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Clarity hits me. This must be my personal challenge, one that has been designed especially for me. The council was very specific in their instructions—no one can continue to the middle until they complete their task, so there’s no way out of this. I have no idea what it could be, and the only way to find out is to face it head-on.
Taking a deep breath, I raise both hands and press them to the door. The panel jerks and sinks in, and a tiny gap appears. Slipping my fingers into it, I pull with all my might, sliding the door open. It’s heavy, almost too heavy for me, and that’s with my werewolf strength, but I finally create a gap big enough for me to squeeze through.
It’s bright in here, like a spotlight is trained down on me, and I have to shield my eyes. The sound of stone on stone tells me that the door has closed behind me, trapping me in the room. A muffled noise catches my attention, like someone is trying to speak through a gag, but my eyes are still adjusting to the harsh light. Blinking away the stinging tears, I glance around until I find the source of the noise.
“No…” I whisper in horror.
My father is bound and gagged on the other side of the room.
I step forward to get to him, but I am dragged back by Star who grabs the back of my top. It’s a good thing she did, too, because when I drop my gaze from my father, I find a chasm only a couple of feet away. I creep forward to look down, gulping at the vast darkness that waits below.
Berating myself for acting without thinking, I force myself back.Think, Laelia, think, I tell myself, going over everything that’s been taught to me in the last few days.Don’t blindly run forward. Take in your surroundings and make a plan.Joel’s calm voice echoes in my mind, and I nod to myself. I look around to take everything in.
Sandstone walls surround us, and there are little holes in those walls, like something has burrowed into them. A shudder passes through me, and I quickly look away. I tilt my head back. We’re not in a room like I thought we were, because I find the open sky above us. If we have to, we can probably climb the walls to escape.
As I return my gaze to the chasm, pillars of stone jut up like platforms, creating stepping stones to get from one side to the other. There has to be more to it than this. Crossing some stones to untie my father seems too easy. Sure, they picked one of the people who means most to me in the world to unsettle me and make me react impulsively, and it almost worked. However, I’ve learned that the council are sadistic bastards, so there’s going to be something unexpected waiting for me.
Those muffled cries catch my attention again, and I look over at my father. He appears terrified, but if I know him, it won’t be for himself, but for me. A bruise colours his left eye, and his clothing is rumpled and torn, like he fought like hell when he was taken.
Not allowing my fear to consume me, I nod slowly as a plan forms in my mind. Calling on the strength of my wolf and the monstrous presence within me, I stand tall and step forward. This isn’t just about me finding Nicolai and getting us both out of the maze alive anymore. Now, it’s about rescuing my father.
I pause at the edge of the chasm, judging the distance to the first platform. They start off relatively close together, but towards the other side, they get farther apart. Blowing out a steadying breath, I send up a prayer to the goddess and jump.
As soon as my feet hit the platform, something changes. At first, I can’t tell what it is, but a strange buzzing sound fills my ears. Not seeing anything of concern, I jump across to the next platform. The noise gets louder, and I stumble on my next leap as I misjudge the distance. Scrabbling, I fall to one knee, gripping onto the platform with my heart in my throat.
The noise gets louder still, and I realise that it’s not buzzing, but scurrying, like a thousand insects are crawling towards me. I frantically check the walls and the holes I spotted earlier. Nothing. Maybe I’m imagining it, but whatever it is, I need to focus on getting to my father. Bracing my hands on the platform, I get both feet under me and steady myself, but before I fully stand up, something catches my attention.
Star growls behind me, but I’m too busy looking at the shifting darkness in the chasm below. Frowning, I narrow my eyes at the large mass as it appears to get closer. Something breaks away from the darkness, and I gasp in horror. Thousands of scorpions climb up the walls of the chasm and the pillars of stone. I leap across to the next platform and the next. My balance is off, but I keep moving, my legs twinging in pain as the distances get larger and my landings become harder.
The first of the scorpions have reached the platforms now, and I kick at them in panic as they scuttle towards me. My body hums as my fear triggers whatever magic I possess, and that presence rises. This time, she doesn’t try to take over. Instead, she guides me as power floods my body.
Do not be afraid of your power, sister. Allow it to flow, an ancient, powerful voice whispers in my mind. Suddenly, I see the power flowing inside me, and I am taken aback by how much of it I possess. I can only access a tiny portion of it, but I know it will be more than enough. I have no idea how to form or shape it, so let it blast out of me.
A shockwave of pure power explodes from me, clearing my platform and the one ahead of scorpions, blowing them into the chasm. However, it also has an effect on the platforms, and the soft sandstone crumbles away. Cursing, I leap over to the next one. I’m just contemplating how I’m going to get across to the next when a monstrous scorpion climbs up the side of the chasm. It has to be as big as a fully grown male in length. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Instead of turning its attention to me, it scuttles towards my father. The sharp spikes of its feet make a clicking noise as its tail uncurls and rises, poising the stinger, already gleaming with a drop of poison, high in the air.
I thought I’d been afraid before, but it’s nothing like the paralyzing fear I feel as I watch it move towards the male who’s looked after me my entire life.
Move!the presence orders, snapping me from my stupor. Looking down at my hands, I visualise my power and try to blast it forward to knock the scorpion away from him, but it doesn’t go far enough, only clearing the next couple of platforms. Gritting my teeth, I summon all my strength and leap, stumbling as I land, but I don’t allow myself to stop as I push forward to the next pillar. The next platform is covered in smaller scorpions, but I don’t have time to try and get my magic to work.
The distance is a lot farther now, and as I push off the ledge, everything seems to move in slow motion. It feels like I’m flying as I hover over the chasm, every second stretched out.
It’s during this time that the scorpion raises its tail, and I can only watch as it jabs the stinger down and into my father’s heart.
ChapterEight
Time returns to its regular speed as I land on the pillar.
“No!” I scream, my voice raw. It feels like my heart’s being ripped from my chest as I watch my father spasm, his eyes bulging with pain as venom is pumped into his body. His skin turns purple, and he sags, falling to the side as the scorpion removes its stinger with a violent jerk.
I’m surrounded by a mass of small scorpions, their tiny stingers jabbing into my legs as they climb up my body, but I ignore them. The pain of their sting is nothing compared to the agony I’m experiencing as I watch my father’s eyes slide closed, his body bloated and limp.
Power explodes out of me, blasting scorpions in all directions, and I can feel the darkness in me trying to take over, but I shove it back with a strength I didn’t know I possessed. I need to get to my father, and that overrides everything inside me. Thankfully, that huge blast of power has cleared a path for me, and I speed forward, jumping the platforms like they are nothing. A blade of starlight forms in my hand once more, only this time it extends from a dagger into a sword, which I swing at the large scorpion. The biggest threat to me is its tail, so that’s the first thing I aim for, slicing straight through it. The beast releases a high-pitched screech as its stinger and main weapon fall to the floor.
It immediately spins, snapping its razor-sharp pincers at me. Jumping back, I twist and bend to the side, moving like I’ve been training my whole life as I let my instincts take over. Star howls behind me, pawing the edge of the chasm, unable to follow me over the platforms. However, I don’t think she could do much against a giant scorpion. Knowing I need to end this quickly, I focus on my opponent.
With a battle cry, I whirl around, avoiding it once more, and shift the grip on the sword before I bring it down on the gap between its head and the armoured scales on its back. The blade catches on something hard, jarring my arms and making me grit my teeth at the pain that jolts through me. It’s not a clean blow like I hoped, but thankfully, it’s enough. The creature shudders once, and then it collapses to the ground, unmoving.A strange, oily black blood oozes from its corpse, and my nose wrinkles at the smell wafting from it, but I only wait long enough to ensure that it really is dead.
