Page 36 of A Tempest of Shadows

When Ryker turned away, I stared at his back as I tried to will the fire in my face out, but it wasn’t working. It would mortify my mother if she knew what I’d said to him and what passed between us.

It would also be the thing she was least horrified about if she ever learned her precious, wild daughter was also the Hooded Robber. She’d probably die and then roll over in her grave before popping out and dying again.

Joining him on this hunt and spending more time with this man was a bad idea, but my pride refused to let me turn back without knowing the answer to this maze. And my common sense told me continuing to go alone could spell my doom.

I’d made some pretty bad choices in my life, like becoming the Hooded Robber, but I wasn’t ready to die, especially not in this place. I refused to be the ten minutes worth of entertainment King Ivan and the higher-ranking aristocrats would get out of watching him carry out my body.

I glanced at the fallen knife before picking it up. It might not be my best decision, considering Ryker was on the hunt for the Hooded Robber, and I’d stolen the weapon, but I couldn’t leave it behind.

My biggest weapon in this maze was my lightning, but that was a surefire way to get myself killed, imprisoned, bred, or something equally awful.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Ryker

I glanced back at Ellery as the sun sank lower. Despite the blood streaking her cheek and staining her dress, she didn’t look at all deterred by her surroundings. Her shoulders remained back, and her eyes were watchful as they darted around the bushes.

The setting sun brought out the streaks of chestnut and chocolate in her dark hair. The cyan blue of her eyes stood starkly out against the deepening shadows.

When her eyes settled on me and narrowed, I felt her irritation. I bit back a smile when her gaze shifted away once more. She was a prickly, stubborn thing, and while it irritated me, I also liked it.

From somewhere outside the maze, a horn blew. We both stopped walking and turned toward the sound on our right.

Judging by the noise, we’d traversed at least a mile over the past three hours, if not further away from the party. How big is this thing?

“It’s over,” Ellery murmured.

Despite knowing we couldn’t find the bowl and make it out of here in time, her shoulders slumped, and her eyes closed. I could feel the disappointment radiating off her.

From what I remembered of her manor, it appeared prosperous. It was in good condition, clean, and the fields, while covered in snow, were vast.

I didn’t know what happened to change that, but she looked so defeated I almost rested my hand on her shoulder to comfort her. I stopped myself from doing so. It was a simple touch, but I didn’t want that level of intimacy with anyone.

“Are you going to turn back?” I asked her.

She glanced toward the darkening sky before shaking her head. “I’ve come too far to turn back now.”

And so had I. Turning away from her, I continued deeper into the maze.

Along the way, we encountered more snakes and rodents, but it was quieter in this section. For all I knew, that meant we were leaving this nightmare, heading back the way we’d come, or almost to the center of the labyrinth.

We took a few more twists and turns, hit another dead end and turned back, twisted around some more, and stopped when the hedges gave way to a vast expanse of garden with opulent benches and chairs set around it. Blooms were unfurling on some trees while others were full of flowers.

Many of the bushes didn’t have flowers yet, but their buds were thick and heavy as they prepared to open. The different blooms were a vibrant splash of color against the growing dusk.

An ornate bowl sat on a concrete stand in the center of the maze. The bowl’s reds, greens, and yellows caught the setting sun and cast their hues across the lush grass.

Ellery tensed, but instead of walking over to the bowl, she strode across the clearing to one of the benches and sat. She rested her hands on her lap as she stared at the bowl.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“How many amsirah have made it this far and witnessed how beautiful this is? Do you think King Ivan has ever come here?”

“No. Never.”

“Do you think King Leonidas ever came here?”

I glanced around the beautiful space. It was so tranquil, and the challenge of locating it was something Leo would have enjoyed.