Glass Heart

Chapter 6

With that settled, I tucked my spear in its sheath at my back, turned in the direction my map said the labyrinth was, and started climbing up the rather steep cliff. "Um, where do you think you're going?" Ryon called from where he was still standing.

"The labyrinth is the most logical place to hide something of value, so that's where I'm going." I was maybe a quarter way to the top and making good time considering physical strength wasn't exactly my strong suit. I paused when I heard muffled laughter from below me. "What is it?"

Glancing down, I could see him smirking up at me. "The labyrinth is that way." He pointed behind him, in the opposite direction that I was climbing. Ah shit.

I was only halfway up, but that was still quite a considerable distance, probably a good thirty feet. "You mean I climbed up here for nothing?" I fumed to myself.

"Well, you can certainly enjoy the view while you're up there." Somehow that didn't make me feel better.

"It's gonna take me ages to get down." I complained, going down without a repel rope definitely wasn't as fun or as easy, it would probably take me twice as long.

Ryon smirked and shook his head, chuckling, it irritated me a little. "Just jump, I'll catch you . . . and we can get going faster." Time to weigh the pros and cons. Pros; I would get down faster, we could leave faster and in the right direction this time, and I'd get to spend a few seconds in his arms. Pretty good pros. Cons; if he didn't catch me, I would break something, hopefully not my neck. I guess my decision really rested on if I trusted Ryon to catch me or not, or rather, if I trusted my fate in the hands of someone else—and a demon, no less. "Come on, we don't have all day." He called up from where he was still standing, waiting for me to choose.

Decided, I loosened my spear sheath and threw it down to him, knowing it was bulky and would make it harder for him to catch me without being impaled himself. "Ready?" I called down, nervous about throwing myself off a cliff.

"I'll catch you, Grace, trust me." I loved hearing him say my name, it sounded like a caress, and that did something to me. Before I could think too far into it, I jumped.

Three terrifying seconds of falling, dreading this decision, doubting that Ryon would catch me. Just three, that's all it took before he caught me. Strong arms? Check. Heavenly smell? Check. Vibrations from a laugh I can feel from his chest? Check. Wait, why was he laughing? I glared up at him, as much as I enjoyed being in his arms and being this close to him in general, he was an ass.

"Come on, darling, we got a long way to go." Did he just call me . . . ? That totally made up for it. "Are you going to get down or did you want me to carry you the whole way?"

"Was that a rhetorical question? Because I am quite comfortable right here."

Ryon snorted, then proceeded to drop me. A surprised yelp escaped my lips, followed by a series of quickly worsening expletives that only made him smile wider. The situation was made more humiliating when he picked me up by the collar of my jacket and set me back on my feet like a damn child. "I'm gonna get you back for that." I fumed, snatching my spear from his grasp and marching past him.

"You're going the wrong way . . . again," he called.

I halted in my tracks, paused a moment to collect myself before turning around to meet his smirk with a pleasant smile on my face. "Why don't you lead the way, Ryon?"

He stalked up to just in front of me and leaned down to say, "it would be my genuine pleasure, darling." He surprised me by interlacing our fingers, "don't get lost and do try to keep up." His touch, though slight, made my brain feel kinda fuzzy, so that all I could do was nod in response. "Are you quite alright?"

My voice went up an octave, "Me? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Let's get going, shall we?" Ryon gave me a look like he didn't believe me, shook his head, and started leading in the proper direction this time. My reaction was super embarrassing, you wouldn't believe how mortified I was—actually, you probably would.

Ryon smirked but otherwise ignored my reaction, which I was grateful for, while he led me along the shore of the black sand riverbank. "We'll follow the river as far as we can, it's warmer and a far better climate for your delicate human skin. The closer we get to the labyrinth, the colder it'll get, eventually we'll have to get you a coat."

"I have a jacket," I protested. I liked my jacket, it was my mother's before mine, I was never without it and I wasn't going to give it up just because a demon told me to.

"That little thing won't help you stay warm in the labyrinth, so unless you wanna freeze to death, just do what I say and let me get you a coat when the time comes."

I nodded reluctantly, he made good points, all logical, and I didn't have to give up my jacket, just get something that would help me in my quest.

"It's a long journey, it'll take several days just to get there, many more to navigate the labyrinth. Not all of it will be comfortable." Ryon warned, causing me to grimace slightly. "It won't be easy either, getting in . . . or out. It's fraught with dangers, especially designed for humans."

Just say you'll turn back, there was that voice again. Why didn't it want me to go there? Was it really that unsafe?

"Then I have to thank you." I nodded resolutely. Some might call me stubborn, I liked to call it persistence.

His brow furrowed, "whatever for? I've done nothing."

"You've warned me so I know what to expect, and you are guiding me there despite the dangers I'm sure it also poses to you."

Strange little thing, brave though, okay where is this voice coming from?

His lips tilted up in a half smirk, not quite the full intensity he had previously focused on me, a concerned glint in his eye. "Don't thank me yet, a lot can happen in a few days in Hell."

"Such as?" I perked up, curious to know more about this oddly beautiful place.

"Injury, death, the usual," Ryon shrugged ahead of me, "my point is that you may not be so thankful by the end of it."

"In the case that you're right and I end up resenting having ever met you," I started with a teasing edge, playing into his words, "you best enjoy the thanks while you have it. But I think I'll be the judge of whether you're worthy of it at the end of this." For whatever reason, I just had the feeling that he would keep his word; to get me there, get me in, and get me out, without harm befalling me.

He flashed that smile I found so breathtaking. "Then I best not disappoint."