entirely
out of an underground cavern. Having the gargoyle will be an
advantage there. There are no dead ends. There is only one
direction, a straight, twisting circuit to the Spear of Destiny.
There may be two tasks. There may be twenty. But no matter the
number of obstacles you face, it will be laden with horror."
Fiona sighs, "I feel like Frodo being advised
by Gandalf. Only we're supposed to seize a spear rather than
destroy a ring."
I look at her over my shoulder. "You've
read Lord of the
Rings ?"
Fiona laughs, her hand on her chest. "Um, no,
but the movie was amazing. Orlando Bloom as an elf . . . yeah,
enough said."
Gwenyth and Hesther are quick to agree as
Gray mumbles something about Hollywood manufactured men. Marcas
clears his throat, stepping aside so we can enter the portal. No
one moves. Conor is standing next to Marcas now, and they exchange
a look but don't interfere.
Marcas' words inside the dining room of the
S.O.S. come back to me, and I look at the portal, my eyes narrowed.
A labyrinth is not a maze, it is a path to enlightenment. In our
case, it is a journey that could end in death, but even with the
consequences, it is still a journey that could change our lives. My
gaze moves back to Marcas and Conor, and what I see in their eyes
reveals what I already know. How we enter will not be how we
exit.
Next to me, Bruno straightens, and I
place a hand gently on his elbow. I am not a leader. I have never
wanted to be a leader, but what I lack in charisma, I make up for
in understanding. Bruno is a
leader, and all it takes is a simple nudge to make him move
forward. He advances, one hand outstretched, and steps into the
portal. For a moment, he becomes a blurred part of the strange air
in front of us, and then he is suddenly an image beyond the wall, a
hazy image that reminds me of a water color painting.
I take a deep breath as Conor ducks away from
Marcas, a grin on his lips as he glances a final time at the Demon
before following Bruno's lead. If he is afraid, he hides it well.
And it's enough to make the other hybrids move forward. Bruno's
entrance into the portal has emboldened the hybrids, and Conor's
grin has calmed them.
Deidra, Ace, and I are the last to enter, and
I pat Ace's head gently.
"Just stay with me, Boy," I whisper to the
drex before peering down at Deidra who has moved to take my hand.
"Don't leave me, Deidra. If anything happens, you stay behind
me."
The imp frowns, her hand tightening in
mine.
"The hell I will," she mutters.
I smile. Deidra is a tough girl, bullied her
entire life. She doesn't have a famous Demon parent like the rest
of us, but she won't leave us. She won't leave me.
"Last chance, Imp. You don't have to go," I
say.
Deidra looks up at me, her dark face
determined. She lets go of my hand then and steps into the portal.
She is alone, her head held high. My grin widens, my hand
tightening on Ace's head as I look up at Marcas.
"She's not been forgotten," Marcas says
evenly, and my eyes widen in surprise, my grin widening. "Heroes
come in all shapes and sizes," Marcas adds.
I nod to show I agree, the grin still on my
face, as I lead Ace into the portal.
Chapter 16
Conor
The other side of the portal appears similar
to the Italian countryside we've just exited. The only difference
is a gaping cavern with stone stairs leading into a dark hole. The
labyrinth's entrance. Bruno gazes at our surroundings, his eyes
skirting the opening.
"The Outer Levels of Hell are definitely
nicer than the Inner Levels," he mumbles.
I grunt. "I wouldn't know, and I prefer to
keep it that way."
Bruno ignores me, glancing briefly over
his shoulder to check on the other hybrids before looking once more
at the labyrinth's entry. The darkness is foreboding, but the stone
calms me. Even with the dangers beyond, the stone is enough to keep
me grounded. And I need grounding because the longer I stand on the
Hell side of the portal, the more I realize Marcas' words are
out of an underground cavern. Having the gargoyle will be an
advantage there. There are no dead ends. There is only one
direction, a straight, twisting circuit to the Spear of Destiny.
There may be two tasks. There may be twenty. But no matter the
number of obstacles you face, it will be laden with horror."
Fiona sighs, "I feel like Frodo being advised
by Gandalf. Only we're supposed to seize a spear rather than
destroy a ring."
I look at her over my shoulder. "You've
read Lord of the
Rings ?"
Fiona laughs, her hand on her chest. "Um, no,
but the movie was amazing. Orlando Bloom as an elf . . . yeah,
enough said."
Gwenyth and Hesther are quick to agree as
Gray mumbles something about Hollywood manufactured men. Marcas
clears his throat, stepping aside so we can enter the portal. No
one moves. Conor is standing next to Marcas now, and they exchange
a look but don't interfere.
Marcas' words inside the dining room of the
S.O.S. come back to me, and I look at the portal, my eyes narrowed.
A labyrinth is not a maze, it is a path to enlightenment. In our
case, it is a journey that could end in death, but even with the
consequences, it is still a journey that could change our lives. My
gaze moves back to Marcas and Conor, and what I see in their eyes
reveals what I already know. How we enter will not be how we
exit.
Next to me, Bruno straightens, and I
place a hand gently on his elbow. I am not a leader. I have never
wanted to be a leader, but what I lack in charisma, I make up for
in understanding. Bruno is a
leader, and all it takes is a simple nudge to make him move
forward. He advances, one hand outstretched, and steps into the
portal. For a moment, he becomes a blurred part of the strange air
in front of us, and then he is suddenly an image beyond the wall, a
hazy image that reminds me of a water color painting.
I take a deep breath as Conor ducks away from
Marcas, a grin on his lips as he glances a final time at the Demon
before following Bruno's lead. If he is afraid, he hides it well.
And it's enough to make the other hybrids move forward. Bruno's
entrance into the portal has emboldened the hybrids, and Conor's
grin has calmed them.
Deidra, Ace, and I are the last to enter, and
I pat Ace's head gently.
"Just stay with me, Boy," I whisper to the
drex before peering down at Deidra who has moved to take my hand.
"Don't leave me, Deidra. If anything happens, you stay behind
me."
The imp frowns, her hand tightening in
mine.
"The hell I will," she mutters.
I smile. Deidra is a tough girl, bullied her
entire life. She doesn't have a famous Demon parent like the rest
of us, but she won't leave us. She won't leave me.
"Last chance, Imp. You don't have to go," I
say.
Deidra looks up at me, her dark face
determined. She lets go of my hand then and steps into the portal.
She is alone, her head held high. My grin widens, my hand
tightening on Ace's head as I look up at Marcas.
"She's not been forgotten," Marcas says
evenly, and my eyes widen in surprise, my grin widening. "Heroes
come in all shapes and sizes," Marcas adds.
I nod to show I agree, the grin still on my
face, as I lead Ace into the portal.
Chapter 16
Conor
The other side of the portal appears similar
to the Italian countryside we've just exited. The only difference
is a gaping cavern with stone stairs leading into a dark hole. The
labyrinth's entrance. Bruno gazes at our surroundings, his eyes
skirting the opening.
"The Outer Levels of Hell are definitely
nicer than the Inner Levels," he mumbles.
I grunt. "I wouldn't know, and I prefer to
keep it that way."
Bruno ignores me, glancing briefly over
his shoulder to check on the other hybrids before looking once more
at the labyrinth's entry. The darkness is foreboding, but the stone
calms me. Even with the dangers beyond, the stone is enough to keep
me grounded. And I need grounding because the longer I stand on the
Hell side of the portal, the more I realize Marcas' words are
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