Page 44 of The Lord of the Labyrinth

His thoughts turned to Kate again, and her brother. Caden was safe in the palace under Eudora and Rath’s watchful eyes. Kate was in the labyrinth with Patch to keep her out of trouble. In some ways, she was safer there than at the palace because Culan would come to the palace directly and avoid the labyrinth if he could. But if he couldn’t...

Roan bid Andvari goodbye.

Hagni and his men left Vol Buldohr and resumed their patrols on the borderlands. Roan once more took to his owl form as he flew back to the palace. Warm air carried him higher, but then a distant cry from the depths of the labyrinth reached his tufted ears.

“Lord Arun?”

Roan dove toward the labyrinth, seeking Kate, but she was hidden from his view.

He reached out to Kate and searched for that ever-growing connection between him and the mortal woman.

“Where are you?”he asked.“Show me.”

The whisper came back along the pathway that connected them, and he felt a power that stiffened his feathers like no other. Only one place affected him like that, a place that moved constantly in the labyrinth. The Crystal Cave. It was a place between worlds, half in his, half in Kate’s. Great power was trapped within the crystals of that cave, which bled out into its pools. It was not a safe place for Kate without him there to protect her.

Roan flew faster, tracking the magic in his mind until he found the cave’s entrance. He landed before the dark opening and returned to his true form. The connection to Kate was growing stronger. She was unwell, he could feel it. Her pain beat at his skull like the drums of war. The sound of his boots echoed as he walked down the glowing tunnel until it gave way to a vast cave. He halted at the sight that met him.

Patch sat upon the ground, hands knotted in his brown cap, his wrinkled face strained with concern as a small female troll cradled an unconscious Kate in her arms. Blood soaked Kate’s hair by her temple.

No...

Culan couldn’t have found her, not here, not in the safety of the labyrinth. It wasn’t possible... The faces of the dead dryads blurred in his mind with Kate’s, and his knees suddenly threatened to give out.

She’d been hurt, his Kate... The cave shuddered around them, rocks cracking above and below, as rage filled his blood.

Roan grabbed Patch and lifted the kobold in the air. “What have you done?” Patch tried to respond but couldn’t get any words out as Roan shook him. “You littlefool!” Roan snarled. “I’ll kill you and every kobold who’s ever breathed your name?—”

“Lord Arun,” the troll interrupted, her voice tremulous. “I am to blame. Kate is brave. Kate savedme.”

Roan dropped the kobold with a thud, and Patch scampered away, cap still clutched in his hands. Roan turned to the troll, his temper still roiling. His hands itched to touch Kate, but he had to calm down first or his magic could harm rather than heal her.

“Tell me what has happened, troll.” Roan crouched down in front of the creature, who held Kate protectively in her arms.

In a slow but competent tale, the troll explained how Kate had rescued her, and their flight from the other trolls. She explained how Kate had been struck by a rock, but that they couldn’t stop moving until they were safely away from the danger of the other trolls. That was how they’d ended up in the Crystal Cave.

So Culan hadn’t found her. Roan felt he could breathe again, but only just. Kate had been hurt. He had told that damned Patch to keep her near the outer sections of the labyrinth away from all of the dangers that existed deeper within.

“Give her to me,” Roan said, holding out his arms. He was calmer now and ready to heal her.

The troll handed Kate to him. Roan brushed the hair back from Kate’s face, then glanced around to ensure they were alone. He was still weak from healing Lady Kyma and would need to use the healing magic of the crystal pools instead. There was a pool just across the cavern. Roan stood and carried Kate to the water. This water was safe, untouched by dangerous creatures, and it glowed softly with bioluminescent swirls that came from the silk webs of glowworms, which dripped into the water. The healing magic was, in part, due to these tiny glowing creatures.

He cradled Kate’s head and lowered her wound beneath the surface of the water. Dried blood softened around the injury, and soon the blood swirled away as the water healed the spot. It took Roan a long moment to calm himself, and be reassured that she would be all right. That was twice now that he had almost lost her, and both times he’d been so desperate to rescue her.

“Why do you matter so much?” he whispered to the unconscious woman.

He received no answer. He knew only that the moment he had crashed into her world and into her arms, he’d been forever changed. And he was a creature who wasneversupposed to change.

“Wake up, little one.” He bent his head to press his lips to hers. He let some of his own magic escape in that kiss, unable to control himself.

Kate’s lashes fluttered open. She gazed around in confusion. Her brown eyes were still cloudy, but they grew brighter as she continued to heal in his arms. For a moment, he was lost in the soft, warm color.

“Roan?”

His body tightened at the way she spoke his name. Roan pulled her even closer in his arms, tucking her against his chest.

“I have you,” he promised. “I have you, Kate.”

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