Behind My Shadow - Book Three

66. It's a Showdown

"Darie! Wait!" Adisonia catches up to me at the maw of the maze. "You can't go in there alone!" She pants as she reaches my side. "I...I know this Maze. I mean, I've never been in here myself," she huffs. "But I've seen my mother's maps when she designed this thing. I can help you!"

"Thanks, seriously, thank you," I briefly put a hand to her shoulder. "But I can't let you come with me either. I saw how your mother looked at you." She flinches. "If she gets the chance, she's going to murder you and I can't let that happen."

"You...really care about what happens to me?" Her eyes unexpectedly shine with tears as she searches my face with disbelief.

"Of course I care about you!" I insist. "You're one of my best friends, and I won't let Regina hurt anyone else I care about."

She smiles faintly, but now shakes her head. "Look, I'm coming with you whether you give me permission to or not," she says with more conviction. "You might be the Alice and whatever, but you're not invincible and no friend of mine is going into this deathtrap by themselves. Not with me standing right here."

"Fine! I don't have time to waste arguing!" I roll my eyes and rush into the Maze, she's right beside me with two golden seis in either hand. "You know you just called me your friend, right?" I glance at her as we race down a winding tunnel.

"Get used to it," she rolls her eyes. "Whoa, hold up!" She quickly grabs my arm and we skid to a halt. "This tunnel will keep us running in circles forever. Let's go this way!" She dodges down another leafy path, I gratefully follow.

I might be able to sense where the traps are, but I still have no idea how to navigate this place.

"There's something up ahead!" I warn her.

"I think it's either the swinging axe head or -" she breaks off with a yelp as I seize her arm and wrench her down with me right before an enormous white axe swings free from the dense wall.

"Definitely the swinging axe head!" We quickly crawl beneath the trap and now spring back up to our feet, taking off in another run. "Do you know where this portal leads?"

"Yeah, back to her childhood home." We run down yet another corridor as Adisonia explains. "Mother told me her little sister made this portal when they were first brought here to live at the Palace, Mira made it in secret and only told two persons about it; her sister and her best friend, Adarina!" She calls to be heard over the wild, humid wind howling through the thicket around us.

"My mom can create portals?!"

"It confuses me every time you say mom! Mira woman is not your mother! Adarina was!"

"It doesn't matter, Mom is the only mom I know!"

We suddenly skid to a halt in alarm as we see bright bursts of magic flashing overhead.

I instantly recognize the dark green and pale blue signature magic. "My White Knights! Damn it! They followed me in here!"

"By the looks of it, they're in trouble," Adisonia rolls her eyes with exasperation.

"We gotta help them! Let's go!" I take off running down yet another path, my heart churning frantically with fear and desperation. I warned them to stay away from this place! This is a deathtrap waiting to happen!

Even before we see the knights, we hear the clank of swords crashing together and now as we round the next corner, we see my White Knights with a team of card soldiers battling the remaining Black Heart assassins. If the assassins are here than their queen must be close, I think anxiously as I wildly look around for her.