Labyrinth Wall (9780991531219) (3 page)

“Why do you think those Creators were chasing that man?” Talking may have been a bad idea, and yet I opened my mouth before considering better of it.

Darith shoots a frustrated glance at me “That’s what we’re tryin’ to figure out…isn’t it?” He shakes his head.

“I thought you might know something, since you decided to recruit back-up. It’s not like you to have a sidekick.”

“He must’ve done somethin’ really sour, since generally we can get away with murder and the Creators couldn’t care less.” His eyes shift to meet mine.

I glance at the ground, breaking the awkward tension. Darith of all people would know about getting away with murder. “I guess I’m curious about his offense as well.”

He raises his eyebrow again, inquisitively.

“I mean, I’m very curious about him, but I also want to know what’s on the other side of that wall. I want to know about the part of the labyrinth he came from. Or maybe he came from a place outside the labyrinth. And if he’s also a Creator or if he’s a Mahk.”

Darith nods. I think about my knowledge of the labyrinth, how I leave no stone unturned. For the first time, it occurs to me that my curiosity sets me apart from the rest of the Mahk. My kind don’t explore. They do what they’re told: pay obsidian, fight, eat, sleep, and do it all again. Like Darith, most people keep to the castle area, or Sikla.

“That’s just like ya, isn’t it?” He shoots me a partial smile.

No response seems appropriate. It’s hard to even process all the events of the day. He’s acting like he knows me, which is agitating. My pace slows, allowing Blue to catch up. A smooth stroke on her soft head brightens her eyes.

He stops suddenly, almost causing me to trip over his slouched body. Darith’s green eyes observe the dirt. He scratches at the olive-colored skin on his neck as he grabs shuffled grass from the ground. “Looks like they caught our mystery man.” The focus is written across his face as he glances back up in the direction the tracks lead. “And it looks like they’re taking him for a visit with Simul.” He points his finger past the field to the castle.

The minarets of the giant dark building look down at us from on high. It’s not as tall as the walls that reach out of sight, but it hovers far above us. Big enough to house all the Creators, the palace has to contain thousands of rooms. The Creators periodically added new wings on the sprawling structure, making room for more of their kind. Its exterior resembles the labyrinth walls, probably built of the same rough black material. For such a large structure, the main cylindrical building, central within the fortress, has few windows; likely for security reasons. Two particularly large pairs of towers, one set at the front and one toward the back, encase the structure. They feature tall minarets. Two giant watch walls, jagged across their tops, branch out from the towers. If the place wasn’t the home of such evil residents, I would consider describing it as somewhat pretty.

The reality that at any moment Darith might bail on our truce, give up on this chase, and take Blue for dinner snaps me out of castle-daydreaming. “Do you think we can catch them?” I question as my muscles tense.

“We need to step it up a notch. Can that bird of yours run?” He takes off toward the castle, sending dirt into the air. I’m not entirely certain I’ve seen her run, but she can catch up. If nothing else, she can fly fast.

I’m passing him in a matter of seconds. He may be strong and muscular, but speed is one thing I’ve got that he doesn’t. Running as if it’s a race for survival, I slice through the air. My observations alternate between the guards’ tracks and the field in front of me. Brief glances behind me ensure he hasn’t taken off with Blue, and I’m beginning to believe he does want to catch the man in white. This may not be a sick game of his after all. If he does have a heart beating beneath his murderous shell, more than curiosity is urging his interest in the unusual man. Hope is pulling us on this chase, hope of something better on the other side of that wall. My gut has always told me there’s more to living than this place, and now my gut tells me the man in white is the key. Despite my speed, there’s no pain in my leg. Beneath the green material of my pants, the injury has completely healed. The man in white has got to be worth it, worth risking everything to find.

We’re drawing fairly close to the castle. It must only be about two miles off. After I halt abruptly at the top of a hill, my body flattens against the ground. Hopefully no one has seen our approach. Darith catches up quickly and Blue… I whip my head in every direction, frantically searching for her.

“What did you do with her!” My dagger is in hand, held to Darith’s throat. “Where is she?”

His smug eyes and head motion toward the outer edge of the field along the labyrinth wall. “I think she got hot and took to the shade. I didn’t touch her!”

There she is, safe, like he claimed. My cheeks blush thanks to embarrassment. The dagger retreats back into my hair. To him, the gesture indicates trust, but my guard isn’t dropped. He’d be surprised how quickly I can pull that dagger back out. “I’m sorry.” My chin drops. “I just
–
”

“It’s fine, but I’m not gonna complain if ya decide ya want to quit aiming that thing at me constantly.”

No response feels appropriate, so silence creeps between us. He should understand the lack of trust, but at the same time, I would be furious if he constantly pulled his sword on me.

We shift our eyes up in search of the Creators and the mystery man. “We must be too late,” I tell him. They already made it to the castle.

“This is when we have to decide how badly we want to know more. How far ya willin’ to take this?” His eyes meet mine again. Excitement shines on his face.

“You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“What’s not to love? I made friends with a pretty girl, and now we get to plan a castle break-in. This beats the day-to-day kill, eat, and survive.”

All this time, Darith seemed so transparent. A selfish, deadly killer, programmed to survive and serve like everyone else. But every action since our first actual meeting today has begun to paint a different picture. It almost certainly isn’t a pleasant picture, but a very different one. He does think for himself, even if he isn’t particularly lovable. Based on his exploration of the wall from which the man in white came, he might be as hopeful as me that there’s something important on the other side.

“What’s your suggestion, Darith?”

“I’m thinkin’ we go undercover.” He points out two figures at the base of the castle, guarding a small entrance near the labyrinth wall.

“That’s suicide. Are you serious? Have you ever heard of a Mahk inside the castle, disguised or not?”

“You need to relax, little Araina,” he responds in a demeaning tone. “I think we have seen and done a lot of things today that aren’t exactly normal. Unless you have a better idea…”

“Will you stop rambling?” His suggestion is the only idea we have so far. Sick of wasting time, I’m on my feet, headed toward the outer rim of the field, ready to meet up with Blue by the labyrinth wall.

Darith follows close behind. “Eventually, you should learn how to actually end a conversation. I assume you like my plan.”

“That wasn’t a plan,” I counter, “it was a suggestion. This is a plan. Blue is going to get me in the air so we can distract the guards, giving you the opportunity to take them by surprise.”

“I guess I have to hope you’re really gonna stick this out. If you’re not with me and I pick a fight with those guards, I’m dead.”

My head shifts to face him. “Guess you’re right. Good thing you seem to know me so well. You must know I’ll follow through.”

We reach the outer edge of the field where Blue is nestled into the grass, enjoying an afternoon nap. My fingers pat her head and wander through her long feathers. Petting the soft creature calms my nerves. “Come on, girl,” I speak softly.

Blue starts to croak, but I close her beak gently, holding my finger over my mouth. She probably has no idea what I’m trying to indicate, but it works anyway. Quietly, she stands, and my hand runs beneath her wing. She knows that gesture well. Her wings spread as she waits for me to crawl on her back. My arms wrap around her neck, trying not to disturb her airways. In order to stay balanced, my legs cling tightly to her sides. As skinny as she is, it’s a struggle not to slide right off of her.

“You’ve flown on her before?” Darith inquires.

“We’ve done it a couple times, trying to reach the top of the labyrinth walls. She can’t make it that high, though.”

He nods. “Okay then. Let’s get this over with.”

He takes off down the hill, staying tucked in the shadows of the wall while Blue and I burst into the air. As we soar overhead, a slight breeze glides through my red hair and her feathers.

Given the distance from the hill to the castle, it doesn’t take us long to get there. The guards haven’t noticed our approach. Surprised by the shoe that drops between them, the guards’ gazes shift up to find its owner. Blue and I hover yards above.

Their attention on us now, they’re sufficiently distracted. Darith wastes no time before launching his attack.

He fares well for a few moments. A large rock launches at high velocity to the first guard’s temple, taking him to the ground as Darith’s curved sword challenges the second opponent.

We fly down toward them quickly, but the first guard has joined the fight before I dismount. My arrival is just in time. Darith is pinned to the wall at the hands of one, as the other guard prepares to dagger him. After pulling the dagger from my hair, I send it flying into the hand of the guard restraining Darith. He turns in agony to face me, dislodging the blade. The man tosses my dagger to the ground, and our fight really begins. With one arm, he waves his large sword about in the air, swinging at me over and over. I dodge every time. His movements are slow, given the gaping hole my dagger left in his other hand. Rapidly, I sneak behind him and regain my dagger. Strength isn’t my strongest attribute, but my agility makes up for it.

A forceful kick plows into my stomach causing me to lose my breath. The dagger falls from my grasp. It hurts so bad there might as well be a hole in my belly. I thrash about spastically on the ground, gasping for air. I don’t make it to my dagger.

Chapter 3
Simul’s Castle

I’m probably about to die by the guard’s sword.

“Not today, scum!” Darith says and I hear a loud pop.

My shaky head lifts, vision blurred, to see Darith standing over the corpse of the Creator. He’s snapped his neck. Both guards are dead. I’m holding my stomach, rocking on my back. It feels like a million heavy bricks were thrown at me. Darith drags my body toward the labyrinth wall, then props me up. He reaches to lift my shirt so he can observe the injury, but I smack him away. “It’s not that bad,” I spit out.

“Fine. Don’t be so careless, Araina.” Wasting no time, he pulls the guards into the shadows and strips them of their fancy outfits. He collects my dagger, running his thumb over the wooden handle.

“Ya etched the bird in it?” he asks, almost laughing.

He doesn’t deserve a reply. Pain is still pulsing through me, and we have got to hurry.

“Huh,” he grunts, tossing the dagger beside me.

Yes, Blue has been etched into the wooden handle. She’s always with me that way. But that’s not his business.

“Can you even walk?” He bends forward to help me up.

“Scrats, Darith! I can walk just fine.” I grab a guard’s clothing from his hands. It’s true. It
is
possible to walk. It’s going to hurt like needles to skin, but I can do it. I’m not going to let him see that it hurts. My condition has clearly grated on his mood. Despite his impatience or my pain, we have come too far to turn back now.

“Scrats?”

“Scrats. My two least favorite things: Scars and Rats.” I walk behind Blue to change, using her body as shelter from Darith’s prying eyes. This is the first time I’ve ever touched the smooth Creator clothing. They feel soft and new in my hands. The thin tan undershirt slides over my arms, followed by the thick maroon jacket. Even though the shining charcoal color pants were tight on the male guard, they fall a bit loose on me.

“What about the bird?” he asks as he waits for me. He hides the lifeless bodies behind some bushes next to the castle.

“What about her?”

“I don’t think she can go in with us. You gonna survive if we leave her out here a while?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine, and she’ll be fine.” I appear from behind her.

“Look at that. You can pull off the Creator look fine,” Darith laughs, his voice filled with sarcasm.

The guard’s clothes hang on me, far too big. At least one of us gets a good chuckle out of it before we head into the castle.

I look back at Blue. Surviving this venture is no guarantee, so I memorize her face. Hopefully, we will be together again shortly.

My mind begins to overload with anticipation as we push the castle doors open, granting us entry into a narrow hallway. This is amazing. My mouth drops open. The inside of the castle is nothing like the rough dark exterior, or any place in the labyrinth.