Page 81 of Of Monsters and Mazes

Damn.

“Gods, you two are precious.” Alessi stepped in between them, draping an arm around each of their shoulders, and pulling them involuntarily closer together. Both men glared at each other despite the interloper. “We should do this more often.”

“You guys are all ridiculous.” I shook my head as we arrived at a massive red door. I stopped in my tracks and stared at the blood colored barrier of heavy metal.

The door was massive, covered in straight lines of rivets that sewed together steel panels. A pattern of blood spatter and streams colored each panel in a different shade of dark copper.

“So this is the Red Sector. Does anyone want to give me any hints as to what to expect from this one?”

I turned to my companions, but suddenly no one had anything to say. Funny how that works.

With a sigh, I turned back to the door, and I grabbed the handle. The door was heavy, and even putting my whole body into it, it barely budged. I butted my shoulder against the wall, and I pushed off the ground for leverage. The mud gave under the pressure, and I was slipping back more than the heavy barrier was moving forward. At best, I was making headway by millimeters at a time. I huffed and puffed and pushed and huffed some more. The clock kept ticking, and I was starting to worry I’d run out of time just trying to get this door open.

“Want some help with that.” Rai’s voice, so low and gravelly in my ear, made me jump, while his suddenly too close body heat made me blush. He placed a single hand on the face of the steel panel, and his forearm muscles tensed and flexed as he nudged the whole thing open effortlessly.

I guess I was an arm person now, because goddamn that did something for me.

“Thanks.” We shared a small smile between us, and I was so glad he was helping me.

We stepped through the gateway and entered the final sector of the Labyrinth. This one wouldn’t end at a simple door, but it would take us to a staircase that led to the castle.

And then it would just be me and Jericho and my Pumpkin.

But I couldn’t get ahead of myself. I still had this challenge to overcome.

The Red Sector was back to tight corridors and cobblestone, but the walls appeared to belong to concrete homes, and the red wasn’t as vivid as the colors were in the other segments. Similar to the door, the tone was more a dark copper, and the color was inconsistent—some spots being darker and some being lighter. Near windows, there were often corners of the concrete where it looked like the painters had missed some spots.

“My mother’s blood paints every wall of this sector.” Rai informed me when he saw me glancing around. “A splash of every tribute that came before you fills in the gaps.”

“I see.” I skimmed my fingers over the wall, then examined my fingertips. It was about ten seconds before I gasped, realizing I’d just touched a wall painted in dried blood like it was fascinating and not vile.

This place has ruined me.

“It’s so empty and quiet.” I said as we rounded a corner and came upon a fork in the pathway.

“Is it?” Alessi had his Fox ears flattened against his head and his brow furrowed. “I suppose it would be for you.”

When I glanced at Rai, he was covering his ears with his whole hands, and he looked like he was in agony. Theron seemed fine enough by comparison.

“What are you guys hearing?” As always, I was the only one who didn’t have the extra special something that let me understand.

“The voices of the dead.” Theron said as he took his place by my side. He set a hand on my shoulder, sharing both warmth and a sense of calm and reassurance. “Though their souls have moved on, this sector emits what’s essentially a recording of the last screams, words, or sobs of each person who makes up the paint on the walls. But the only people who can hear those cries are the ones who killed them.” A gentle smile painted his lips. “You’re too innocent to hear anything here.” He tipped his chin towards Rai. “But the Red Sector is deafening when you’re the Minotaur.”

“You don’t look bothered though.” I met his eyes.

Theron chuckled. “That’s because my victims all died in their sleep.”

Alessi pawed at his ears in irritation, before he shifted to human ears so he could better cover them. Rai dug his fingers into his head like his skull was splitting apart. Feeling bad for him, I slipped out of Theron’s hold and jogged over to Rai’s side. I stroked his back with massaging pressure, and he stilled to let me, leaning into my hand like I was his only salvation. I did the same for Alessi, eliciting a catlike purr from deep in his chest.

I couldn’t help but giggle at the way they both felt like pets enjoying a quick scratch.

“If this is the worst of the Red Sector, it shouldn’t be too hard.” I called to Theron over my shoulder with a grin.

He said nothing. Just nodded back to me in confirmation.

The clock was always ticking in the sky, but for once, I felt like I had more than enough time.

Chapter 45