“He’s okay! A tree branch almost grabbed him, but he dodged it. When did Jasper get so fast? I’ve seen him run, and it was not a pretty sight.”
I ignored Driscoll and looked around for something to throw at Jillian. My gaze caught on my shoes. They probably couldn’t even be called shoes anymore with how tattered and torn they were, a hole in the toe of both, the soles worn down to thin layers. Well, as soon as I woke her, she could give it back.
I wiggled the shoe off my foot, then stuck my arm through the square and launched it at her head. It hit her with a thud, and she sat straight up.
“What? What’s going on?”
“Jasper is here,” I whispered. “He’s here to rescue us.”
Her eyes widened, and she ran to the bars of her cell, clutching them tight and watching the scene that unfolded below. Jasper navigated the hedge maze, dancing over jabbing branches, ducking under darting thorns, whirling around razor-sharp leaves.
Huh. He was rather sprightly on those feet, definitely not the lumbering, clumsy Jasper I remembered. Lumbering and clumsy in a cute way, of course.
A vine snaked out from the wall of the maze, and I let out a shriek, which garnered a “shhh” from both Jillian and Driscoll, but Jasper dove ahead, curling into himself as he rolled across the ground, the vine punching over his head and missing him.
“Oh, he just dodged an impaling,” Driscoll said cheerfully. “Good for him.”
“This isn’t a joke.” My hands clutched the bars of my cell so tightly my knuckles had turned white. “He could die.”
But no, he wouldn’t. He’d make it. I had a feeling I was going to get out of this cell tonight. And then Jasper and I could take back the earth court together, and I could be the queen my people deserved.
The hedges shook like feathers ruffling.
“Oh no, it’s the shuffle,” Jillian said.
“That’s what got the last guy,” Driscoll added.
Black leaves flew from hedges as the shaking intensified, and the walls of the maze began to shift, entrances closing, walls opening, the entire route changing completely. Jasper stopped as a wall closed in front of him and transformed into a giant mouth, twigs and branches forming into teeth. The mouth snapped at him.
“Oh, here it comes. I can’t look.” I imagined Driscoll putting his hands over his eyes as he spoke. “He’s about to get eaten.”
I refused to look away. “Come on, Jasper. Come on.”
He whirled, reaching for the sword strapped across his back and jamming it straight into the hedge monster’s mouth. A shriek erupted from the hedge, and it shrank back as he leapt over it and continued on his way.
“Imight have to marry him now,” Jillian said. “That was impressive. Even for Jasper.”
“Especially for Jasper,” Driscoll muttered.
“Hey! That is my betrothed you both are talking about. Your future king. Have a little respect.”
“Do you think he fixed his issue?” Driscoll said, voice suddenly curious.
“What issue?” Jillian asked, far too interested.
I glared at the wall that separated me from Driscoll, wishing I could reach through it and wring his neck.
“Nothing,” I snapped. “Just somethingprivateI shared with Driscoll.”
“He couldn’t get it up,” Driscoll said with glee.
Jillian gasped.
“One time,” I said. “It was one time.”
Okay, three times, but I wasn’t going to admit that right now.
I saw Jillian’s finger pointing through the bars of her cell. “That man right there has no problem getting it up. He’s definitely fixed the issue.”
