Page 59 of Quarter Labyrinth

I’d like the arrows back.

“When I find whichever Stone God did this to us, I’m going to murder them,” I breathed.

“We jump on three. One, two, three.” Leif and I flung ourselves over nothingness to land on the next stone. Pain roared in my side. I gritted my teeth together as Leif counted again. “One, two…”

We threw ourselves onto the next stone.

A strong wind came as soon as our feet touched down, threatening to grab us in its snares to throw us over the edge. I tried to be grateful the intense heat had gone, but it was hard to summon gratitude when we could still die.

“It wasn’t the Silver Queen or Lady Luck,” Leif said as we waited for the wind to die down. “They’ve both marked me as their favorite.”

So he was the second marked by Lady Luck. And the sole chosen competitor from the Silver Queen. I glanced to the tattoos of wheat and a fish on his ankle.

“Must be nice. Plus you’re working with Dimitri.”

He grinned, like he’d forgotten I knew that. “That’s right. Three Stone Gods, plus my father’s wealth to buy whatever food, drinks, weapons, or potions I want. No one else stands a chance.”

I glanced down. “All it would take is for me to jump, and you’d fall too. All your father’s wealth or the stone gods couldn’t save you from that.”

His smile withered. “No, they certainly hadn’t accounted for you.” His sight dropped to my necklace. “Are you going to tell me where you got that yet?”

I tucked it away. “The wind stopped. Jump in three, two, one.”

We jumped.

“Come on,” he said as he righted himself. “You don’t look the type to steal necklaces from dead bodies. I’m just curious how one of the Lord of the Isle’s necklaces ended up in your hands.”

“I’m glad you brought up Callahan. Do you plan to kill your dear godfather for Dimitri’s sake?”

I knew more about Dimitri now—about how he’d created this labyrinth when he bled himself into magic found in a garden, how the first winner used his wish to bind Dimitri to the woods and marry the girl Dimitri loved, and how their descendant became Callahan’s line.

About how Dimitri wanted revenge, all these years later.

And somehow, he thought Leif could get it for him.

“Is that it? Dimitri helps you win, and you’ll kill Callahan for him?”

He studied me. “I’ll tell you my deal with Dimitri if you tell me about the necklace.”

My secret was worth far more than his. We jumped again. I debated a lie to convince Leif of where I’d found the necklace, anything to appease him so I could hear more about his dealings with Dimitri, when I spotted something ahead.

“We are almost to the end!” At last, I’d be reunited with the proper ground.

We jumped across the last few stones, but it wasn’t the end. Not quite. A wall a few feet taller than Leif blocked us from the final platform. We could see the end but until we crossed the wall, we wouldn’t reach it.

“I’ll help you over first,” Leif said, already twining his fingers together for me to step into.

I threw my sword, axe, and bag over first, then stepped into his hands. He hoisted me high enough to claw my way to the top, before the chain snapped tight. “You have to climb at the same time,” I called as I hung there. “The chain won’t stretch far enough.”

From the sound of it, Leif had jumped high enough to grab the ledge beside me. He heaved himself upward.

My headache throbbed. My side seared. Yet pride gave me enough strength to haul myself to the top of the ledge on my own, panting as I sat beside him.

“You first,” Leif said, swinging one leg over the side of the wall. We straddled it, facing each other, while the entire world sat below us. “The necklace?”

“What makes you so sure I didn’t pluck it off a dead body?”

“Doesn’t seem your style. But I’m going to sweeten the deal. I’ll give you fifty coppers if you give me the necklace along with the honest truth of how it came to you, and in return, I tell you about Dimitri.”

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