It was quiet for a few seconds, yet it felt like forever. The air was heavy, thick with anticipation. My throat was dry, yet I managed to croak out, "We didn't mean any harm."

"They never do." I felt the cold whisper tickle the back of my neck. I swatted the searing flesh, like I would a buzzing gnat. A low chuckle sounded. "Eh, Nathaniel?"

With a click, a small flame brightened the area. Gloved fingers held a lighter. My gaze traveled up the muscled arm to the gaunt shadows of a chiseled face. A slight smile softened his unyielding jaw.

"That was a dirty trick you played on us, Tristan," Nathaniel said. Clasping hands, they bumped shoulders. He surveyed the cave. "Where's Liam?"

A second lighter lit, illuminating a wolfish grin. "Miss me?"

"And your little friend?" Nathaniel flicked his eyes over the glinting gun. "Not a chance."

Laughing, Liam tucked the gun in the waistband of his pants.

"What's life without a little spice?" He nodded at me. "Right, hon?"

"My name is Ce—Cecelia." Offering my hand, I said, "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, you're a real polite girl, Cecelia" Tristan said. "Real polite."

"Much too nice for Nathaniel." Liam engulfed my hand in his and shook it. "But me, I'm a gentleman."

"If Nathaniel were half the man we were, he never would have let a sweet girl like you cross smuggler's domain." Tristan eyed Nathaniel. "Your maze tour was supposed to be a one-time thing."

Nathaniel's shoulders slumped. "I know but—"

"We have a package to deliver. To Dr. Mathers'. And I begged Nathaniel to show me a shortcut."

"So this is your fault?" As Tristan said the words, Liam's hands dipped into his waistband once again.

I paused. Did I really want to take the fall?

"Yes." I said the word before I could change my mind.

Hand on gun, Liam said, "Then there's only one thing left to do."

"P-please don't kill me." I tried to appeal to their human empathy. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll forget I was ever here. Just don't—don't..."

Liam laughed, falling over as he gave into mirth.

"They were never going to kill you, Ce...celia." I barely noticed Nathaniel stutter over my new name.

"Never?"

Tristan shook his head.

"But I've heard the stories about the smugglers, and he was pulling out his gun."

"A joke," Liam wheezed. "It was a joke."

"Not a very funny one."

Nodding to the fool on the ground, Tristan said, "Liam seems to think so." He bent to pick up the lighter Liam dropped. "We came here because we were alerted that the maze's system crashed." He headed to the perimeter, where the electronic pad lay, taking the lighter with him and leaving us in darkness.

Nathaniel nudged Liam with his boot. "Are you going to get up any time soon?"

"Nathaniel, have you ever laid on the floor, closed your eyes, cleared your thoughts, and just rested?"

"With what time do I have to do that?"

"A no from you, then."

"Some of us have to work for a living."

"If you joined our ranks you wouldn't."

"You know me, Liam. Could I ever be a smuggler?"

"You'd have to drop that self-righteous conscience."

"But then I wouldn't be the Nathaniel you all know and love."

"Nathaniel, there is not a soul in the world who can claim my love." A subtle snap underscored the serious tones of the conversation. He was rotating the rounds on his revolver.

"Except Cecelia. Is she still here? I could love a girl like her."

Nathaniel scoffed. "You probably say that to every girl."

"Not the ugly ones. And there's something to be said about a girl who can make you laugh."

"You're a regular Romeo."

Liam chuckled. "A what—a Romeo? Sometimes, Nathaniel, you say the strangest things."

I heard him shrug. "It's just something I picked up."

He was lying. A Shakespearean reference is not something anyone can pick up. Even I, with my private tutors and rigorous education, never learned about the English playwright until I read the play, Much Ado About Nothing, six months ago, when Jack brought it for me. It took two months to demystify the Old English into something legible. Whomever he was, Nathaniel was a learned man.

"You must be well-traveled Nathaniel," I said. He shrugged and evaded my gaze.

"Curious about old Nat?" Liam asked. "There's a line, and it's about a mile long. Nathaniel here is shy about his past."

"I'm not shy. There's simply nothing to talk about. My family is gone. I've been on my own for a long time. I found a job at the palace. There you have it. My life."

Liam clapped. "Very eloquent and nicely stated. It's inspiring, award-winning."

"If you're not serious about this smuggling thing, you can always go into comedy, Liam. You're a natural."

"One of these days, Natty boy, I'll figure you out."

The light poured in. I could see Liam's face clearly. The upturned grin seemed like a permanent fixture on his face.

"One of these days maybe," Nathaniel said, "but not today."

Arms crossed over his chest, Tristan returned to us. "Good news: you didn't break the maze. If you had, then you would really be in trouble."

Nathaniel helped Liam to his feet. "I won't abuse your friendship again, Tris."

"If you were that reckless, I wouldn't call you my friend." He ambled toward the maze entrance. "Let's head out to Dr. Mathers'. We have a package to deliver."

Liam followed him inside. "You think the good doctor still has those lemon bars?"

As I moved to walk forward, Nathaniel grasped my arm. Throwing me a sharp look, he whispered, "I don't think your father would approve. Filia Principia."

I gritted my teeth. "I don't need his approval, and I didn't ask for your permission. If you have a problem, you can leave. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble."

Liam called out. "Nathaniel, Cecelia, those legs weren't made for standing."

Wrestling my arm from Nathaniel's grip, I said, "I'm going."

Nathaniel's jaw was clenched. He stuffed his hands into his pocket. "Then, so am I."

Our group moved through the maze like a huddled mass, silent and wary. The steady tread of our footsteps and the drip drop of water were the only sounds.

"So you're Evelyn's replacement?"

Liam had somehow maneuvered his way beside me. He slowed down to match my pace.

"No," I said. "I'm just a runner, like Nathaniel."

"Then she still works at the palace?"

"No, she quit. Apparently, she's engaged and has a baby on the way." I gaged his reaction. "Why do you want to know?"

"No reason," he said. "She was just a girl I used to know."

Tristan came from behind and slapped his hand against Liam's back. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing." Liam suddenly smiled. "I was just about to ask Cecelia if she knew." He waggled his brows.

"Knew what?"

"You mean you didn't tell her, Nathaniel?" he asked, with his mouth agape and eyes wide.

"You know I don't believe your conspiracies." He rolled his eyes.

"Who's conspiring?" Liam turned to me. "What I'm about to tell you is the complete, unadulterated truth." He met each of our eyes before continuing. "On October 15, the year 3100, First Citizen Maximilian Navarie ordered the mass execution of every servant working in the palace."

I shook my head. "No, that's not possible." How could that be?

"It's true," Nathaniel said.

"You said you didn't believe his conspiracies," I said.

"Oh, I agree with that part."

Liam continued, "The official report is that an assassination plot, led by Jenna Kimble, was uncovered. For months, she planned in secret to murder the First Family, bringing more and more people into her circle until most of the palace was complicit in some way."

"Her mistake was telling everybody," Tristan said. "People are unreliable."

"What was her position at the palace?" I asked.

"She was the cook," Liam answered. "But she was framed." Tristan groaned.

"Here we go," Nathaniel said as he rolled his eyes.

Liam ignored them and appealed to me. "You're working in the palace, right? You're dissatisfied and overworked. You don't agree with the First Citizen or his politics, and as the days drag on, you realize that with your proximity to him and his family, you have the power to enact change. The idea grows upon you. Assassination isn't child's play, so you carefully think about the sacrifices you'd have to make—that includes possibly losing your life. That's daring. A person who chooses assassination is desperate. It's their last resort."

"Which makes them cocky and careless," Tristan interrupted.

"No, it makes them smart. Too smart to risk capture by blabbing to anyone who'd listen. People are unreliable, which makes the First Citizen's official statement suspicious."

"You never knew Jenna Kimble, Liam. You don't know her character," Tristan said.

"No, but I do know desperation. Assassination is treasonous. A person willing to risk it all, a person that desperate would never be so careless." He shrugged. "You believe me don't you, Cecelia?"

I frowned. "I never heard of this story before. How do you know about it?"

"My parents lost friends," Liam said.

"All of our parents lost friends and family, but no one talks about it anymore," Tristan added.

I folded my arms, looking down as I walked, trying to reconcile myself to the truth I'd just learned. But I was still hesitant. It didn't seem realistic that my father would endorse a mass execution.

"Believe me or not, Cecelia. All I'm saying is be careful."

His serious eyes expected a response. "Always," I said.

We reached the end of the maze. Ahead, a stone wall blocked us. It was similar to the one we used to enter the labyrinth. If I squinted, I could see the semblance of a straight line, slashing the middle stone in half.

"We're here," I said.

"And this is where our paths diverge." I spun to see Liam's hands hidden in his pocket.

"You're not coming with us?" I asked.

"Liam and I have business to attend to."

"What about Dr. Mathers' lemon bars?"

"Another time, Cecelia. Another time."

I watched as Nathaniel bumped fists with Tristan and Liam.

"Don't be a stranger," Tristan said to him.

Liam grabbed my hand and raised it to his lips. "That applies to you, too, Cecelia. I love a girl who can make me laugh. And if you ever notice something suspicious in that palace..."

With one last parting smile, I said, "You'll be the first to know."