No matter where she looked, the crystal reflected the light in gorgeous shades of gold and pink and light blue. It was like being trapped inside a diamond.
And then she reached the end of the tunnel and stepped outside.
For a moment, she couldn’t move, her captors forgotten as she took in the incredible sight.
More crystal—crystal shining in all the colors of the rainbow, spreading as far as the eye could see.
Before her, a giant cave opened up. It was filled with crystal arches and crystal walls, gleaming and sparkling wherever she turned. She didn’t know where the light came from. They were still underground, after all. But even so, the crystal seemed to pulse with golden light, its hue changing to a soft blue, pale rose, then back to gold again.
The maze.
Chiara took a dazed step towards an opening in the crystal wall before her.
And then she heard sounds behind her.
Without thinking, she broke into a run.
“Chiara!” someone shouted, the sound echoing through the large cave.
Shocked, she stopped for a moment. Her heart began racing in her chest as she turned.
I know that voice...
And there, coming from a different tunnel than the one she’d just left, Jared appeared.
How the hell had he made it down here? How had he found her?
“Careful!” she shouted back. “There’s six of them. They’re close!”
A heartbeat later, the first of the shadow-eyed men emerged from the tunnel she’d just left. His eyes were completely black. As soon as he saw her, he charged.
“Hurry!” she yelled as terror made her blood run cold.
She’d started running as soon as she’d seen the man appear. She was close now, so close...
The entrance was looming before her, an archway of crystal—and the door stood wide open.
She had no idea what she’d find inside. But the symbol on the map had been a maze, which was all she needed to know right now.
Losing their pursuers would be a hell of a lot easier in a maze.
She was almost there. Just a few more steps.
She could hear angry cries behind her—and then, the most terrifying sound of all: the angry roar of a dragon.
Her heart skipped a beat, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep running.
Then something grabbed her wrist.
Terror closed around her heart.
A second later, a strange feeling of warmth washed through her, as if she’d suddenly been enveloped by light. She’d felt that sensation before...
When she turned her head, she saw that Jared had finally caught up with her. He kept a tight hold on her.
Together, hand in hand, they raced through the open door while behind them, the terrifying rushing sound of giant wings filled the air.
Then, with an eerie sound she could feel all the way echoing through her bones, the doors of crystal fell closed behind them.