"All I am saying is that you have seemed a lot...happier, lately," Lafayette said, raising his hands defensively. "And I am not judging you! It is a very good thing! And we are all quite happy to hear you laugh again."

"Well, thanks," I said, brightly. What he said was true. I hadn't been this happy in weeks, and it was all because of my nightly secret visits to Thomas's world. Each time I went was better than the last, revealing new secrets, new things to explore, and the city was beginning to grow. "I guess I just figured it was time to stop being upset and angry."

Eliza eyed me worryingly, but she didn't say anything. She knew me better than I knew myself, and honestly, it was a little terrifying to have somebody who always knew what you were feeling no matter how hard you tried your best to keep it to yourself. Terrifying, bur strangely comforting at the same time.

I took her hand in mine and nudged her slightly with my shoulder, an authentic grin touching my face. It was nice to not have to fake them anymore. "Everything's alright," I promised her. "Really."

She smiled, though it fell flat. "I believe you." And I knew she wanted to. And maybe she did. She just didn't understand why I was so happy.

Lafayette and Hercules were walking ahead of us, their backs turned. I took the chance and kissed her cheek lightly and fast enough so she couldn't react. Her demeanor instantly relaxed, and she even laughed a little, which before seemed like an impossible task. She was nervous, and it wasn't just about me. But she had every reason to be nervous.

We were about to step into the lion's den, just the four of us, with hardly any information on the lions who lived inside. We didn't even know if they were lions.

"We'll find Angelica," I had promised her before we left the castle. "And she's going to be alright." If she believed me, she hadn't said anything.

But to her defense, everything about the day alluded to a dramatic defeat. The sky was dark gray, promising a storm, and the air was eerily still. There was no breeze to worsen the cold air, but that really didn't comfort me that much. And this morning, I had woken up with a bitter taste in my mouth that reminded me a lot of the stench of death and rot.

I kept my hand entwined with Eliza, calmed by the warm press of her skin against mine. Fortunately, I needed her more and more as the days went on. I needed somebody to hold and to touch and to love, and she was perfect for all three. As the days kept passing, I came to realize that I truly and deeply care about her. 

And I can't help but feel like I've betrayed her somehow. I hate lying to people, her most of all, but what other option do I have? If I tell her what I'm doing every night, she won't let me see him anymore. And then I'll be lost, and Thomas will be lost. But if she finds out on her own, how hurt would she feel?

There is a snake of rot twisting through my stomach. And what's even worse is knowing that there isn't anything I can do about it but sit and wait for somebody to show me what I'm supposed to do. I need somebody to help me.

"Worried?" I asked her, voice dropped to a whisper so the thoughts would stay between the two of us.

"'Course not!" she chirped, though I could see behind her upbeat exterior. "We're going to find Angelica, and like you said, everything's going to be okay. There's no need to worry about things that might or might not happen."

"I mean," Hercules said, laughing to himself. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Zombie plague," I added thoughtfully.

"A what plague?" Lafayette repeated, turning around so he was walking backwards and eyeing me carefully.

I shook my head. "Legions of undead that fester in hatred and self-pity. Their only goal is to kill and eat brains."

"Is that a... normal thing on Earth?"

"Yes."

"Man," Hercules commented, nudging the Aspis at his side. "Earth is weird."

"If I am lucky, I will never have to step foot in that dreadful place again," Lafayette agreed, perhaps a bit over-dramatically.

I laughed, and it felt good to finally be able to do so again. Eliza smiled and rolled her eyes at the two idiots walking in front of us, while both Hercules and Lafayette were set at ease by the playful banter. Everything was going to be fine. If we did everything we were supposed to do, nobody would even notice we were there. We'd have Angelica, and everything will be as it should be.

So why did my stomach feel so heavy, my throat so dry? Why were every single one of my instincts begging for me to turn around, to run back to the safety of the castle? Something was going to go wrong. I could feel it. Unless I was just being paranoid.

A rustle in the bushes halted my feet in my tracks. I spun, dagger raised, but relaxed without meaning to when I saw the familiar flash of those unmistakable yellow-green eyes.

"What is it?" Lafayette asked.

"Ira," I breathed, the word like an island in the middle of a raging sea. I don't know why, but a part of the worry poisoning my stomach eased at their unspoken promise of protection.

"Who?"

"The Venandi," Eliza said, before I had the chance. She mumbled an apology when I shot her a surprised look, blushed, and looked away.

"Woah," Hercules said simply. He started forwards, reaching out a friendly hand, but once the giant creature began to hiss, Lafayette grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back.

"They are poisonous," Lafayette said shortly.

"Actually, they're venomous," Eliza corrected, earning herself a sharp glare.

"They won't hurt you," I said, dropping to my knees and holding out my hand the same way Hercules had done. But this time, instead of the low, drawn out sound that reminded me of a bomb slowly ticking down, Ira stepped out of the bushes and sauntered up to where I was, their head held proudly. "Hey, sweetheart," I said as they pressed their head against my outstretched hand. "Miss me?"

"We should get going," Lafayette said, gazing at the creature with something similar to distrust. "We do not want to waste any more time."

"Just a second." I paused, Ira stepping back and looking up at me with a pair of two pleading eyes. "Can they come with us?"

"You sure that's a smart decision?" Hercules asked, almost hesitantly. "Not that I don't trust them, but..."

"They can help us," I said firmly, and for once, nobody argued with me. "Good. Let's keep going. We have to make it there by sunset."

The casual conversation slowly ignited once more, and the other three began to chat about things that were less than important. I would have joined them, but I was too focused on the presence of Ira. I could feel her mind pulsing against mine, a connection that couldn't easily be broken. My eyes scanned the forest surrounding us, and I found that I was having a much easier time peering through the dense brush. Not only was my alertness heightened, but I also felt more at ease. Briefly, I wondered if this is how Thomas feels whenever he's with his birds.

Felt, I corrected automatically. That Thomas wasn't the real Thomas. I had to stop forgetting that before the lie consumed me completely.

Lafayette held up a hand suddenly, and I stopped in my tracks. I reached for Eliza, feeling safer only when I pulled her closer to me. She didn't say anything, but her worry seeped into my skin like rain. "We're here," I uttered, though it didn't have to be said.

"Want to scout from above?" Lafayette asked Hercules, who nodded, allowed the form of a bird to overcome his own, and took off into the sky. I watched for a moment until he became nothing more than a black dot, then focused my attention to the great maze that sprawled up ahead, a couple hundred yards away.

"There's nobody guarding it," I said as a frown overcame my face. My back straightened immediately, jaw clenching.

"There never is," Eliza returned.

"Yeah, but don't you think it's too easy?"

"They are idiots," Lafayette said bluntly, and it was impossible not to snort in amusement. "They do not know as much as they think they know, and are far underprepared."

"I guess that's true," I admitted, though still uneasy. I lagged behind as the others started forwards, when a glint of light caught my eye. My head swiveled, and I immediately recognized what I was staring at.

"The garden," I said.

"Hmm?" Eliza asked, turning to face me. Lafayette stopped as well, though he didn't look quite happy about it.

"It's the garden. But it wasn't here before, was it?" I started towards the gazebo, the pond, the flowers. All perfect, but terribly so. There was a twittering coming from the thin birch trees, unmistakably a bird. "I don't understand."

"Alexander?" Eliza asked, and I felt her hand on my shoulder a moment later. "Let's not worry too much about it right now. We do the have maze to worry about."

"The maze is a decoy." And as I said it, I knew it was the truth. "It's a trick. Why would the King put something we were looking for in the same place twice, huh? We will die if we go in there."

And I had somebody waiting for me. If I suddenly disappeared? I have no idea what he will do to himself, but I know for a fact it isn't good.

"The King is a lot smarter than you give him credit for being," I said, but neither moved. "Fine. Go to the maze, if that's what you want," I spat, aware of how little sense I was making. How I sounded like nothing more than a child who believed they could be making demands. "But I'm going to the garden." I turned and started in that direction, walking away from the maze.

I heard them muttering behind me for a moment, but their voices were too hushed to make out. My heart pounded in my chest; I wanted their support. I wanted them to be by me every step in the way. But if they refused?

Fine. I had Ira anyway.

Fortunately, Eliza's voice rang out. "Alexander, wait. Let me tell Hercules what we're doing, and we'll follow you."

I relaxed a little and did as she asked.

"What is so special about the garden?" Lafayette asked. He didn't seem frustrated or upset, thankfully, just a bit concerned. "What makes you so sure that whatever beast the King is hiding, it is in there? Did you feel its energy?"

I closed my eyes, reaching my mind out. A curse flew from my mouth, and I let out a grunt following it.

"What? What is it?" Lafayette pressed.

"I can't feel anything," I returned. I dropped to the ground and reached for a blade of grass, but it didn't so much as quiver. It was almost like there was a wall between me and my energy. "Nothing's happening!" I exclaimed.

Lafayette widened his stance and spread his arms as he always did when conjuring a block of stone, pulling it from the ground. I waited a few seconds, but nothing happened. He tried again, but it yielded the same result.

"Can you contact Hercules?" I asked, swiveling to face Eliza.

"Barely," she returned, her voice strained. "I told him to come down. I think he said he'll meet us up ahead, but I don't know if it will work."

"Well, nowhere to go from here then forward."

I could sense their unease. They made no attempt to hide it, but even f they had, it would have been no use. I had to admit that I wasn't as comfortable as I let on. Multiple times, I caught myself scanning the garden as we made our way across the path to the gazebo. The birdsong was strangely comforting, even though it was unlike anything I had ever heard before. Their conversations were far more controlled, far more rhythmic. As if they were performing a song I would never have the pleasure of hearing.

I stepped onto the first wooden step of the gazebo and swallowed hard. My hands curled into fists around the handles of my daggers, clinging onto them as though they were the only thing that could save me now. They may very well be.

I tried once more to make the flowers trailing up the side of the gazebo grow or move or change, but nothing happened. Forcing back the growing desperation for escape, I continued to climb up the steps until I was standing in the center of a wooden floor.

The first thing I noticed was how different the light fell inside the gazebo. It came down almost pink in tint, as if the sun was setting. But the sun was still cresting the sky, and there was nothing else that should have suggested a different colored world.

"No sign of her," Eliza said from behind me, her voice held evenly. She was disappointed. I saw it in the way her fists clenched, the way her eyes set and focused on one thing.

"Hey, we'll find her," I said calmly, setting my hand on her back. "Where's Hercules?"

"Here. Sorry. I had to double back," he said, standing behind Lafayette, who jumped at the Rishftin's sudden presence and swore under his breath. Hercules poked him lightly in the ribs and pulled him into the gazebo. It was strangely spacious; all four of us fit inside with plenty of room.

"Well," Lafayette said, picking up on what we all thought. "It's certainly magical."

"Yay," I returned, earning myself a small chuckle from Eliza. "Now what?"

"Hey, this was your idea, buddy," retorted Hercules, trying to keep the mood light. I rolled my eyes and smiled, happy to play along.

"Can we just pick up the gazebo or something and move it elsewhere? It would be like... a lot less work," Lafayette said, and Hercules groaned in agreement.

I opened my mouth to speak, but before a single syllable left my mouth, a harrowing scream cut through the air. I froze, spinning, trying to locate the source of it. But the pinkish light disappeared, leaving us in absolute darkness.

"Well, it appears as if you four are smarter than I give you credit for being," said a voice, nowhere and everywhere at once. I spun, trying to face whoever was speaking, but they were coming from every angle. "I hope you are ready to play a little game of mine."

"Show yourself!" Eliza hissed, the sound of a knife being unsheathed following. "Give me back my sister, you coward."

"Oh, you are in no position to be making such demands." A laugh split the air, sending chills down my spine. "Perhaps its time I introduce you to my new little pet? Though I'm sure you've met before."

Two eyes appeared out of the darkness. Two gray, cat-like eyes.