her with their swords and crossbows. They bore a crest on their clothes—a red serpent on a gold background.

The way she moved was both fluid and predatory. A panther stalking its prey. When she turned and fixed me with her cold stare, I saw gills on either side of her neck. A siren. Or partly, anyway.

“Moredanea,” said Kolvar.

Moredanea? The Harrow’s Pet who hunted half-breeds was part siren?

My heart pounded in my chest, threatening to burst. The Ironguard’s anxiety was tangible, contrasting sharply with Moredanea’s composure. She seemed almost amused by our fear, a smile playing on her lips.

“Ah, the infamous Ironguard,” she said, her voice dripping with poison. “How delightfully predictable you all are.” She scanned our group, her gaze lingering on me for a moment before moving on. I swallowed hard, struggling to keep my anger in check.

“Go to hell,” Scarlet spat, her fists clenched at her sides.

Moredanea smirked.

“What do you want?” Kolvar asked.

Moredanea narrowed her eyes at Kolvar. “I expected a bit more intelligence from you, elf. What do you think I want?”

When Kolvar didn’t answer, she touched his chest with the tip of her staff. “No guesses?” She turned her gaze to the rest of us but kept her staff on Kolvar. “This labyrinth is not just a test of skill or bravery. I have no need for such pointless trials. No, it serves a far more useful purpose. Anyone who enters this forsaken place sends a signal straight to me.” She paused, letting her revelation sink in. “And if the labyrinth doesn’t kill them, I take them as my prisoners.”

The shock and dismay on Silvius’s face mirrored what I felt inside. Beside him, Melion’s anger boiled over, and he let out a low growl that reverberated through the chamber. Scarlet couldn’t hold back her temper any longer, unleashing a string of crude profanities at Moredanea.

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