Until the World Falls Down

Chapter 8

8

N ow back in darkness, I paused, my eyes taking a moment to adjust to the lack of light. From that alone, I figured I was back in Enver’s castle, and as I made out deteriorating stone stairs in front of me, it confirmed the fact. The pendant was still warm, and as I climbed the stairs, it grew hotter. The stairs winded up in a half-circle with faded carpet running down the center and stained-glass windows lining the walls. At the top, I reached a gilded door dulled by the dimness of the hall.

A lock clicked as I pushed the door open, appearing in another dark, window-lined hall. Darkness weighed on me as I walked down the hall, and the pendant cooled the further I went into the shadows. I approached a window, looking down at the murky garden. It was still nighttime here. How long had I been away? It felt like less than an hour, but I couldn’t see the clock tower anymore to check.

A dead rose bush caught my gaze, and I wondered if Neima had escaped the labyrinth yet. Would she be one of the few who completed it? It seemed like she’d wanted to stay with Paloma a bit more. I couldn’t blame her .

A fleeting memory of when I’d first met Julian slipped into my mind. A coworker of mine had introduced us, but as I replayed the events of our first meeting and the times that followed, I couldn’t recall any lighthearted moments between us. Not like the ones between Paloma and Neima. Julian had never been playful. I couldn’t remember him ever flirting with me. We’d met, started a relationship, and I’d been happy enough just to have him. To have someone . I’d swallowed my own desires in favor of being with him.

I’d thought I didn’t need anything else. But now…

Now, I wondered if I’d been shielding myself the entire time. Accepting what affection was given to me so I didn’t have to be alone. Making myself believe I was happy so I didn’t have to acknowledge I wasn’t. Convincing myself I was satisfied so I wouldn’t risk anything by asking for more.

What would it be like to have someone who would tease me and flirt with me? Who would make me smile and laugh and pull me close when I needed comfort? I wanted the shared glances, the thrill of anticipation, the breathless moment when attraction turned to something more. I wanted someone who would feel happy just by seeing me smile.

Was it possible for me to have a relationship like the one Neima and Paloma shared?

A hand seized my wrist, and I jumped, twirling around.

Isla stood there, her face half-hidden by the shadows of the hall, now wearing a long coat. “Nell.”

“Isla, you scared the crap out of me,” I said, placing my hand against my heart. “What are you doing here? Did you find what you were looking for before?”

“No,” she answered, pursing her lips and releasing my wrist. “It must be in the castle somewhere.”

“What is it?”

“Something I need,” she responded evasively. “I’m sure I’ll find it eventually, though. How have you been holding up here?”

“I think I might have completed the labyrinth?” I said tentatively. “I was transported somewhere and ran into another person facing their challenge. Then, a door appeared after a while, and I returned here.”

Isla shook her head. “Had you completed it, you would be free, not standing here with me right now.”

My heart sank. “Then what was that?”

“I’m not sure,” she answered, her eyebrows squishing together as she studied me. “It does sound like you faced your challenge, but…”

“But?”

Worry clouded her face. “You’re still here. That would mean you failed.”

“No, that can’t be,” I said quickly. “I mean, what I’d seen wasn’t even about me. It was about someone else.”

“That’s strange. It should be about what you desire. It almost sounds like you interfered with someone else’s challenge. That shouldn’t happen.”

“So that might not have been my challenge?”

Isla didn’t look convinced. “That, or the lordling is messing with you. Making you think you have a chance of escaping when he actually intends to keep you here no matter what.”

That thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. And now that it had, dread joined the darkness weighing me down, making it hard to breathe. “Can he do that? Keep me here even if I complete the labyrinth?”

“He can do whatever he wants,” she said bitterly. “He’s the ruler of this place, remember?” She inclined her head in the opposite direction from where I’d come. “Come here. You should see this.”

I followed her to the end of the hall, through a door, and into an expansive room. A sturdy wooden railing lay a couple feet in front of us, marking the edge of what I realized was an indoor balcony. The railing surrounded the entire room, with the floor falling away just past it. Isla and I moved closer, and my feet suddenly halted as I looked down at the floor below us.

“These are all people who’ve failed his labyrinth,” Isla said quietly.

Dozens of servants, if not more, drifted about on the floor below us. Their movements seemed mechanic, soulless. Some were cleaning the floors on their hands and knees, scrubbing the stone, repeating the same motions over and over. Others were dusting the walls, folding linen, or busying themselves with menial tasks. They didn’t talk, and the silence between them was almost as unsettling as their mindless actions. The only sounds in the room were footsteps echoing against the stone and the occasional scrape of the metal buckets against the floor.

“All these people. Trapped here by him ,” she continued, her voice sharp. “These poor things don’t even realize they’re being controlled. They’re completely gone.”

I took a shaky step back, not wanting to look at them. At what could become of me. It was unnatural. Horrifying. “I met a servant earlier. He didn’t seem to know anything about the labyrinth until I started pushing, but then, when it seemed like he was remembering something, it was like a switch flipped. He went back into whatever state that is. Automated. As if he only existed to serve Enver.”

Isla rested her hands on the railing, observing the servants below with a cool gaze. “I’m sure their minds are still in there somewhere. Simply locked away by him.”

“But why? What does Enver get out of this?” I asked, folding my arms over my stomach, feeling sick.

“Who knows?” she responded with a scoff. “Why does he force people into his labyrinth in the first place?”

I didn’t know how Isla could stand to watch the servants. It made my skin crawl just knowing we were in the same room. “Enver said he never forced anyone here.”

“You’re right. He only exploits people at their weakest moments and lures them here instead.” She finally glanced back at me, knowing. “Isn’t that how he got you?”

I shifted my weight. Memories of the club, and what we did after, flashed through my mind. “Yes.”

“What caused him to be drawn to you?” she asked. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I had just been betrayed,” I said, my skin feeling tight as I thought of Julian and my sister. “Then Enver showed up. And here I am.”

“A betrayal,” Isla echoed, her voice softening. “I think I can understand how you ended up here.”

I glanced at her, seeing her contemplative expression. “Were you betrayed, too?”

“Yes,” she said. “And now I’m here to return the favor. Either by having my revenge or taking something equally precious away. The lordling has granted me that chance by bringing me here.”

“What kind of power does Enver hold?” I asked. “To be able to bring us here? It defies…” I couldn’t even give it a word. It defied everything.

“The lordling seems to have powers a god would hold. Yet, if he was a god, why would he remain here?” she mused, returning her gaze to the area below. “A god wouldn’t do this, either. Unless it was a cruel one. Not that there aren’t wicked gods out there. But his kind is a mystery.”

Enver being a god? Well, he was certainly built like the sculptures of gods I’d seen throughout my life, if not even more chiseled. He also held an air about him that made him seem otherworldly and untouchable. Yet, he’d let me touch him. He’d let me do more than that. I could easily imagine myself worshipping him, his body …

I grimaced, stopping that line of thought right there. What was wrong with me? I faced becoming a mindless slave for him, but dirty thoughts about him still popped up in my head?

“I need to figure out how to continue the labyrinth,” I said, mainly to get myself back on track, shaking my head. “Or I need to figure out how to escape Enver’s grasp if I really did fail already.”

Isla finally backed away from the railing, her hands clasped behind her back. “I can’t offer much advice on how to proceed from here since your situation is a bit unique. I haven’t heard of anyone escaping after failing, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. You are still yourself. It’s not over for you yet.”

“I appreciate the help you’ve given me so far,” I told her, offering her a small smile. “If not for you, I’d still be in that garden maze.”

She grinned back at me. “Oh, I’m always in the business of foiling the lordling’s plans, so it’s no problem.” She slipped off the coat she was wearing and handed it over to me. “And here, take this. It’s always so dreadfully cold in here. I know where to find more.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, but still slipped into it, finding it warm from her body heat. “Thank you. I wish I could do something for you in return. Can I help you find what you’re looking for?”

“I don’t think so,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “But it’s okay. I won’t give up until I find it. Don’t worry about me. Focus on yourself. Get out of here if you can.”

“I don’t think it’ll be that easy,” I said, knowing deep in my heart it was true. I opened my mouth to ask about the pendant but then abruptly closed it again, an uncomfortable sensation coming over me. I didn’t want her to know about it. “Good luck in your search, Isla,” I said instead.

She nodded, and I turned back to the door we’d entered from. I opened it, and for once, was not surprised when I ended up somewhere other than the castle halls. This time, I’d ended up in the lavish dining room I’d been in before.

Enver sat on the other side of the room, at the head of the expansive table.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my muscles tensing.

“This is my castle,” he responded, his eyes roaming over my form, then narrowing at the coat draped over me. “I may roam and reside wherever I desire. The question is—what are you doing here, my little lover? You should be busy trying to complete my labyrinth so you can escape this cruel, heartless monster, should you not?”

I crossed the room to him, passing the dusty seats, still unoccupied and forgotten like before. Yet piles of food sat scattered about the entire table span—far more than any one person, or even a dozen, could eat.

Enver’s gaze never left me as I walked toward him. “Are you hungry?” he inquired, gesturing toward one of the empty seats. “Sit. There is more than enough.”

“Maybe you should share with the dozens of servants you have trapped in the other room,” I said, unable to keep the revulsion out of my voice. “Or are they only allowed to make your food and not actually eat it before returning to do your other bidding?”

Enver returned his hand to the table, picking up a bowl of what looked like some kind of bisque and bringing it closer to him, but not making any move to eat it. “No one is trapped.”

“I saw them. Moving around like… like zombies . I spoke to one of them earlier, and it was like his memories were wiped, only knowing how to serve you,” I said accusingly. “You said these people were willing to become yours, but they had no choice. You’re controlling them.”

Enver gave me a sharp look. “They knew and agreed to the consequences of failing the labyrinth. I did not force anyone into anything. ”

“I really don’t think they did,” I responded tersely. “You’re not fooling me. You probably get some sick, twisted pleasure out of tricking innocent people into becoming your captives.”

Enver abruptly rose from the table, his chair sliding across the wooden floor with a grating scraping sound. “So, you are determined to see the worst in me.”

I held my ground as he moved toward me, swift and intimidating. “Is there any good in you?”

He stopped dead, barely a foot from me, his expression turning deadly.

I dug my fingernails into my palm, willing myself to keep my composure. “You can’t answer that, can you? You probably can’t even understand why what you’re doing is so awful. You don’t have the emotional capacity to.”

“I should not expend effort to prove myself to someone so intent on demonizing me, but…” He snapped his fingers, the crack echoing through the room. “I refuse to let you wrongfully convince yourself I have forced anyone into coming here.”

“Convince myself?” I repeated incredulously. “I saw them!”

“Yes,” he responded. “You saw and came to your own conclusions, disregarding everything I told you previously.”

I couldn’t speak for a minute, utterly astounded that he thought I was stupid enough to fall for his lies again after witnessing what I had. “You’re actually insane.”

He didn’t answer, and a moment later, two servants entered the room. One was the young man I’d seen when I first entered the castle, and the other was an older woman, her black hair tied into a tight bun at the top of her head.

“Watch,” Enver told me, turning to the man.

“What are you going to do?” I demanded, uneasy. “Leave him alone.”

Enver ignored me, taking the young man’s jaw into his hand, staring deeply at him while muttering something I couldn’t decipher .

Something changed in the young man instantly. Gone was the passive, unexpressive look on his face. It melted into pure terror. His eyes widened, pupils dilating as his gaze darted around the room. The color drained from his skin, and he grabbed onto the fabric of Enver’s top. “No,” he whimpered. “Please, don’t send me back. Please.”

“Hush,” Enver said soothingly.

“Please,” the young man sobbed, dropping to his knees in front of Enver, hanging his head. “I’ll do anything. Take me back, my lord. Please! ”

A knot twisted in my stomach at the man’s despair.

Enver glanced at me from the corner of his eye before returning his attention to the young man. “You failed my labyrinth, Oliver. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” the young man, Oliver, responded, his entire body shaking.

“And I have taken care of you since, yes?”

He nodded, still grasping at Enver’s shirt. “Yes. Yes. Please, I don’t know what I did, but don’t make me go back to them! Let me stay with you!”

“And who called for me? Who asked to challenge my labyrinth?”

“I did,” he said, looking up at Enver now. “I begged you to let me challenge it, to go with you.”

“And you knew the consequences of failing? You accepted them?”

Oliver nodded again, furiously. “Yes! Why are you questioning me?—”

“One last question, then I will let you return. Have I forced you into anything, ever?”

This time, Oliver shook his head. “No, my lord. Never. So, please, bring me back?—”

Enver touched Oliver’s forehead, and the pleas fell silent on Oliver’s lips, a serene expression crossing his face. My heart pounded. The entire scene displayed before me sent goosebumps scattering across my skin.

“What…?” I began.

Enver turned to the woman next, brushing his fingers against her cheek. “Agatha?”

Agatha’s eyes turned alert, her hands shooting up to her face as if to protect herself.

Startled, I stepped forward, wanting to defend her from Enver if I had to.

“Why am I here?” Agatha said, staring at Enver, her hands trembling. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” Enver said softly. “You have done nothing wrong.”

Tears formed in her eyes. “Don’t do this to me. I don’t want to be here.”

“I know.”

Her hand went to her hair, fingers digging in. “I can still hear their screams. See their blood. The life fading from their eyes. No, no! ”

My heart plummeted as her voice rose into a harrowing cry. “Enver,” I said shakily, unsure how to help her.

“Ask her,” he said.

I stared at him. “What?”

“Ask her if she wants to return home. Now.”

Agatha turned toward me, her cheeks blotchy red and her lashes full of tears. I didn’t have time to react as she flung herself at me, clinging to my dress, much like the way Oliver had held onto Enver. “No, please. Let me stay. Let me stay!”

I stood frozen, my voice caught in my throat, her distress nearly palpable.

“Ask,” Enver repeated, an edge to his voice now.

“Do you want to stay here?” I asked.

Agatha looked at me through her tear-soaked eyes, her face etched with an indescribable pain. “I can’t leave. I need to forget. ”

My heart raced. “He is keeping you here by force?—”

“If I leave, I’ll die. I can’t, I can’t!” she cried, yanking me closer to her. “Let me stay. Please, you can’t do this to me! I can’t take it. I’ll even challenge the labyrinth this time, I promise! Just let me stay!”

Helplessness welled in me as she sobbed in my arms, begging and pleading, the heartbreaking sound echoing throughout the room, growing more and more anguished. I didn’t know what to do. My hands rose to comfort her but then fell back to my sides, my throat growing tight with anxiety.

“Do you see now?” Enver asked, regarding me coldly.

“This is…” I trailed off, unable to concentrate as Agatha’s sobs only grew worse, reverberating wails that felt like nails through my heart.

“This is the desperation that leads people to my labyrinth. Failing is not a punishment for them. It is a reprieve.”

I barely heard him, preoccupied with the way Agatha so desperately pleaded to go back. “I beg you,” she said, gasping, tears splashing onto the floor below us.

I couldn’t take it anymore. “Enver, help her,” I said, my voice shaking as her cries seemed to rattle my chest.

“Helping her would just make her my thrall, no?”

Agatha was hyperventilating at this point, sinking to the ground. I dropped to my knees beside her, breathing shakily. “Please,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around her, looking up at Enver, and wondering what fate I would doom her to by pleading to him.

Without a word, he stepped forward, kneeling next to us. He swept Agatha’s hair away from her forehead with a tenderness that took me off guard. “Agatha. Look at me.”

She lifted her head, and as their gazes met, it was like a switch flipped. She fell silent, her tears drying up. She pulled herself out of my arms and climbed to her feet, smoothing out her uniform. “My lord,” she said, dipping her head toward him, then me. “My lady.”

Enver stood to his full height as well, holding his hand out to me. I let him help me to my feet, my mind still reeling from what I’d witnessed. He then let me go to reach out and wipe away the stray tears left on Agatha’s cheeks. “We do not require any further assistance. You and Oliver may leave.”

I’d almost forgotten Oliver was still there. He gave both Enver and me a slight bow before retreating out of the room with Agatha. The quietude that settled in the room now felt almost as perturbing as Agatha’s weeping.

“Desperation is born from the silent screams of shattered souls. The relentless agony of a tragic loss. The endless yearning for something that remains out of reach. The cruel awareness that what once was can never be again.” Enver’s voice was soft as he spoke, carrying a somber tone that matched the melancholic atmosphere of the room. “The aching emptiness that consumes you, leading you to the edge of hopelessness.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, a chill sweeping through me. He sounded as if he understood the weight of that despair. As if he’d experienced it for himself. But, how could he? He didn’t have emotions.

“That feeling sustains the labyrinth,” he continued. “It can either guide you through your desperation if you challenge it and prevail or take it all away if you fail. But it is not so cruel as to let you suffer in the case of failure.”

“You talk about it as if it’s sentient.”

“This labyrinth is as much a part of me as I am of it. I, too, can guide you through your despair,” he said, turning toward me. He held out his hand again, long fingers outstretched, coaxing me in. “Or take you away from it.”

I kept my hands firmly tucked under my arms. “And what happens when you take it away? ”

“The solace of oblivion.”

“How is that solace?—"

“You have just witnessed how,” he cut in, letting his hand drop back to his side. “When reality is a nightmare, oblivion is a sweet dream.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. I couldn’t argue that it wasn’t true after seeing Oliver and Agatha’s unbearable sorrow, and how they begged for the mercy of remaining here with Enver. Whatever happened to them had made forgetting the easier option. But…

“I’m not that desperate,” I said.

“You were,” Enver responded evenly. “That night we met. If I had offered you oblivion instead of my body, you would have chosen it.”

I shook my head, staring hard at the floor. “No. I wouldn’t give up on everything just because no one loves me.” I hugged myself tighter, a weight settling in my gut as I thought back to that night, to Julian. To the devastation of betrayal, to the wretched reminder that no one would ever love me. To how I would have done anything for love. To how I still would. My chest tightened. “That’s…”

That was why I, too, had considered forgetting my pain like Neima had wanted for Paloma.

“Do not feel ashamed. You are not the only one to have felt that way,” he said. “Everyone has their darkest moments. Their deepest despairs. Ones that take root in your veins and burgeon in the shadows of your soul—ones that lead to my labyrinth.”

“Isla said I’d know if I completed the labyrinth because I’d be home. Is that true?” I asked, a horrible apprehension looming over me.

“I would suggest not believing everything she says, my little lover,” he said, irritation bleeding into his tone.

“Why wouldn’t I? She’s in the same position I am. What reason would she have to lie about anything? ”

“She is not in the same position as you,” he responded sharply. “You are far more precious to me.”

As always with Enver, he pulled unwanted reactions from me. My heart fluttered, and I bit my tongue hard to keep my composure, refusing to look at him. “Just tell me. How would I know I’ve completed the labyrinth successfully?”

“You would return to your world.”

I went still, anxiety growing in me at the implication of his confirmation. “And if I faced my challenge and didn’t return home?”

“Then you would have failed. You would reappear in my castle before me just as you are now and assume your new role here.”

My heart plummeted, and I swayed on my feet, my legs going weak. No. That couldn’t be. But I was here. In front of him. Not home. “I failed?” I asked, terror seeping into my voice, my body breaking into uncontrollable tremors as I finally looked at Enver. “No… I can’t be trapped here! You can’t keep me here!”

He didn’t answer, only stared at me, his steely gaze betraying nothing.

I stumbled back in a panic, trying to put distance between us as fear clawed at me from all sides. “I don’t want this! Don’t do this to me, please?—”

“Nell,” he said, cutting me off and advancing toward me.

I twisted on my heel to run but only managed to take one step before a wall of dark shadows rose from the ground in front of me, blocking my path. I took a shuddering breath, attempting to move around them, but Enver threw his arm out, stopping me. I twirled back around to face him, my breath hitching in my throat. “Stay away from me! Enver, please?—”

“You have not failed,” he said.

“I—what? ”

“You have not failed,” he repeated slowly, letting me take in each word. “You still belong to yourself.”

I searched his eyes for any hint of dishonesty, but they were clear. The shadows that corralled me dissipated, but I didn’t move. “But I swear I faced my challenge. And I’m still here.”

“You cannot have possibly finished my labyrinth,” he told me, taking my hand in his, and leading me over to the edge of the room to look out one of the arched windows. “I said you had to make your way up to me. Look up there.” He lifted his hand, pointing to the castle’s elegant clock tower. It stood backdropped by the starry night sky, its golden hands and numbers glinting in the moonlight. “That is where you will find me and your final challenge.”

“Final challenge?” I repeated, the sight of the clock tower filling me with renewed dread. “There’s more than one?”

“Yes.”

My stomach knotted. “Is that how it is for everyone?”

He stayed quiet for a moment before finally admitting, “No.”

My head whipped toward him, a sudden anger replacing the fear I’d just felt. “Do you like fucking with me? Is that it? Is that why I’m the only one with a time limit? Why I have to face multiple challenges when everyone else only has one? Are you even going to let me leave if I complete them? Or are you going to force me to stay here with you? So you can keep me as your lover, and we can play pretend on the outside while on the inside, you’ll remain as cold and unfeeling as the stones that make up your shitty castle?”

He said nothing, only watched me, his jaw tight.

His refusal to respond only fueled my frustration. I grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him toward me. “Answer me! You can’t even get satisfaction or amusement out of this, so why? Why are you doing this to me? Why me?”

“Because you were desperate,” he said, not attempting to remove my hands from him, his face a perfect mask of stoicism. “Because you drew me to you.”

“You’re saying this is all my fault?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“No,” he answered. “It is mine. For being the ruler of this labyrinth and for desiring you.”

My grip on him slackened. “But you don’t feel guilty about it.”

He brought his hand up to cradle the back of my neck, his touch delicate and warm. “I cannot.”

I released him. There was no point in getting angry. He would never understand how I felt. I’d have better luck receiving compassion from the shadows or servants he manipulated. “I don’t understand. Why did you create this labyrinth?”

Enver smoothed out his shirt, pushing the fabric away from the scar on his chest. “I cannot answer that.”

“You can’t answer why you created this place?” I snapped, my anger flaring again, his nonchalance feeding it into a blaze. “Is there anything you can do? Or can you only manipulate and kidnap innocent people?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Careful with your words, my little lover. You do not want to make an enemy of me.”

“I’m not making an enemy out of you—you’re already an enemy to me.”

“Is that so? You allow your enemies to touch you in the way I have touched you? To kiss and taste you? To make you writhe in pleasure under them?” he murmured, leaning down so his lips were a breath away from mine. “If that is the case, I am pleased to be your enemy. I will make you hate me even more. Until you cannot think of anyone but me, your irresistible nemesis.”

I tried to shove him away, but he quickly grabbed my wrists, pushing me up against the window, the chill of the glass seeping through the thin fabric of my dress and cape as he pinned my hands above my head. “Let me go,” I demanded, but my voice came out breathless.

He pressed his body into mine, the hard muscles of his chest brushing against my breasts as he brought his mouth to my ear. “I will be the cruel villain who makes you come so hard you forget you are supposed to hate me. The heartless monster you scream and beg for more from.”

Air caught in my lungs. His hips shifted, and I could feel the thick ridge of his erection against my stomach. I shouldn’t have felt turned on, shouldn’t have felt anything other than hatred for him, but I couldn’t stop my body from reacting to his touch, his words.

“No,” I said, squeezing my eyes shut.

A second later, Enver’s body and warmth were gone. My arms fell back to my side, and I opened my eyes to see him standing a few feet away now. His face was devoid of all expression, his mask back into place.

“I do not consider you an enemy of mine, my little lover,” he said. “I only consider you mine.”

I swallowed. “I’m not yours.”

“Everything will end if you give yourself to me. No more pain. No more sorrow,” he promised softly. “No more memories of your past or thoughts of your future. Only here and now. With me. Why do you refuse me?”

“Because you can’t offer me what I want,” I told him. “What you offer is only an illusion of it.”

“I wish…” He stopped there, jaw tightening again, angling his face away from me.

I didn’t want to think about the longing I’d glimpsed in his eyes before he turned away. It didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t mean anything. “Even if it’s seven or seven hundred challenges I have to face in your labyrinth, I will overcome them,” I said. “ Maybe it’s true I was desperate when we first met, but it’s not true now.”

“No,” he agreed in a murmur, moving closer again, his hand coming up to cradle my cheek as if he couldn’t resist touching me when he stood so close. “It is not true now. Your will is strong. I have rarely encountered those such as yourself here. And those I have…” he trailed off.

“Were the ones to complete your labyrinth,” I finished for him, my eyes widening slightly.

His hand moved to wrap a piece of my hair around his finger. “Yes.”

Hope planted its seed in my chest. Only two had ever escaped his labyrinth, but maybe only two ever possessed the will to do so. I needed to stop being weighed down by my doubt and cling to my will. I had the will to get out. I knew I did.

Love had gotten me into this, but spite would get me out.

“I will escape your labyrinth,” I told Enver, meeting his gaze head-on. “And when I do, I hope the emotion I give you is compassion. That way, you can finally understand what you’re doing to those you lure and trap here.”

He took a step back, letting my hair slip through his fingers. “Or perhaps you will fail and come to understand why oblivion is so coveted. I would not even make you suffer despite your accusations and insults. I would grant oblivion to you the moment you crawled back to me, forlorn and defeated.”

My scalp prickled with unease. “I thought you said I’d stay by your side if I failed. Not become one of your servants.”

“If you choose to be with me instead of facing the labyrinth, then yes, I will keep you by my side as my equal. But if you fail the labyrinth after attempting to leave me, then I promise you nothing,” he said. “I told you before. I will not beg you to stay with me.”

I stared at him, my chest constricting painfully. “You’re… ”

“Heartless?” he asked, moving closer to me again, shadows rising behind him, creating a dark and menacing silhouette. “Cruel? A monster? Please, I insist you hurl more accusations my way, my little lover. You only make me want to become what you expect of me.”

“Why do you even care? You can’t even feel anything,” I responded, keeping my feet planted on the ground, even though I desperately wanted to fall back. There was nowhere for me to go, anyway.

“I have my pride,” he said icily, the shadows behind him now a solid wall.

“Pride?” I repeated, and just as realization hit me, the shadows lunged forward.

They crashed over Enver and me, swallowing us both in their darkness. I put my hands up defensively, squeezing my eyes shut as vertigo slammed into me. Nausea rose in my stomach, and I stumbled, falling to my knees, onto what felt like cool silk. Pressure increased in my ears, making me grimace. Then, something grabbed me, tugging me forward roughly. No, not just something. Multiple of them—shadows.

I vaguely recognized the feeling from when I first entered the castle, but I focused my thoughts on convincing myself not to vomit as nausea threatened to overtake me. And just before I thought I’d lose the battle, everything stopped. The shadows left me, and the vertigo and queasiness disappeared.

Only to be replaced with a rough coldness against the skin of my palms and knees.

My eyes snapped open to see grey cobblestone lit up by an orange glow, and the reddish shine of polished, black leather boots. Lifting my head higher, my gaze traveled up pristine black slacks to a white poet shirt and finally to the unfamiliar face of a man staring down at me. A lantern hanging from a post behind him revealed the source of the incandescence .

“ Bun? seara ,” he greeted, and then grinned.

My heart nearly stopped at the sight of his elongated canines, the glimmer of firelight catching on them.

No, not canines.

Fangs.