“Then we need to split up,” Elyria said, getting back to her feet. She scooped up her staff from where she had discarded it earlier and thrust one end into the ground, leaning into it as though she might collapse without the support. “I’m going after them.”
Kit stood. “We’ll go.” Her instantaneous assent had Elyria’s heart clenching. She only made it two steps before stopping again, however. Casting a nervous look between Zephyr and Gael, Kit said, “What if they need?—”
“I’ll stay.” Thraigg’s deep voice was uncharacteristically solemn.
Elyria gave the dwarf a nod of thanks. “Don’t proceed until she has recovered enough to move—not a moment before. We will find Cyren...and deal with Leona and Belien. And we’ll meet you on the other side.”
“I’ll go too.” Cedric’s voice was heavy with some emotion that made Elyria’s chest tighten. She couldn’t deal with that right now—didn’twantto. She knew she wasn’t being fair to him. She knew she was projecting, her own guilt over the role she’d played in Gael’s mutilation tearing at her heart.
She didn’t care.
“No,” she told him, and she thought he might have shuddered at the chill in her voice.Good.“You stay here with Gael. It’s the least you can do.”
And with a final look at the butchered wing laying on the grass, Elyria ran into the labyrinth.
30
IN THE LABYRINTH
ELYRIA
The narrow,suffocating corridors of the labyrinth were formed from more of the same tightly wound roots and vines as the outer wall. They were just as tall too, the tangled walls reaching the tips of the surrounding trees, towering over Elyria and Kit—an imposing maze.
Heavy, humid air covered them like a blanket, the light filtering in through the treetops overhead muted and overcast. There was no sign of the crisp air or fresh sunshine they’d experienced before crossing the threshold into the labyrinth. It was as if they had traveled to an entirely different place.
Kit at her heels, Elyria turned corner after corner, searching for a flash of blue hair or the glint of silver-white wings—any sign of Cyren. The further they ran, the deeper they went, the more things started to change.
Walls shifted, roots unraveling and reforming in a slow, deliberate dance that altered their route mid-step. More than once, they had to stop and change course as the path they’d been heading down came to an abrupt end.
The ground beneath them grew uneven, dirt giving way to jagged stone. Elyria kept her staff in hand, her eyes continually scanning their disorienting surroundings. She was alert, focused...but she also couldn’t help the sinking feeling of hopelessness that was starting to press on her shoulders. They were already so, so lost.
“I don’t like this,” Kit said, her voice low as she followed close behind Elyria.
“Neither do I. Stay close and be ready for anything.”
They slowed their pace as the ground began to slope downward. The thick walls of root and thorn started to morph as well, soon replaced by long stretches of smooth, solid stone.
Elyria knew they were still technically outside, that the sky was still somewhere overhead. But there was something about the construct of the labyrinth that felt familiar too. It reminded her of the winding hallways she found herself traversing the night before last, when she’d met Cedric in the moonlight.
The narrow pathways widened. The air grew cooler. The ambient light filtering from above dimmed. The walls and pathways continued shifting. If the maze already had them this turned around, they would have no chance of locating Cyren once they were wandering around in the dark.
Thankfully, they wouldn’t have to find out.
Elyria’s breath caught in her throat. Like something out of a dream, the cool stone on either side of the passage began to shimmer, reflecting a kaleidoscope of color.
Whatever stone was used to build this part of the labyrinth, whatever magic it held within, was absolutely breathtaking. Even in the dimming light, a rainbow of hues danced across its iridescent surface.
Luminous.
Otherworldly.
Like the aurora itself had been snatched from the sky and held within.
It was incredibly beautiful. And, for some reason, deeply unsettling.
Kit extended a hand toward the stone, brushing her fingers against its surface, equally transfixed.
The distant sound of rattling rock drew Elyria’s gaze away from the mesmerizing walls. “We have to keep moving.”
