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We’re still a good couple hundred feet away from the maze when the front gate of the palace walls bursts open.
More warriors arrive from the town, pushing their way in to avenge their king. Emitting battle cries, they shove each other as if they’re fighting for the lead. They all want to be the ones to get to us first. To have the honor of exacting justice.
Among those in the front is a guy with a blond mohawk and black paint lining his eyes. He points his sword at us, and the alarm stops ringing just in time for me to hear him yell, “They murdered the king!”
There’s a chorus of, “Traitors!”
“What are we going to do about it?” someone else shouts, getting the men even more riled up.
“Kill them both,” everyone chants over and over again, with a few suggestions on how to make it agonizing for us.
We keep running in the only direction we’re not blocked—straight for the maze exit.
I suppress a fearful whimper when the ravenous roses come into view. They’re still wriggling, reaching, and snapping their teeth. The opening is narrow and scary, but it’s not an option to go around to the side where the entrance is because the soldiers are already there.
“Can you fly?” I ask Kai. “You could take us to the courtyard.”
Letting out a pained grunt, he sluggishly releases his wings from his torn-up back. The gray leathery sheets are slashed and limp, hanging like ripped flags blowing in the breeze behind him.
I wince.
That’s a no.
“What about you?” he asks, scanning me. “You probably wouldn’t be strong enough to fly us both away, but you could go by yourself.”
“I’m not leaving you. Besides, I can’t fly because I have no wings. They never developed.”
That’s been a source of shame for me for a long time. I’m not the only human who’s never grown wings in Valora, but I didn’t even get little nubs. My back always remained the same, as if my body was protesting being fae.
Brandishing his two-sided axe and his machete, Kai seems to get a second wind. “We’ll have to chop our way through the flowers. Stay behind me.”
At least this time, the roses don’t have the element of surprise. We know what to expect when we collide with the violent hedges.
Spinning his weapons in a constant circle, Kai hits the greenery like he’s wielding two electrical Weed Eaters.
Stems get severed. Leaves go flying. Flowers are chopped off.
It’s a temporary fix because they begin growing back immediately, but we’re making progress as we go through the tunnel.
One rose near the top strikes out and gets a mouthful of Kai’s hair. My dagger is still in my hand, and I quickly reach up and slice it away before it can take a chunk of his scalp. A few bite at his pants, but I think the leather is too thick for them to actually get their teeth through it.
Just as we’re almost out, a thorny vine snags the skirt of my dress. The gauzy fabric rips easily, hardly giving any resistance.
Miraculously, I emerge without a scratch, and lucky for us, the guards aren’t immune to the rose gauntlet either.
Their hesitation to confront the obstacle allows Kai and me to gain some distance between us and them, and we arrive at the courtyard in record time. However, our enemies aren’t far behind. Some are coming into the maze from the entrance, and I can’t describe how disturbing it is to hear thousands of people joyfully shouting about your demise.
“We have to decide something!” I yell over the unnerving roar.
“I’m thinking.” Kai’s breathing is labored, his face is tight with a constant grimace, and he’s trembling a little.
He sways on his feet, and he looks like he might pass out.
“Kai, I’m here.” I squeeze his thigh, which is one of the only places he isn’t injured. “I’m right here with you.”
Men start filling the courtyard, and soon, we’re completely caged in. Every path is blocked.
I glance around at the vengeful faces, hoping to see one that shows me some grace.
