Page 35 of The Lord of the Labyrinth

“It’s only me!” Patch shouted as he pulled back from her.

“Patch! You scared the crap out of me.” Kate flopped back down on the bed, staring up at the wisteria as a breeze breathed through the blooms. She still had only her bra and panties on—not her favorite way to sleep—but the bra that Babbitt had made for her was soft and had no irritating underwire to poke her. She was beginning to suspect humans could learn a thing or two from the Fae.

Patch jumped off the bed, muttering darkly.

It took Kate a moment to recall everything that had happened. The attack in the morgen pool, reliving that lost memory of her mother, the way Roan had rescued her, and how he’d carried her to this bed afterward. Then something about losing a memory...

She touched her lips with her fingertips, still feeling the ghost of the king’s exquisite kisses. He’d tasted of spice and dark hunger. She found herself missing the warmth of his body covering hers and the power of his muscles as he’d gently pinned her down. And the way he’d touched…used his hand to get her off. It had been incredible. He hadn’t even asked her to do anything for him in return. He’d just given her pleasure, like Patch had said he would. A romantically selflish Fae? She wanted to laugh at the idea, but she didn’t. All she thought of was the way his eyes had darkened as he’d taken care of her wounds, held her in his arms, and then kissed her senseless. If that wasn’t romance, what was?

It made her miss more than just his body. It made her miss him, his voice, his words, his very presence. He’d made her feel like she was the only thing that mattered, that nothing else outside of her existed for him. Feeling like she mattered? That was something she could get seriously addicted to.

I shouldn’t miss him.But she did.Stupid Stockholm syndrome.

“Where did Roan go?” she asked as she forced herself to sit up. It was tempting to just lie there in the shade, but time was slipping away from her.

“Gone. You think the king of the dark woods is going to wait for you to wake up?Hah!” Patch plopped to the ground, digging through his satchel, examining his cache of rough gemstones.

“Has anyone told you that you’re rude?” Kate asked. She pushed back the covers on the bed and searched for her clothing. Hadn’t she left her sweater and jeans by the pool when she’d stripped down?

“Of course I am,” Patch shot back. “Got no time for niceties.” He glanced away. “Your clothes are over there.” He pointed a knotted finger at the foot of the bed.

She found her jeans, sweater, boots, and socks beneath a gold blanket. Everything was dry and folded. She lifted the sweater to smell it cautiously. No scent of lily pads or fish monsters. Roan must have had them cleaned. Probably just snapped his fingers to do it. For a selfish jerk, Roan could be thoughtful, if only for the little things. She got dressed and stared around at the tall walls of the labyrinth.

“Patch, which way was the morgen pool?” she asked, feeling a little distressed that she had lost her way. She’d gotten turned around when Roan had carried her away from the pool, and she had no views of the palace to orient herself.

“Doesn’t matter which way it was.”

“Why not?”

Patch shot her an irritated look. “Because it’s gone, foolish girl. His lordship was most displeased by what those slippery fiends tried to do. He destroyed the pool and killed all of the morgens. Watched him do it myself. That’s why it’s best to stay on the king’s good side.”

“Okay... so I’m starting from scratch...again.” She planted her hands on her hips and started forward until she reached a place where there were several paths to choose from.

Remember, you must search for the heart of the labyrinth, not the other side,she reminded herself.

Rather than choosing the right, she opted for the second one inward, hoping that it would take her closer to the center. Not that she had any real way of knowing at this point. If she couldn’t get an overhead view of the labyrinth, she’d never really see the right path. That realization hit her hard enough to make her chest tight with rising panic. She really had been a fool to think she could solve the labyrinth and find the center. No wonder Roan had given her a month—she’d need every day of it to even get close.

Patch shouldered his bag and followed. “You’re going this way too?” she asked.

“Might as well,” he said. “There are a few places along the way where I can deliver my gems for retrieval by the palace.”

“Oh... well, okay.” Kate didn’t want Patch to know how relieved she was to not be alone in the labyrinth.

As they moved together through the seemingly endless passageways, a sudden fluttering sound above drew their attention. A glittering flock of birds…no wait… those weren’t birds, swirled like a murmuration of starlings.

“What are those?”

“Pixies,” Patch spat. “Don’t say anything. They’re always listening. They’ll tell the royal court what they hear.”

The little creatures danced in the air, shimmering dust drifting down from their hummingbird fast wings. A high pitched cackling sound filled the air as the little pixies chittered wildly. They swooped down, swirling around Kate chanting.

“Kate of the Winslows…Kate of the Winslows…”

Kate, fascinated, peered at their little bodies, seeing the bright green or bright blue skinned little humanoid bodies covered in glimmering iridescent clothes.

“Shoo! Shoo!” Patch leapt up into the air next to Kate, swatting at the little creatures who began to jeer at him.

“Patchy-Patch, the Kobold cat!”

---