My stomach growls loudly and the pacing and bleating stops. “Shit, he heard my damn stomach.”
“I guess any time we had to come up with a plan is gone. Let’s finish this and finally be done. One way or another.” Jayden pulls me in for a searing kiss.
“Beth,” Adrian calls softly. “You can do this. Just follow your instincts. I know you’ll make the right choice.”
“Don’t you start with me too, Adrian. There is no choice at this point. We haven’t come this far to fuck it all up in the end.” I run a hand down my face.
“There is no choice. You and Nereus need to stop pushing her. The only choice is to end this once and for all,” Jayden snarls, crowding Adrian.
“I know, but my dad and the fates were screaming in my head, telling me to remind her.” Adrian shakes his head.
I step between them, putting my hands on each of their chests and shoving them back. “Stop fighting. Forget Apollo, Nereus, and the fates. They aren’t here. They aren’t the ones who can save everything. We are, and we will all do whatever is necessary.”
“Sorry, baby. I’m sick of the pressure everyone is putting on you to make the right choice. You don’t have to fucking choose. The choice will always be the world.” Jayden kisses my forehead and pulls me into his arms.
“I don’t know that it will be that simple when it comes down to it,” I whisper.
A roar vibrates through the maze, and I flinch. He is searching for us. He’s coming to bring the fight to us, and we can’t let that happen.
“He’s coming, B,” Raven calls. “What do you want to do?”
“We need to head him off at the pass. I want to be at the door to the forge when we face him.” I spin out of Jayden’s arms and race in the direction of his hoof steps.
“Beth, wait. We need a plan.” Jayden jogs behind me.
“We don’t. We wing it like we do everything else.”
“Incoming,” Raven yells.
Thunderous hoof beats follow her warning, and the Minotaur roars a battle cry as he comes into view.
“Does he look bigger down here than normal?” I ask, tightening my grip on my weapons.
“Maybe it’s the enclosed space that’s making him appear bigger?” Jayden asks, unsure.
“Maybe? Or maybe this is part of what Artemis was saying about him being stronger?” I duck as a meaty fist swings for my head.
I kick out, cracking his knee and a bellow of pain rocks the maze as debris falls from the ceiling. I roll away as the Minotaur stomps his foot where my head just was.
“You think you can just stomp on me?” I laugh. “You remember the last couple times we fought? It’s not gonna be that easy.”
“How about we don’t taunt the overgrown fleabag,” Jayden shouts.
“But it’s so much fun.” I flick my whip out at the beast, electricity crackling along the edges.
It singes him but my electricity doesn’t work on him the way it does with other monsters, and he roars again, angry and agitated.
“I don’t think this is working, B.” Raven dodges when the beast swings on her. “We need to end this once and for all.”
“My electricity only works on him if there is water involved and like hell am I ever doing that again.” I stow my whip in the ether and adjust the grip on my sword.
The Minotaur lunges forward but I swipe my sword out keeping him back. A thin line of blood drips down his torso and steam pours from his snout as glowing red eyes regard me with hate.
“C’mon, asshole. You know I can beat you without my magic.” I lunge forward and the raging bull doesn’t have an opportunity to block.
I yank my blade from his arm and spin out of the way as he reaches out to crush me with his other hand. If he gets a hand on me, I’m dead. I have to keep moving.
“We need to cut off its head,” Raven shouts.
