Page 34 of A Trial of the Heart

“Luckily, it’s almost impossible to get lost in a labyrinth,” he added.

“Wait, what? I thought that—”

“Remember, a labyrinth differs from a maze because it has only one pathway leading to the center.”

“Then what’s the challenge? If I don’t have to figure out which way to go, then that sounds simple enough.”

“That’s the twist. You see, this is a test of the mind. Following a winding path is a simple concept to understand. But… to continue on, regardless of the obstacles that lay in your way while you’re alone, in an underground tomb with the Gods only know what lying in wait, can test the mental capacities of even the brightest minds. The challenge, I believe, is not to turn back.”

I cringed. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

“That and there is a ward preventing any magic from passing through the gates. Once you enter, no one else may follow you. The other trials may differ, but this first test is for you—and you alone.”

“No one knows exactly what’s inside, do they?”

Castor shook his head. “No, but I remember hearing…” His lips pressed into a hard, thin line, almost like he regretted speaking the last words aloud.

“Hearing?” I jumped up and raced to the window. “What did you hear?”

“Do you really want me to tell you, Skylar?” I could feel his unease as he hesitated to answer, nervously threading his hand through his silver hair and flicking it over to one side of his head.

“I have to know.”

“The last shifter to enter was a male, about your age, named Stark. We believe he made it the furthest of all the others, but he sounded absolutely crazed.” Castor closed his eyes, recalling the memory of the last champion. “Toward the end, I remembered hearing him screaming so loudly I swear it shook the walls and the ground beneath my feet. He kept screaming, cursing to the Gods that he had lost something… until we didn’t hear him anymore.” Castor’s face paled. “He was searching for something stolen from him, turning away from the center and doubling back through the labyrinth pathway.”

“He … He turned back?”

“Yes, we believe he almost made it back to the entrance when…”

“When what?” I had to know if I was going into this tomorrow. I needed to learn everything I could to prepare myself.

“When the crunching sound of bones silenced his screams of death.”

“Something killed him… oratehim?” I couldn’t help but hear the quivering sound in my voice. It might not be the best question to ask. I realized that, but the fear of the unknown was at times worse than knowing.

“Not sure.”

“Great.” I slumped against the windowsill, looking out onto the lake. Castor shifted nervously on his feet, and I realized for the first time since I met him that he was unsure what to do or say next. The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky a brilliant orange color that warmed my heart.

“This is one of his favorite colors,” I said, looking off into the sunset. “It reminds me of Dax.”

“It’s where he got the inspiration,” Castor murmured.

“Inspiration for what?”

Castor widened his eyes for a second as he stumbled back a step, trying to right himself. “Ah, nothing. Forget I said anything.”

I glared at him. “Uh-uh. Why do I get the sense you’re lying to me?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Castor waltzed over to the secret door. “I’ll leave you so you can get ready for tonight. Knock when you and Idris are ready.”

Well, I didn’t get an answer to that question, but I did learn more about what to expect from the labyrinth. I knew it would be a test of the mind, but preparing for it seemed almost pointless. I figured I either had the mental capacity to beat this trial, or I would fail trying. No amount of training I could do inthese next few hours would prepare me for this. This trial was built to test our inner strength. The courage we developed from true struggle and rising above to accomplish the impossible.

I was not going to walk into this with fear in my heart. If I did that, I knew I wouldn’t survive.

Unable to sit still and wait, I decided to keep my body busy to try and quiet my mind. I moved about my room and decided to work on the balance movements Daxton taught me on the ship. Slowly, I worked through each exercise, focusing on my core strength to keep me stable as I flowed from one pose to the other. I heard Dax’s voice in my mind, encouraging me to perfect each motion before continuing to the next.

Eventually, my movements became fluid, and I progressed through each one, repeating the cycle over and over again. I became lost in the repetition of the exercises. The physical exertion gave me something to focus on, and I was grateful for the time to practice and allow my mind to drift into nothingness. Sweat coated my brow as I spun and shifted my footing midair to land a fearsome kick in the chest of an imaginary enemy.

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