Taking a moment to calm down, Freya patiently sat with me in silence, occasionally casting me a concerned glance. “I know she lied to me,” I eventually mumbled, watching her head whip around.

  “She did, and she didn’t,” I heard her reply softly. “I know the secrets can be frustrating, but I believe there is a time and a place for everything. Why don’t you think of a question that you feel I might be able to answer? I know more than Meadhbh, so there must be something you asked that she couldn’t answer.”

  “If we’re F?r’s heirs, are we related to him?” I asked innocently. “I met him briefly, when he pulled me into his core from the cave; he was massive. However, my sudden growth made me wonder if Isha’s Embrace had reawakened something deep within my genes.”

  A look of despair crossed Freya’s face, and I realised I had asked her a question she would find difficult to answer. Giving her my full attention, I noticed her lips moving slightly, undoubtedly communicating with someone, most likely F?r.

  “You’re not saying no right away, so I’m correct; there is a connection, please tell me. Are Ashley and I related?” I pleaded, moving closer and grasping her hand in case she tried to escape.

  “Biologically, it is impossible for you to share his genes, and no, you are in no way related to Ashley, not unless you try going back several generations, then maybe there's a distant link.” Listening to her, I deflated in defeat, my line of thought cruelly crushed. “Master did not have a child born before his internment beneath the Spire. While I understand your reasoning for the question, I don’t know if it is the answer you wanted to hear.”

  Releasing her hands, I pushed myself to my feet as she mirrored my movements. While I had a dozen new questions, I still needed to complete these last two trials, and perhaps then I could drag Freya back with me and interrogate her. A rift had been humming nearby, waiting for us to approach, and I stepped in first. As I moved through, I sighed deeply at the vast maze that stretched into the distance in all directions.

  “This will take a little longer; you have seventy-two hours to locate the goblin camp in the middle, slay the chieftain, and then escape. So, two trials in one.” As I was informed of the rules, I glanced down at a goblin that was looking up at us, hissing as it attempted to find a way to climb up to us. I instinctively yelled and jumped back when the walls of the maze slammed shut on the goblin, spraying red mist everywhere.

  “There are various traps laced throughout the area, each featuring a visible tripwire that you can disable or use against them. You may forfeit at any time, and I will pull you out. Additionally, every twenty-four hours, you can pause the timer for a six-hour break. If you skip the first one, I will enforce the second; we are testing your strategy and combat skills here, not your endurance. Do you understand?” Her tone was firm, and I nodded, scanning the maze but having long since given up on trying to memorise it.

  “I suppose running across the top is out of the question then?” I jested, reading her answer in the glare of her eyes. “Actually, just one last thing: will there be food and drink? I just remembered that I didn’t bring anything, and I’m feeling a bit peckish.”

  Taken aback, she stroked her cheek. “Oh, since we’ve long forgotten those urges, I never actually thought about it. I will organise something with Athena and send you a care package once it’s ready. After that, for each break, I will provide you with enough to last until your next break. I’ll inform Belial as well, for Ashley’s sake.”

  She lowered the floating platform from which we had been observing the maze. I stepped off and watched it disappear above me. No doubt there to make sure I wouldn’t cheat. The walls had been thick, so it would be useless to try and punch my way through, and Big Sister above me might get a tickle in her throat and cough at me sternly. As I opened the connection to my core, Munin emerged, carrying my sword in his mouth, and I rubbed his head as I mentally prepared.

  The woman’s face refused to leave my mind, and looking down at my sword, I found myself hesitating once more. Freya had seemed afraid of her, even though she wasn’t real, but did she know she wasn’t real? Was she a copy of someone? The resemblance to me was the most concerning aspect. Squatting down, I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to calm myself. Perhaps they had been right to block my memories, because if an apparition like that, where both Athena and Freya were lying to me, scared me so much, what must the truth be like?

  ‘You alright, dear?’ I heard Freya call out, and I simply nodded without looking up and walked down the corridor.

  With Munin by my side, I approached a T-junction, but he halted and sniffed the ground, growling softly. I sensed danger through our connection and raised my sword defensively. Drawing closer to the wall, I shuffled forward slowly, on the lookout for traps, when I heard a sniffling sound ahead—goblins!

  Edging closer, they grew quieter, and I realised they knew I was there. So, biting the bullet, I rounded the corner, sword thrust forward, and impaled one through its shield and into its chest. Four more shrieked behind the first, and I side-stepped a spear thrust, pulling the wielder forward and beheading it. My sword was already a mangled mess from when I had used it in Ireland, but my overwhelming strength more than made up for its faults.

  Flicking blood off the blade onto the wall, Munin sniffed at one of the corpses, his snout mere inches from the mana stone that had formed within its chest. As he whined at me, I allowed him to do as he pleased, curiously observing him tear the stone from the corpse and consume it like candy, shards of clear crystal cascading to the floor as he crunched on it. I noticed a wave of light sweep across his body when he ate it, which made me ponder whether he instinctively knew it would make him stronger.

  “Sadie!” I heard Freya’s voice as the platform from which she was observing me descended, revealing another man with her. He was big and muscular, possessing a braided beard that hung down to his stomach, and I found myself wishing to see him in a leather jacket, looking like one of those American bikers from before the Fracture. “Sadie, this is my son, Thor.”

  “Son? You don’t look a day over thirty and he looks sixty.” I laughed as she smiled at my flattery, Thor crossing his arms and grumbling quietly. “I’m sorry, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Thor.”

  “Oh, you really know how to flatter me. Thor brought you some food and water, and then decided to watch.” She laughed as she passed me the bag she held, and I tossed my sword aside, ashamed to let them see it.

  Thor flinched as it struck the ground, then pushed past me to retrieve it, continuing to grumble like a rumbling engine. “I forbid you from touching my blades again. Mother, look at the state it's in. She possesses as much finesse as Master, there is no doubt-”

  Freya coughed, shooting him a glare, and his mouth instantly snapped shut as I realised he was about to say something he shouldn't. “There’s no doubt, what? Go on, do tell,” I asked sarcastically, while he refused to look at me, running his fingers along the mangled blade.

  “It’s nothing. Master lacked finesse with weapons, preferring to wield a hammer that he could swing freely. Given his size and strength, it served him well; giants, trolls, and dragons stood no chance against the force of his blows.” Thor said, using his thick fingers to attempt to repair the blade’s edge. “Take this.”

  As he lifted the flap of his skirt, I realised it was an apron, and he handed me a heavy hammer. “It’s not a weapon, but I suppose anything can become a weapon in your hands if you swing it hard enough.” I felt disappointed by his assessment, as I had worked diligently to learn from Meadhbh.

  “Thor, be kind!” Freya reprimanded, smacking his arm with a force that echoed like breaking stone. “I shall see you later; just inform me when you’re prepared for your first proper break.”

  As I stepped back onto the floating platform, both of them rose again and disappeared, leaving me alone once more in the maze with Munin, who had gorged himself on the remaining mana stones. I opened the plastic bag to find two bottles of water, a sandwich, and some jerky. I chuckled to myself at the thought of Thor bursting into some hapless corner shop and robbing it. Beneath one of the bottles, I discovered a receipt and pulled it out. “Chuck Thunder; out of all the names you could possibly have come up with, Chuck Thunder is what you chose to conceal your identity?” I erupted into laughter towards the dark ceiling, hoping he was still there.

  Smiling, I folded it neatly and sent it into my core with one of my goblins. I chose not to bring the rest of them out, leaving only myself and Munin, who sat watching me patiently. Picking up the hammer Thor had given me, I twirled it in my hand a few times, trying to get a feel for it, but it felt clunky and awkward. After sending it inside along with the receipt and water, I picked up the goblin spear and decided to use that instead. Although they were of poor quality, I picked up weapons from any enemy I encountered while wandering through the maze.

  At the next junction, I discovered several carvings on the wall, one for each direction, and attempted to decipher which way to go. One of them featured a dot in the centre, and I chose to follow it to the next junction, where I found the same carving along with two new ones. The groups of enemies that cluttered the maze were insignificant, and some of the traps had been inadvertently triggered by them. Having Munin with me was a considerable advantage, as he could detect them before I could.

  Beginning to yawn repeatedly, I sat down and raised my hand, signalling to Freya that I was finished for the day. The walls of the corridor I was in closed around me, enveloping me in a bubble of safety as she descended from above, thankfully without Thor.

  “Where’s Chuck?” I asked in a sweet tone, and she chuckled.

  “Angrily hammering at the blade you destroyed, no doubt,” she responded lightly, sitting down across the corridor from me. “Don’t worry, though, it was nothing more than a training blade, so its durability was quite low.”

  As I dug into the care package of food she had brought me, I searched for another receipt, but she waved it at me from her spot, and I sulked at the lack of another for my collection. Using Munin as a pillow, I felt my eyes grow heavy, and sleep came easily, despite the ground occasionally shaking when a trap was activated somewhere in the maze.

  Awakening to the sound of a soft song, I was surprised to find that Freya had replaced Munin, and my head was resting on her lap. As my eyes opened wide, I attempted to sit up, but she pressed me back down firmly with a single finger. I felt a tug at my hair and realised she was braiding it, and reaching up, I traced my fingers along the braid.

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  “Don’t ruin it,” she hissed, gently pushing my hand away. “Your hair was an absolute mess, and I couldn’t just leave you looking like a savage.”

  “How long have I been asleep?” I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and closing them to relax as she resumed her singing.

  ‘About nine hours. I decided to give you some extra time in consideration of what you’ve been going through. Your body is still adjusting to its recent growth, with the muscles still stretching and tightening. The ligaments are my greatest worry; one wrong move and I fear you might pop a joint out of its socket.’

  Switching to project her voice, she continued singing softly to herself, and I marvelled at how she could maintain the two trains of thought. ‘How do you know so much about this?’

  “I wasn’t a fighter,” she said, her song concluding. “My role was to oversee the frontline hospitals. Not every wound could be healed with magic, and the Guardians were merely a fraction of the true numbers of the Master’s forces. As I didn’t tire, I could work relentlessly with my team as the never-ending casualties were brought to us. We reserved magic for the most severe cases, sealing amputations and reattaching limbs that were recovered. Simple cuts and broken bones were stitched up and had to wait until we weren’t under as much pressure.”

  As I listened to her story, I noticed a sadness in her eyes and wondered how horrific it must have been. I had witnessed some terrible injuries before and shuddered at the thought of an unending stream of them being paraded before you as you tried to triage those too injured to survive. Once again, an awkward silence fell between us until she began another song while finishing my hair.

  Once she had finished, I used my phone to admire what she had done and snapped several photos of her work. My long hair had been braided into a neat bun and no longer flowed freely, occasionally getting caught in my mouth. As I thanked her during breakfast, she hugged me goodbye and then disappeared back above the maze as only the far wall opened, blocking my return to the beginning.

  Several goblins had been waiting on the other side of the wall and were taken aback by the sudden change, but I was astonished to see they were accompanied by a lone wolf rider. Whistling sharply, Munin’s growls were joined by Vonga and the other wolves, causing the goblins to take a step back in fright.

  Looking up into the darkness, ‘I’m not breaking any rules, am I?’

  ‘No, you’re fine.’ I heard her respond cheerfully, and a devilish grin crept onto my face.

  ‘Attack,’ I ordered, watching the four wolves charge ahead, howling. The fight was swift as two of my own savaged the wolf, sending the goblins fleeing in terror, their fangs snapping at the heels. I called them back before they went too far and triggered one of the many traps.

  Padding over to me softly, tongues hanging happily from their blood-drenched mouths, I carefully avoided their attempts to lick me and patted each of them on the head. Until now, I had been doing most of the fighting, but they had been more than capable of handling it themselves. Picking up an abandoned spear as the sound of crunching mana stones echoed down the corridor, I proceeded, feeling a little better about my progress.

  Alternating between fighting myself and letting my Guardians handle it, I navigated the maze, following the carvings that Freya had suggested were the correct ones until I located the main camp. Similar to a dungeon, there were a few tents with goblins wandering about aimlessly. There had been some guards around the corner, but we managed to subdue them quietly without alerting the remainder of their group here.

  “What do you think, Munin? Do you reckon we can take on thirty goblins?” I asked cautiously, scanning the area. He emitted a low whine and nudged me in the lower back, clearly eager to push me out into the open. “Alright, but no more devouring stones; we need to build up our forces. Let’s go.”

  Having pulled out Thor’s crafting hammer, I wanted something sturdy for facing the goblin chief in the centre. Taking a deep breath, I rounded the corner and set off in a sprint, holding back a war cry, hoping to get as close as possible before they realised. A few goblins stared at me for a few seconds before realising they were in danger, shrieking as I closed the distance. One attempted to jab me with a spear, but I wrenched it from its hands, and turning sideways, I felt like an Olympic athlete before launching it at the chieftain.

  Several of the goblins fell silent as they watched the spear arc over their heads and impale the chieftain, the tip bursting through the back of the wooden throne they had built. I stood there in shock at how powerful and accurate my throw had been, looking down at my left hand and flexing it a few times in disbelief. Hearing a shriek, I snapped back to reality and swung the hammer with a backswing, sending a screaming goblin flying through the air. Calling out the goblins baying for blood within me, they joined in the slaughter around me, overpowering their kin, giggling maniacally all the while.

  The slaughter was not without cost, as one of my wolves was killed by a lucky spear thrust through the chest, crumbling like a statue along with three of my goblins. I felt each of their deaths, like a rubber band snapping in the back of my mind, and I wondered if I was meant to feel sentimental about each one. Munin was my favourite thus far, due to the connection I felt with Uncle Connor through him. Feeling his fur between my fingers, I looked over as he nudged his head under my arms to receive a hug, which I gladly gave him.

  “Well done,” I whispered, nuzzling my face into his neck.

  Taking a few gulps of water, I noticed how quiet it had become. The occasional bang of a trap being sprung somewhere no longer sent reverberations through the ground, and I wondered if killing the goblin leader had triggered something. Glaring upwards in the direction I hoped Freya was, I had a strange feeling that she was smiling at me evilly. Whistling to the others, they immediately ceased gathering the stones of the dead and retreated back into my core, and I shoved Munin in as well.

  Tiptoeing around the bodies, I glanced down the corridor I had come from and closed my eyes to concentrate on the sound, or rather the absence of sound apart from my own breathing. My heart raced as my intuition screamed that something was amiss. The unmistakable sound of a rift opening behind me made me slowly turn in horror as a huge beast stepped through. It had a bovine head, a muscular humanoid body, and cow-like hoofed legs; I struggled to breathe as the Greek monster of mazes emerged: a minotaur.

  “Fuck this!” I screamed, mustering my courage, and threw Thor’s hammer at it, watching it bounce harmlessly off its head, which only seemed to make it angrier. “Nope! Nope! Nope! Freya, I hope you die!” I shouted as I took off, sprinting down the corridor away from the beast.

  Braying loudly, I felt the strength of its roar in my chest as it smashed its enormous, double-sided axe into the ground and charged after me. Each step seemed to shake the earth as it lowered its head, horns pointing towards me as it drew closer. I saw a wall approaching, along with the T-junction I had passed on my way here. Left was the direction I had come from, and I leaned right at the last moment, but I slipped on some blood left by a goblin corpse on the ground. Sliding into the wall in a heap, I found myself on my back as the Minotaur’s horns embedded themselves into the wall without slowing down, and I was showered in stone shards as I attempted to crawl backwards, out of reach of its grasping hands.

  Scrambling to my feet, I glanced back and saw it trying to pull itself from the wall, the sound of stone cracking under its weight. Tears streamed down my face, my heart in my mouth from fear, as I continued to run, desperately searching for a way forward. Spotting a turn, I didn’t have time to examine the carvings, but at the last moment, I noticed the tripwire and dived over it, rolling against the wall again and crawling on my sore knees before sprinting off once more. Hearing a massive bang, I looked back to see a twitching hand extending from where the two walls had crashed together, before it slowly retracted, leaving the flattened remains of the Minotaur dripping to the floor.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, I doubled over, trying to catch my breath as I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Moving closer to inspect the corpse, I noticed a glint of gold in the wall where the mana stone had been embedded by the force of the two sides of the trap smashing together. The axe it had wielded was nothing more than twisted metal scrap, protruding from the opposite wall.

  A loud braying roar pierced the air, and I froze at the sound. "Another one?" I murmured, trembling. Rushing to the side, I placed my hand on the crystal, hearing the beast within snorting as it regarded me. I drained the stone of most of its energy, using it to regain some of my stamina. It roared in defiance at my vampirism, but I ignored it, and once it was almost but an empty crystal, I took off running again.

  Arriving at another junction, I glanced at the carved symbols in haste, recognising the one that led back to the centre, but I couldn’t decipher the other three. In a panic, I took a left and began running as fast as I could, trying to create as much distance as possible between myself and the second minotaur. As I jumped over a tripwire, I heard its roar echo again, much louder, but I couldn’t discern which direction it came from, so I kept running. Ahead lay another junction, and as I began to slow down to examine the symbols, the Minotaur burst out from the left side, skidding to a halt in the middle and staring at me.

  Unable to stop, I sped up and slid through its legs as it swung its axe over its head, looking up at its angry face as it watched me slip under. The axe came crashing down behind me as I scrambled to my feet, and I could hear it charging after me, shrieking in terror. As I heard its pace change, I jumped sideways a little while the axe crashed down beside me, trying not to look back as it roared at me.

  ‘Left.’ I heard Freya’s voice, but I didn’t trust her, so I took the next right instead. ‘Foolish child.’

  As I ran about a hundred metres, I found myself at a dead end and turned to look back just as the Minotaur realised I was trapped and menacingly strode towards me, swinging its axe to intimidate me. I had no weapons, and involving my Guardians would only lead to a pointless death sentence for them. I needed to confront this on my own, but would I be strong enough? Fighters unable to wield magic could enhance their bodies using mana, and I stirred the reservoir within me, whipping it up into a fury as golden lines traced across my exposed hands, shining in my eyes, where I could barely see their reflection on my nose.

  The Minotaur paused in its advance on me as I breathed heavily, feeling the power coursing through me. Pushing off from the wall, I began charging at it as it responded in kind, swinging its axe behind in preparation to strike me as we closed the gap. Several feet in front of it, I leapt up and threw my fist forward, screaming at the top of my lungs to try not to dissuade myself.

  An explosion of pain shot up my arm as my fist collided with its chest, followed by the rest of my body as I rebounded and slammed against the wall. The minotaur also flew through the air, back down the corridor, and I watched dizzily as it climbed to its feet. Completely unharmed, I despaired as it picked up its axe, turned it over, and stared at me calmly, the head of the weapon resting on the floor.

  “You foolish child,” I heard Freya call as she descended back to her observation platform. "Thank you, Mithros; you may return to your post.”

  “Yes, Lady Freya,” he rumbled as a rift opened nearby and he disappeared through it.

  “What?” I shouted as he vanished. “What was that? He’s a Guardian?”

  “Yes,” Freya sighed, rubbing her forehead. “After the first one stumbled into one of the traps, I called for Mithros to replace him. At least he would’ve had the awareness not to get himself killed, unlike that other mindless beast. Speaking of mindless beasts, what was that? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” She slapped my arm gently, and I groaned as it still ached; a look of concern crossed her face as she regretted it.

  “What else was I supposed to do? I had no way of dealing with it. I thought I might get lucky and incapacitate it long enough to escape,” I grumbled as she inspected my sore arm.

  “I advised you on which direction to take, even though I probably shouldn’t have. In any case, the trial is finished; you defeated the original Minotaur, and I intended to observe how you manage under pressure while trying to devise a plan.”

  “Did I fail, then?” I asked glumly, wincing as her finger pressed into my shoulder slightly.

  “Rather than asking me if you have failed, consider whether you have learned anything. There’s only a limit to what can be taught before you start to piece it together and cultivate your own skills.” Her voice was stern as she concentrated on my shoulder, and as I attempted to lift it, I cried out as it felt like something was grating against me.

  “You’ve broken several bones, really, child, what are we to do with you?” Picking me up in her arms, I ground my teeth together as my left arm lay uselessly across my stomach while she effortlessly carried me through the rift that had opened nearby.