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Sofie hurried to catch up, her lips parting to demand he continue the story. Before the words could leave her lips, however, a burst of magic shuddered through the maze. Ryshi cursed, already bracing himself as the earth beneath their feet abruptly disappeared and they were falling through an endless blackness.
Chapter 9
Levet licked the sticky cinnamon goodness from his lips as he polished off the last of the apple pie. He couldn’t deny that he was enjoying himself. Halfway through the lavish feast, he forgot about the gathered onlookers and even the fact that he’d been more or less kidnapped. The meal had been delicious and there was a welcome warmth flowing through his veins.
As if he was floating in a warm bath.
He was slumping in his seat, drifting into a lovely snooze, when Joya abruptly appeared beside him, holding a large pitcher in her hand.
“More ale?”
Levet roused himself, leaning forward to grab his mug. He hadn’t even realized it was empty. In fact, he had no memory of how many times he’d emptied it only to have it quickly filled to the brim by the hovering Joya.
More than was precisely wise.
At least a part of his delicious haze was directly connected to the ale he’d consumed.
“It is delicious,” he said, watching as she poured the deep amber liquid into the mug.
“We brew it ourselves.”
Levet lifted the mug toward his lips. He caught the unmistakable scents of hops and yeast and malt.
“Does it have magic in it?” he asked.
Joya looked confused. “Why do you ask?”
Taking a deep gulp, Levet leaned forward to replace the mug on the tray in front of him. He grunted as he nearly slid off the chair. Desperately flapping his wings, he managed to avoid the embarrassment of tumbling off the throne.
“I seem to have lost my balance.” He leaned back, lifting his hand to touch the center of his face. “And I cannot feel my snout. Is it still there?”
“Yes, it’s there.”
Levet continued to poke at his face. “In this area?”
Joya blinked. “It is attached in the proper place.”
“Thank the goddess.” Levet blew out a huge sigh of relief. “I would be sad if I had misplaced it.”
There was an awkward silence, as if Joya was trying to decide if Levet was playing some sort of joke on her. When Levet simply stared at her in a daze, she lifted her hand and motioned toward the corner of the arena.
“We have prepared entertainment for you,” she announced.
“Oh.” With a blink, Levet watched the massive minotaurs leap and twirl toward the center of the arena. They were wearing heavy crimson cloaks that looked like something a human matador would wear and thick boots that created small clouds of dust as the dancers moved in perfect unison. “I am not to perform?”
Joya sent him a startled glance. “Do you wish to?”
“My balls are quite spectacular.”
“I…um…I’m sure they are.”
Levet smiled. Or least he tried to smile. His lips were now as numb as his snout. It made it difficult to know exactly what they were doing.
“I can twirl them and make them float and—”
“Perhaps another occasion,” Joya suggested, grabbing him by the shoulders as he swayed and smacked his head against the side of the throne. “For tonight you should rest and prepare yourself.”
“You might be right,” Levet ruefully conceded. “My balance has gone missing along with my snout.”
