Page 38 of Of Monsters and Mazes

“What about the hints about navigating the purple section? Or opening the door to the blue one? What about holding my hand and keeping me warm?” Now I was bargaining for his feelings. He was showing me who he was, and I didn’t want to believe him. Maybe one day I’d learn love and respect was something that was supposed to be given freely without being asked for. No matter how old I got, I still lived in that same toxic cycle. Recognizing it never seemed to change it.

“I only did that because you were never going to figure it out on your own, and you were shivering too much, and it was irritating.” He attempted, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m only so patient, Butterfly.”

“But it would have served your mission better to just have me endlessly searching for the entrance to the maze, wouldn’t it?” This argument was too easy to poke holes in. “Why say anything at all? I wouldn’t have been in danger circling the maze, and Jericho would have won with no required effort from you.” I glanced down at his abdomen, where a visible burn still lingered on his skin from where he’d been gored. Yet another hit he took in my stead. “You wouldn’t have gotten hurt for me.”

“W-well.” He stumbled, still not making eye contact. “I would have gotten bored if you didn’t at least make some progress. Seventy-Two hours is a long time to watch someone flounder on step one. Helping you do simple things doesn’t mean I was going to get you through.”

“And the marks on my arms?” I demanded next, thrusting both forearms forward with every dot from every nail on display.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he tugged at the scarf draped over his shoulders and chest. “Why are we even having this argument? I just told you the truth, and you’re trying to make it into a lie for your own comfort and ego.” Funny how he was so quick to try to change the subject. “Your delusions don’t change reality.”

“It matters because you’re the only friend I have in this place.” I shouted in exasperation, louder than I’d intended. Because I was used to men saying they loved me while treating me like garbage, and not used to men claiming to not care, while treating me like something precious. I cursed every synapse in my brain that couldn’t just find a guy who treated me like he cared and openly admitted it. Why I was so ready to fight every uphill battle for affection, like love was just one more me-against-them challenge to conquer.

Theron’s eyes widened near imperceptibly, then he closed them hastily. “I’m not.” He said, slow and steady. At long last, he met my gaze again. “I’m a devil just like everyone else in this realm. I’m not anyone’s friend.”

I shook my head in flagrant denial. “Bull shit.” Despite knowing better, I refused to back down now. His argument was weak, and I didn’t have anyone else to help me through this. As badass and independent as I might have felt in the corporate world, I had none of those illusions in a death trap full of magic. I was woman enough to admit when I’d been humbled, at least in this extreme situation.

“Believe what you want. But if you’re going to keep following me around, then don’t be surprised if you don’t make it to the castle and lose your precious little Pumpkin because you were foolish enough to believe in me.”

I knew it. “So you’re not even going to abandon me now? You’re going to keep helping me out and protecting me while pretending you want nothing to do with me? What are you going to do? Wait until I’m at Jericho’s doorstep to tie me up?”

“I’m not having this conversation.” Naturally he avoided that, too. “Can we go now?”

“Go? Go where? The right direction? Are you my guide now? Just going to show me the way and murder any monsters that threaten me?” I pushed again, and that made his face twitch.

“Is that a problem?” His frankness took me aback, and I just stared at him, open mouthed, like a dumb fish. “Here’s how I see it. You can take that newfound knowledge and brave the Labyrinth alone from here, with no risk of me betraying you and only your own strength to rely on in our realm of fucked up immortals, or you can ignore it, let me fight off all the monsters, keep you out of harm’s way, and give you pointers, so when you get to the end, you’re as alive as you are bitter and disappointed. Your choice, Butterfly.”

I had no rebuttal. This was confusing as fuck. The signals weren’t even mixed. They were clear as day, the terms were spelled out in big block letters, and I still didn’t know what to think.

“Now if you’re done freaking out, the way to the Yellow Sector is this way. I hate this place, and I’d like to move on.” He said way too nonchalantly.

“Okay.” I squeaked in defeat.

“That’s what I thought.” Theron chuckled, and the smile returned to his face. That expression suited him. The scars that split his cheeks made every grin appear oh so vicious, but if you looked a little closer, the real, honest, gentleness was easy to see. He started walking deeper into the Green Sector, staying ahead of me this time, putting himself between myself and any obstacles that might arise. It was a quiet gesture that meant more than he probably realized.

Or maybe it was just one more thing I was reading into more than I should.

I frowned as I caught up to him. Nothing was resolved, and I was still fuming, yet I followed him because what other choice did I really have?

I had no idea what this segment was going to consist of, but I’d be damned if I was going to brave it alone. Actions spoke louder than words, they always told me. Today, I’d trust his actions. Maybe tomorrow, he’d reconsider his words.

I walked just subtly behind him, and we started navigating the twists and turns with careful precision. The rows felt particularly narrow in this section, between the tall grass at our feet, and the overgrowth of ivy along the walls. The temperatures had returned to something livable, however, bordering on tropical and humid, and I didn’t mind sweating a little. The halls smelled like a mossy forest, while I vaguely detected something akin to lilac in the distance. Every stretch felt so different. I knew there were dangers, and of course I was on edge, but the fact that this place looked more like spring time than hell lulled me into a sense of security.

“How’s your leg?” Theron asked, still scanning ahead of us. I wasn’t about to mention that he was supposed to be letting me lead, so I could fuck this whole thing up, and he could just watch on the sidelines.

“My leg?” It took a ten count before the reasoning for his question dawned on me, and my eyes widened at the realization. I’d been so hopped up on adrenaline, and then so angry at Theron, that I’d totally forgotten I’d taken an icicle through my shin. How it was possible to forget something that should have crippled me had me frozen in my tracks.

“Yes, your leg. You’ve been walking and moving fine since we got here, so I’m assuming it’s not bothering you.” He knitted his brows together, while I remained at a total loss for how to respond to that.

I glanced down at my calf, and I examined the area where Theron had cauterized the wound. At least I was pretty certain I was looking at the right spot. It was hard to say, since there was no sign of a gash or a burn or anything. Blood had crusted over on my skin and dried in a dark reddish brown, serving as the only verification that it had happened.

“It’s… fine.” I spoke through heavy pauses. “It’s fine?” I asked next, like I was waiting for him to explain what magic caused this. “Why is it fine?” I nudged him, in case he didn’t pick up on my confusion the first time. In hindsight, I also no longer felt the bumps on my head from hitting into overhangs in the violet section, or the scrapes on my legs from my time in the bone pile.

Theron rubbed the place on his abdominal muscles where his own burn was still healing. The scabbed over hole was nearly gone, but it was still slightly visible. Conversely, mine was completely healed.

“I don’t know.” The expression on his face was conflicted yet nondescript at the same time. I had no clue what he was thinking, but I gathered he was genuinely baffled.

“What do you mean you don’t know? How do you not understand how this place works when you’ve been around since ‘the dawn of consciousness.’” I said mockingly, recalling the last time he’d bragged about how old and decrepit he was, like that made him so wise and authoritative.