Idream I’m the star of a Spanish soap opera.
José has just confessed his undying love to me, and Anna and Lisa have chosen to duel me for his hand in marriage. I’m standing in a jousting ring, holding my abnormally large sword, as the two women hurl daggers at me with their eyes. José watches from the sidelines, and for some reason, he’s dressed as a duck with a top hat. No idea why.
I charge at the women with a battle cry, and then?—
“Thea.”
Awareness returns to me slowly, groggily. I blink, momentarily forgetting where I am and how I came to be here. I’m not in my room-slash-prison any longer, but I’m also not in the guys’ safe house. And I’m certainly not dueling two women to win over a man I’ve never met before.
What…?
I blink again and attempt to take in my surroundings.
I’m lying on a couch, my head in Rafe’s lap and my feet in Everett’s. Everett’s, of all people.
I must still be dreaming.
Or maybe this is another hallucination.
But…it’s quiet. Abnormally so.
All I can hear is the rhythmic roar of cascading water echoing off stone walls, a low, constant thunder that pulses in my chest.
Cold, damp air clings to my skin, carrying with it the earthy scent of moss and stone.
The cave I’m in is vast, its ceiling arching high above like the vault of a cathedral, lost in shifting shadows. Jagged stalactites hang like the teeth of some sleeping beast, while the smooth, glistening floor glows faintly with reflections of luminescent fungi and stray shafts of sun filtering through the cracks far above.
A waterfall dominates the space—a white churning torrent spilling from a crevice in the rock and falling into a black pool that seems bottomless. Mist rises in veils around it, catching the light in tiny prisms.
An underground waterfall?
But that isn’t the strangest thing. No, what really makes my eyes widen is the uncanny fusion of raw nature and sleek modernity.
While there’s a tiny bit of natural light spilling from high above, there’s also electric lighting recessed into the cave walls. A minimalistic kitchen is tucked into an alcove carved by nature, outfitted with matte-black appliances that gleam against the textured rock. A smart panel glows beside it, its touch-screen interface incongruous yet strangely at home.
Against one wall is a bed that seems to be built into the stone ledge, covered in soft linens and woolen throws. Recessed shelves hold books and small plants—ferns and mosses that thrive in the humid air. The bathroom, located behind a frosted-glass partition partially opened, features a large shower and claw-footed tub, along with a porcelain sink and toilet.
“Thank fuck you’re awake.” Krystian’s voice drags my attention away from my surroundings and back to the matter at hand. “When you fell…”
He trails off with a choked sound.
“What happened?” I furrow my brows together as I try to remember. “Where are we? How did we end up here?”
“You’re in the center of the Labyrinth,” a somewhat familiar voice exclaims. A second later, a beautiful woman steps forward, her keen eyes unnerving. “Welcome to my home.”
“You’re Athena,” I breathe, trailing my gaze over the woman in surprise. “You’re the Goddess of Wisdom.”
I don’t know how I expected her to look—maybe nerdy-ish, with glasses and a turtleneck sweater—but definitely not like this.
Her dark hair hangs loose around her shoulders in tight curls. She wears a white shirt, skinny jeans, and a leather jacket. Tattoos poke through the collar of her shirt, climbing up her neck. She looks badass and fierce and terrifying—someone you would see in a biker’s bar, not in a classroom.
“You’ve passed my tests.” Her voice is carefully indifferent, her cold eyes giving nothing away. “Congrats. It’s not often I have visitors here.”
“What happened? What did you do to me?” I drop my hand to my hip, where the skin there almost seems to burn.
Something akin to sympathy paves its way across Athena’s face. “I did what I could for now.”
“What do you mean ‘for now’?” Everett growls, his hands tightening around my ankles. “I thought you said you cured her!”
