Page 31 of A Tempest of Shadows

Now, my conscience screamed that I was horrible and as fake as all the amsirah fawning over King Ivan.

Then I recalled Mouse, alone, hungry, and struggling to survive like so many others; some of my guilt ebbed. My choices weren’t the best, and I would hang for them if they ever came to light, but those choices had also fed so many.

I wasn’t right, and I was a giant asshole for smiling into the faces of those I’d robbed. I wasn’t completely wrong either… was I?

Tugging at the collar of my dress, I tried to keep breathing normally. I sipped some water while eyeing the wine; it was so tempting. It might help calm my nerves, but it could also make me dumber, and I couldn’t have that while surrounded by those who would gladly kill me.

My stomach rumbled, and I munched on some cheese while hovering on the party’s edge, watching. Ryker came into view, as did the blonde-haired woman beelining toward him.

I wiped my fingers on a napkin before placing it on a tray. The woman said something to Ryker, who barely glanced at her before nodding a greeting and turning away.

There was something familiar about the woman, but I couldn’t quite place her. Then, the memory of a blonde head between Ryker’s thighs returned, and my cheeks started burning.

While I hadn’t seen her face and couldn’t be sure it was her, I was pretty sure she was the same woman from the carriage the day I robbed him. Ryker barely acknowledged her before dismissing her, something the woman didn’t appreciate if the scowl on her face was any indication.

I chugged down the rest of my water and slipped further into the shadows as I debated running away from this place. I belonged here as much as I did the mortal realm; I didn’t understand these amsirah or the games they played.

Soon. So very, very soon.

Another hour passed before King Ivan clapped loud enough to draw everyone’s attention. I prayed it was to announce we could all go back to our rooms.

Instead, he declared, “I think it’s time for a trip into the labyrinth.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Ellery

I glanced at the towering, twenty-foot walls of the perfectly manicured, green plants taking up acres and acres of the rolling hills around us. The entrance remained blocked off with a red rope, but as the king spoke, a servant took the rope down.

The maze wasn’t the safety of our cramped room or home, yet it would provide shade, shelter, and an opportunity to slip away for a few hours. I was all for it.

Tugging at the collar of my dress again, I was about to run into the shadowed interior of the maze when King Ivan’s next words froze me. “The first one to successfully navigate the labyrinth and return will receive fifty thousand carisle.”

My attention swung back to the spoiled man perched upon his throne. The possibility of fifty thousand carisle made him a lot more appealing.

“And they’ll also enjoy a private dinner with me tonight,” Ivan continued.

My stomach dropped as that awful prospect made finding my way in and out of this labyrinth a lot less appealing, but I would do it. Ever since Ryker nearly caught me in the woods, I’d been too scared to steal anything; the amsirah in the towns were suffering because of it.

Not to mention, we could really use some money for the manor. The roof required fixing, the stable doors were falling off, the chicken coop was leaning to the left, and maybe we could reopen the school.

My fingers twitched with their need to touch that money. So much good would be done with it if I won.

I examined my competition, many of whom looked almost as eager as me, but more than a few appeared bored… including Ryker and his father. This money was nothing for them. They pissed away fifty thousand carisle a day, so what did this matter to them?

My fingers dug into my palms as I fought the ire building inside me. Being annoyed wouldn’t help me win this competition.

“In the labyrinth’s center is a bowl full of gold coins,” King Ivan continued. “The first one to bring me a coin is the winner, but getting to the center of the labyrinth won’t be easy. There will be some not-so-fun surprises along the way.”

I tore my attention away from the other contenders as Ivan uttered these words. Of course it won’t be as simple as finding that bowl and getting out again.

I eyed what little I could see of the maze. It ran down a hill, so I could see some of it stretching outward before coming to flat land again and vanishing.

I had no idea how big it was; it was impossible to tell from here, but it spread for acres before me. It had to end somewhere… didn’t it?

A murmur ran through the crowd, and some of them shifted uneasily. I bet the ones who didn’t require the carisle were thinking twice about going into the maze, but would King Ivan’s words deter the others?

The king plucked another grape from a bunch and popped it in his mouth. He rolled it around, playing with it before chomping on it.