“And?”
“And those who call me ‘sire,’ I created.”
I slowed to a stop, my hand sliding free from his arm. “Created?”
“Created might not be the correct term per se. Alive. I have kept them alive.”
“They are human.” My brother would have been one of them, trapped in death’s clutches until Astaroth allowed it to end. My feet moved on their own and Astaroth kept my slow pace as I processed his answer.
“I was young when my power began to make itself known. I wanted a playmate, someone who looked like me. That was the first time the shadow appeared. Curious, I walked through it and stumbled into your world. As I learned how to use it, I would bring them here to run the labyrinth with me and play.”
“Please tell me you didn’t know what would happen to them.”
“I didn’t know.”
I let out a breath of relief.
“Some became lost in the labyrinth, and I thought they went back home. Others grew tired and laid down for naps. I would tell them I would return only to find them gone or goblins in their place. When I finally realized what was happening, I tested it. Tried to prevent it from occurring.”
I thought about a young Astaroth holding my brother hostage. He was too old to be a playmate for Kaiden. Just as I was about to voice that, another thought shoved its way to the forefrontof my mind. One I hadn’t thought of until now. “How did you change my brother back if you can’t do it for any of the others?”
“I didn’t,” he admitted. “By that time, my power had grown enough, humans could be in the realm for a while before changing. I altered his appearance with my magic.”
I spun on him. “I didn’t lose!”
“I never said you did.” He kept walking. “I said you cheated.”
“But I didn’t! You did!”
Astaroth faced me and took a step forward. “Regardless, you made a deal with me, and now you are here. I thought we were past this?”
The tip of my finger stabbed his chest. “Kaiden didn’t have anything to do with this, did he? You did this on purpose.”
He cupped my neck and pulled me against me. My stomach twisted into nervous knots as his thumb stroked my jaw, and his lips came closer to mine.
“That’s why any of us do anything.”
“Don’t spit philosophical fae bullshit at me, buddy.” He had a way of breaking his own spells over me. Irritated, I pushed away from him. “Tell me the truth.”
“We’re here.”
Confused, I looked around him. Walls similar to the labyrinth, but several feet shorter, surrounded us. Beyond it lay a dense forest of vines and other plants. They writhed and slithered with excitement as I stepped forward. It looked nothing like the peaceful vision I’d had while looking in Astaroth’s eyes.
“This can’t be it,” I mumbled. The stone flared to life. Warmth spread over my chest, the epicenter scalding me through my shirt. “Ouch!”
In the blink of an eye, Astaroth stood in front of me, his arms spread slightly out and back creating a barrier between me and the garden that had rushed out to greet us. “You can never enter this place alone. Do you understand?” he said over his shoulder.
I peeked under his arm and inched backward. The plants had mouths. The deeper I looked, the more I saw gaping open with sharklike teeth, smacking their little traps open and shut while they writhed at our feet like cobras. And were they… hissing?
“How do we get past them?”
“They require an offering.” Astaroth pulled a dagger from his boot.
All the little hairs rose on my neck and down my arms. “Like a sacrifice? Because I’m not down for that. Can’t you warp speed us inside? Why do we even walk around here when you can do that thing you do?”
The slow curl of his lip when he faced me made my knees twitch. He raised the knife up, and I almost fell over myself backing away. Little mouths stretched wide behind him. With a swift movement I barely caught, he sliced his finger open. Blood rushed to the surface and began a steady drip. Astaroth held out his hand as if coaxing a tiny animal toward him. Those weird carnivorous blooms wiggled over like playful puppies and popped up at knee level. He dropped a single bead of blood into their awaiting mouths before turning to me.
“Your turn.” He pinched the knife blade and extended the handle to me.
