You’re right, after all. I’ve been a complete asshole to you. I won’t tell you anything. And I’m probably the last person you should be risking your life to help.” I was still struggling to let go of the suspicion that was blanketing every thought I had. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, trying to remember my training. This wasn’t my first labyrinth. We were trained to let our minds and bodies connect with the magic of the goddess, which allowed us to see past the spells of the labyrinth, but this one had gotten its hooks in me, before I knew what I was dealing with. Ideally, when perfectly connected, one could go straight through the maze with no mistakes. Something I used to be the best at doing. My stomach twisted at the thought. I’m going to get us both killed.
“You have no business being down here alone. Obviously this mission is personal, or you wouldn’t be so secretive about it.” She had no idea, and it just kept getting more and more personal. Too personal. Almost like it was made for me. Absolutely everything in this place felt like it was left just for me. I just had to finish this. “It’s not too late to leave.”
I glanced back. Frost was definitely turning out to be a better person than I had ever given her credit for being. Even if I couldn’t leave, she could. It had been a long time since I ran a maze. “You should go. Get backup and I will go through the maze.”
“If I can’t talk you out of going, then I guess we’re both going in.”
“Thank you.” I blew out a slow breath. “Now be quiet. I have to connect with my goddess.” I took deep breaths, in and out, in and out, clearing and opening my mind like I hadn’t done in years. My breath ran through my body, and my muscles relaxed until eventually my mind followed. It used to be easier for me. When my life was simple and I was focused on wanting only one thing: to leave. But now my mind was scattered by so many different pulls, it was harder to hear the goddess as clearly. Tingling started in my toes and traveled up my body then back down. My arms floated upward and I held them out, even with my shoulders, until the fingers on my left hand started to flex then static ran down my arm. Left it was.
“What happens if we go the wrong way?” Frost asked as we passed the white pillars.
“That depends on the setup. Most labyrinths are circular, meaning that no matter which entrance you go through, you can reach the destination in the middle. However, there are those that if you step through the wrong door, you die. Or it could be connected to a world besides ours.”
Her eyes widened. “How do you know this is the right door? Please tell me you have more evidence than just pointing at it.”
I shrugged. “The goddess told me.”
“You heard her voice? Did she talk to you?”
I shook my head. “My fingers tingled and flexed.”
She squeezed the bridge of her nose. “Please tell me you’re going on more than that.”
“I feel the goddess. I can’t explain it how it works, but I can feel her.” I shook my head, coming to a stop in front of a blank stone wall. “It’s my method of communication. It works. I’ve been talking with Sekhmet like this since I was a kid.”
Frost turned toward me. “You aren’t lying?”
I laughed. “Why would I lie about this? If I pick the wrong door, it sucks for both of us.”
Now we both stared at the smooth wall. I pressed my hands all over it, searching the entire thing for cracks, levers, or any sort of sensor that would open the wall, but it was completely smooth.
“There’s a door on the other side. Maybe this one has been closed.”
Very tricky. Maybe that was how they got the humans to Shezmu. The visible entrance. But why did the goddess send me this way when I too was trying to find Shezmu? I looked back at the other door again, and my stomach rolled. Though I didn’t understand fully, I knew what I needed to do. “This is definitely the way she wants
“You have no business being down here alone. Obviously this mission is personal, or you wouldn’t be so secretive about it.” She had no idea, and it just kept getting more and more personal. Too personal. Almost like it was made for me. Absolutely everything in this place felt like it was left just for me. I just had to finish this. “It’s not too late to leave.”
I glanced back. Frost was definitely turning out to be a better person than I had ever given her credit for being. Even if I couldn’t leave, she could. It had been a long time since I ran a maze. “You should go. Get backup and I will go through the maze.”
“If I can’t talk you out of going, then I guess we’re both going in.”
“Thank you.” I blew out a slow breath. “Now be quiet. I have to connect with my goddess.” I took deep breaths, in and out, in and out, clearing and opening my mind like I hadn’t done in years. My breath ran through my body, and my muscles relaxed until eventually my mind followed. It used to be easier for me. When my life was simple and I was focused on wanting only one thing: to leave. But now my mind was scattered by so many different pulls, it was harder to hear the goddess as clearly. Tingling started in my toes and traveled up my body then back down. My arms floated upward and I held them out, even with my shoulders, until the fingers on my left hand started to flex then static ran down my arm. Left it was.
“What happens if we go the wrong way?” Frost asked as we passed the white pillars.
“That depends on the setup. Most labyrinths are circular, meaning that no matter which entrance you go through, you can reach the destination in the middle. However, there are those that if you step through the wrong door, you die. Or it could be connected to a world besides ours.”
Her eyes widened. “How do you know this is the right door? Please tell me you have more evidence than just pointing at it.”
I shrugged. “The goddess told me.”
“You heard her voice? Did she talk to you?”
I shook my head. “My fingers tingled and flexed.”
She squeezed the bridge of her nose. “Please tell me you’re going on more than that.”
“I feel the goddess. I can’t explain it how it works, but I can feel her.” I shook my head, coming to a stop in front of a blank stone wall. “It’s my method of communication. It works. I’ve been talking with Sekhmet like this since I was a kid.”
Frost turned toward me. “You aren’t lying?”
I laughed. “Why would I lie about this? If I pick the wrong door, it sucks for both of us.”
Now we both stared at the smooth wall. I pressed my hands all over it, searching the entire thing for cracks, levers, or any sort of sensor that would open the wall, but it was completely smooth.
“There’s a door on the other side. Maybe this one has been closed.”
Very tricky. Maybe that was how they got the humans to Shezmu. The visible entrance. But why did the goddess send me this way when I too was trying to find Shezmu? I looked back at the other door again, and my stomach rolled. Though I didn’t understand fully, I knew what I needed to do. “This is definitely the way she wants
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