Labyrinth

Encounter

Sinbad adjusted his grip on the woman resting on his back. Would-be Thalia Alexandris had pushed to her limit, and he wasn't about to risk falling behind to let her rest. When this was over, her to him would be insurmountable. The entire Attican treasury wouldn't be able to repay him for the trouble she put him through.

Groggily, she lifted her head. "Are we there yet?" Her voice was soft and lovely, like her thighs around his waist and her breasts against his shoulder blades. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't killed at least three of the last six fantasizing about them.

"Not yet." He forced a polite smile. "Just a bit farther, ."

She sighed and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Slow down then. I want to rest a bit longer."

"I think you've rested enough," he told her. Too late. Her quiet snoring filled .

His lips twitched. It was too funny—the elegant, prim, composed snored in her sleep. If it was anyone else, he would have thought it was cute.

Not Thalia, though. Even in her sleep, she found ways to undermine him. Her breaths licked his skin like a flame, hot enough to coax him into a state of near-delirium. He imagined her tilting her head just a little to press her lips into him, imagined her hands roaming his chest as had the other . He'd told her then he didn't want her, and at that , he had meant it, but she was determined to test his resolve.

He gave her a hard shake. "Wake up."

"Must I?" She inhaled and let out a pleased sigh. Did she just sniff him?

Either way, he couldn't allow this to continue. He needed his wits about him when they encountered the monster.

"Princess?"

"Mmm..." In any other context, that noise would have been incredibly lewd. It was like she was trying to make it worse for him.

"Princess."

"Sinbad..."

Never had he expected his name to sound so enticing falling from someone's lips, certainly from her. That was it. The final straw. One way or the other, he was waking her up.

"Princess, you're drooling on my shirt," he told her.

"Huh?" She woke with a start and scrambled to inspect the fabric. "I'm so sorry! I'll clean it off right away."

"Don't worry." Sinbad plopped her on the ground. "You can make up for it by carrying yourself."

Thalia wiped her mouth and then stared at her dry forearm. "I wasn't drooling, was I?"

"No, but you were snoring." He nudged her into proceeding. "It was very distracting."

"That's impossible," Thalia muttered. "I don't snore."

"I promise, you do." Most likely, no one had dared to tell her until today. She was, after all, a princess, one who knew how to weaponize her intelligence no less. She probably terrorized the servants as well. Maybe not in the same manner as him... He certainly hoped not.

His jaw clenched at the idea of her seducing some other unlucky fool. A lesser man (or woman, he couldn't rule them out) wouldn't be able to resist her. They'd throw themselves at her for her affections, and how would she reward them? A kiss? She'd been shy around him naked, but not all manners of pleasure involved both parties disrobing. Maybe she'd let them finger her. Maybe she'd make those same sweet sounds, moan the poor victim's name from those same, sinful lips.

He slowed, torn from his thoughts by an unnatural blue glow emanating from the end of the tunnel. It reminded him of moonlight, but it was far too bright. Maybe his eyes were having trouble adjusting after so many hours with only a torch for light, or maybe Princess Thalia had finally driven him mad.