Page 67 of Shadow Witch

She pulled her hand from the slimy surface as her eyes slid from side to side. “Uhh, oh, sorry, bud. Didn’t mean to cop a feel there. I’m just trying to get back up to the main level. Can you point me in the right direction?”

“I could…but I’d rather not.”

“That’s typical,” Paige said. “Fine. I’ll find my own way.”

“I don’t think sssssso,” he answered. “You ssssee it’s been quite a long time sssssssince I’ve had a yummy ssssnack.”

“Snack?” Paige asked. “I don’t have any–“

Heat rushed through her as realization struck. The body wasn’t slimy, it was scaly. She’d just felt up a massive snake, and now it had threatened to eat her.

“Look, Mr. Snake, sir, there has been a huge mixup here. I’m just here to try to win an Amor Fortis. I just want to marry my sweetheart, and I’m battling it out against a real witch of a woman. I mean, you can’t even imagine. So, if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to be on my way.”

The snake slithered past her, disturbing the air.

“Ssssssorry, but I’m awfully hungry.”

“That’s too bad. Oh, you know what, though. I’m not a very good snack. I’m probably way too salty, but I have a really good alternative. Very healthy, but also tasty.”

“Oh?” The snake slithered around her legs.

“Yeah. Her name’s Ivy. She’s somewhere in this maze, too. And if we can find her, oh, I promise you, it’ll be good eating.”

“Ivy? Hmmm, but that would take ssssssome effort. I’d prefer to jusssst eat you. You’re already here.”

“Yeah, but I’m high in fat. You don’t want to eat me. Look at my thighs…pretty fatty. Ivy is a much better snack, I promise. All you have to do is help me out of here, and we’ll find her together.”

“Hmmm,” the snake murmured.

“Listen, she’s a primo find, I’m telling you. She’s a Venompire. I’m just a plain human. It’s like the difference between Raisin Bran and Frosted Flakes. No one picks the bran. Or…salted nuts and plain nuts. Who picks plain?”

“All right, all right,” the snake said. “You’ve made your point. Let’sssss find Ivy. I ssssshall give her a tasssste, and if I am not ssssatisfied, I’ll eat you, too.”

“Deal,” Paige said. “Hey, if it’s not too much trouble, you seem big enough that I could ride on your back while we search. It’ll go so much faster.”

“Sssssure,” the snake said. “I know every passsssssage in this placcccce. We’ll find her in no time.”

The snake uncoiled from around her legs. She spotted massive fangs gleaming in the dim light as he sidled closer to her. “Hop on.”

With a grimace, she climbed onto his back. The air blew her hair away from her face as they sped through the corridors at breakneck speeds. Within seconds, they reached a stairway.

The snake slithered up to the next level before he paused.

“What are you doing?”

“Lissssstening,” he answered before his head snapped to the left. “There!”

Before she could answer, the snake slid down the hall, moving from corridor to corridor with practiced ease as he barreled toward the noise he’d heard.

Ivy came into sight as they rounded a corner. Paige’s heart leapt with both hope and anxiety. With the snake’s sights set on Ivy, could she possibly escape from the labyrinth?

“There she is. Get her!” Paige urged.

The snake surged forward toward the running blonde. She leapt onto the wall, running sideways for a period before she hit the ground again.

“Faster!” Paige urged. With a burst of speed, the snake shot toward Ivy. Paige tumbled off his back, rolling across the ground.

She scrambled to her feet as she spotted the realm exit swirling in front of her. She raced toward it headlong, hoping to burst through before Ivy.

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