Once, the Death Elf magic would have brought me fear.
Now I knew she wouldn’t hurt me.
Drawing on my own powers, I nodded at Ryllae. Somehow, I understood exactly what she wanted us to do.
“On my count,” I said, pulling up as much Earth Elf power as I could.
The sound of metal being drawn filled the air, but I barely paid it any attention.
“Three… two… one.” I threw the ribbons towards the creature just as it leaped, and beside me, Ryllae did the same. The red and green magic intertwined, twisting until they were indistinguishable from the other.
“Now!” I yelled, clenching my fist.
Vines twisted with bones and skulls, forming a net that dropped over the beast, pinning it in place. My heart thundered as the three snarling heads slammed into the bones. A dreadful cracking sound came from the net, but it held. The spiny tail smashed against the floor, and the entire tunnel quaked.
“That’s not going to hold for long,” I said, even as more green threads slipped from my hands, strengthening the lattice made of vines.
“That’s… It’s… we need to get the hell out of here,” Kysha said, her voice shaking.
Red ribbons joined mine, my magic twisted with Ryllae’s, saving us from the beast.
Maiela picked up her pack. “Agreed. We have to gonow.”
“Where are we going to go?” Ryllae asked, adding more magic as the three-headed beast roared. “Did everyone forget we’re caught in a maze?”
“Maze or not, Dark One, we can’t stay here,” Daegal said.
That was an interesting nickname. I would definitely have to ask Daegal about it when we weren’t about to be eaten alive by a three-headed monster.
“Enough talking,” Xander said, taking command of the group. “We need to leave now. We’ll deal with the maze after.”
There was no debating the authority in his voice. We moved as quickly as possible, slinging our packs and bedrolls on our backs as the beast struggled in the net. Ryllae and I took turns feeding more magic into the barrier, until the bones and vines were so thick, the creature was barely visible.
Our footsteps echoed as we ran. Every so often, another screech came from the creature we had left behind. Jagged stones and uneven flooring made our movements difficult. More than once, I tripped. Each time, Xander was there to catch me. There was no time for light. All of us relied on Xander’s exceptional sight to guide us through the midnight maze.
Within a few minutes, sweat erupted on the back of my neck. This mountain was unreasonably hot, and my clothes stuck to my body.
When the sound of the beast’s calls was quieter, I shook my head and slowed.
“Stop,” I said, gasping for air as I leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath. I was usually in such good shape, but for some reason, I felt like I could barely breathe.
Why was my body betraying me now?
“Aileana?” Xander was at my side in an instant. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head, still struggling to breathe. “We need to get out of this maze. Going in circles will just bring us back to that creature.”
“What do you have in mind?” he asked.
I loved that he didn’t question me, that he immediately trusted that I knew what to do. We had come such a long way since we first met at the end of my blade.
“Let’s wait for the others,” I said, breathing in deeply. “Then I’ll explain.”
He nodded, and I focused on catching my breath. Once my lungs were working properly, I turned around.
“I have an idea.” I sheathed my dagger.
“We assumed as much,” Maiela said.