Page 39 of Quarter Labyrinth

“Good of you to remember that.” The god flashed a smile as radiant and unshakable as the dawn.

I tried to read the relationship between them. They worked together, but a tightness to Leif’s tone hinted at distrust. Or was that disdain? It was hard to guess without knowing either of them, like putting together a puzzle I’d never seen before. I tried to pick up pieces along the way.

Leif kept a hand on the pommel of his sword. “Did you need something Dimitri?”

The man, Dimitri, looked down upon him. “You know what I need. I need you to win. Instead, you’re treating the labyrinth like it’s your personal revenge for what happened eight years ago.”

Leif’s shoulders stiffened. “You’re one to talk about revenge.”

The laugh Dimitri made wasn’t humorous.

“There are two others who were there that night,” Leif went on. “Help me track them down, then point me toward the end. This labyrinth is your home. You could lead me directly to the center if you desired.”

The Stone God circled Leif on his horse. I pressed myself against the tree when his body faced mine, only peeking back when I heard him speak.

“The other gods don’t like when I interfere that much. You must win on your own. But I will help you with the remaining two offenders if you keep your word.”

“I’ll keep my word.” Leif planted himself in one spot while Dimitri moved, the light casting hard lines across the severe cuts of his face. He’d swept all emotion out of his tone, leaving behind something dry and bitter.

Meanwhile, Dimitri spoke like a hungry wolf—one who would just as easily bite Leif as he would bargain with him. “You’re sure? He’s your godfather. How do I know you’ll—”

“I said I’ll keep it,” Leif snapped.

Dimitri regarded him anew. “Very well. Remember what you stand to gain from this labyrinth. You stand to gain—or lose—the world.”

“I remember. I won’t let you down.”

Dimitri pulled the reins, urging his horse away. “Take the path laden with blue,” he said. Then, as soon as Dimitri had come, he took off again, trotting his way through the labyrinth.

Leif waited before turning to me.

His quiet demeanor melted back to the roughness he’d shown before. He was a cavern of depths I wished to unravel. The boy who shed a tear before the statue. The one covered in blood. The one who made himself small before a god. The one who looked at me like I were fire and he was the wind I needed to breathe.

He veered away, taking the wind with him. “I don’t have time to deal with you,” he said as if he’d lost all interest in me in the span of that conversation. “Just stay out of my way.”

An ache curled into my chest that I was so easily forgettable. That was what I had to be—quiet and small until the day my father revealed me as his heir. Keep my head down so we stay safe. Wait for him to make his move.

I’d been quiet for so long, I forgot what it felt like to scream.

Stifling my voice might be wise, but it hurt nonetheless. I watched Leif adjust the fit of his black jacket, then check the sun’s position before aiming himself. To my dismay, he aimed east.

I spoke before he could leave. “Has no one told you not to make deals with the stone gods? It never ends well.”

Leif chuckled. “Where did you hear that, a book?”

I kept my mouth shut.

“That’s how a weak person thinks. Trust me, if you see a stone god, you should make a deal with them. The labyrinth rewards those brave enough to take control of their destiny, not the cowardly who hide from anything that might be frightening.”

I sensed him leaving again, so I turned away as well. I wielded my axe like a walking stick, driving it into the ground as I backed from Leif, up the hill toward the abandoned manor. When I glanced back, he walked the other way.

Dusk spilled its warm light over the sprawling labyrinth, while I tucked away everything I’d learned from Leif into the back of my mind to mull over later. It would have to wait. Clark stood at the doorstep of the manor, staring into the forest as if he was debating shouting my name.

I waved before he could, and his body relaxed.

“Where were you?” he asked.

“Searching for food. I found nothing. You?”

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