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As much as I try to deny the feeling, her words hurt me. Is the way I see things really so wrong? Is it wrong to feel empathy and to condemn the idea of people dying for the sake of blood feuds and a sense of duty? Mr. Jameson’s voice snaps me out of my reverie, and I look up.
“Miss Cunningham. It’s time!”
A door opens behind us, and Claire steps through it. She looks proud and shows no sign of fear. She strides purposefully toward the fire. What’s she thinking right now? Is she no longer afraid? Is she not intimidated by the sight of the flames that are about to engulf her? I bet she is. I’m still picturing the fearful Claire who doesn’t want to die. But right now, she shows none of that.
“If you’re a goddess, you have nothing to fear,” announces the examiner. He almost sounds benevolent. “You’ll know the way through the fire labyrinth. Your task is to find the spindle that once belonged to Clotho. The spindle is hidden somewhere in the labyrinth and will call to you. When you touch it, the test will end, and the flames will disappear.”
They actually got their hands on a spindle that once belonged to the goddesses? I glance at the Fabricis and wonder whether it was them who had this object in their possession and made it available for the test. It wouldn’t surprise me.
“Do you understand?” Mr. Jameson asks Claire.
She looks over the rows of spectators, spots her mother, and nods. Her gaze stops on me for a moment too, then she quickly turns around to face the labyrinth.
“You should be prepared for anything,” the examiner warns her before wishing her luck.
He steps aside, and Claire walks forward without hesitation. She looks undaunted as she strides toward the labyrinth, as stoic as a mechanical doll. But I’m sure she’s feeling very different on the inside. She made that clear a few minutes ago, standing at the window. Nobody is willing to give up their life for a task like this. Not even someone who’s spent their whole life preparing for it. I desperately hope that Claire will make it. At that moment, she reaches the flaming labyrinth.
Chapter 32
Claire’s figure is silhouetted by the roaring flames. Her steadfast posture and the power she radiates make her look like a goddess. A goddess facing her doom.
She doesn’t turn around. No backward glance at her family, sitting in the audience like statues devoid of emotion, watching her with stony faces. Could anything hold me back if that was my daughter? I can’t imagine ever letting my own child face that kind of danger.
A few more steps and Claire disappears behind the burning walls. I can’t see her and have no idea what she’s dealing with now.
Two birds rise up and fly over the labyrinth. They’re obviously key spirits, probably belonging to two of the Council members. I guess they’re supposed to keep an eye on what’s happening.
“She keeps turning and looking around,” says a corpulent woman with a crooked nose. “The heat from the fire is clearly getting to her. She’s trying to keep clear of it and move quickly.”
“Yes, it looks pretty haphazard,” agrees a man a few seats over. “She needs to proceed more calmly and methodically; otherwise, she’ll never make it.” The man’s dark hair is slicked back, and he has a cold hard stare. I look up at the two birds circling above the labyrinth. The two Council members must be merged with their spirits enough to see through their eyes. A very useful talent. I wish I could see what Claire’s doing right now. Not knowing is awful, and horrible images flash through my head. The silence that has descended on the rows of spectators also depresses the mood. All that can be heard is the crackling fire, which sends out spooky noises into the night.
“Another dead end,” the woman comments quietly.
At that moment, I hear a shrill scream that chills me to the bone.
“That looked painful,” says the black-haired man. “She seems hopelessly lost.”
The woman nods sadly. “She certainly doesn’t seem to be drawing on her powers, judging by the aimless way she’s wandering around.”
Another scream rings out, so plaintive, desperate, and frightened that I’m tempted to jump out of my seat. But Ms. Fabrici turns to me quickly and shakes her head. So I take a deep breath and try not to imagine how much Claire is suffering down there.
The minutes pass. The heat of the fire is growing unbearable even for me. Are the flames becoming more fierce? I clench my fists in my lap and try to calm myself.
We don’t hear another sound from Claire. Is she still alive? I glance at the two Council members. Surely they would have said something if Claire was mortally wounded. A gentle breeze carries the smell of smoke and ash to us. The crackle of the fire fills the silence. How much longer will this spectacle go on?
I focus intently on the labyrinth and try to make out any movement through the walls of fire. Can I see Claire anywhere? Suddenly, something catches my eye. I let my gaze wander back along the ground. Yes, there! Something snaking and twisting along the ground. A golden thread of light, the end of which extends a short way out of the entrance to the labyrinth. Could it be? Is that a destiny thread? Is it Claire’s?
Another scream rings out, rasping and agonized. I can hear the desperation in it but also her flagging strength. No, that thread can’t be hers. The scream came from somewhere else. Then whose is it?
The spindle, I realize. It belonged to the goddess Clotho, and she used it to spin the destiny threads. What if it still has a thread on it? That must be it! The examiner said that the spindle would show her the way.
“Claire has to follow it,” I mutter to myself. “She just needs to be able to see it.”
“Claire won’t last much longer,” says the man. “It’ll be over soon.”
His words pierce my heart, and I jump up. How can all these Council members – and Claire’s family – just sit there and do nothing? She’s dying. I look back at Claire’s mother and see the apprehension in her face. It’s clearly costing her immense effort to hold herself back, but she does just that. She’s not moving.
Ms. Fabrici’s hand shoots out and grabs my arm. “Sit down. Nobody can help her. If you go into the labyrinth, you’ll die along with her.”
