Autumn watched sadly from the edge of the clearing as his boot slumped sideways into a sad heap, holes growing around the blades of grass poking through the leather.

  “I did warn you,” I reminded him as I bundled our prizes into his shirt.

  “You said ‘don’t step on the grass.’ You didn’t say ‘or it’ll try to eat you!’”

  “I didn’t think I had to! Can you name a weird thing we’ve encountered today that wasn’t a trap, a puzzle, or trying to kill us? Because I certainly can’t.”

  Another blade of grass speared through the sole and began to digest a new hole. Not that there was much left.

  I stood, hefting my surprisingly heavy bundle at arm’s length. I was careful not to let it touch me — the sticky, blood-red sap was already staining the fabric.

  Autumn stood there, still staring as I left. There was a moment of silence. A branch cracked behind me, followed by swearing and the sound of said branch being thrashed against the ground. Then the thrashing stopped and the swearing got louder.

  He was oddly subdued when he rejoined us, still bootless and limping slightly.

  As we snuck back up the stairs to the beach, I could just see the spot the gryphon had crashed into. I heaved a silent sigh of relief — it was still there, and it wasn’t moving. A couple of goblins had crept out of hiding and were gathering around it with weapons in hand.

  I shuddered.

  Fighting our way back up the floors was much easier than getting down here had been, despite Autumn’s continuous griping. Anything we’d dealt with on the way down stayed dealt with. His complaints grew louder once we reached the dark forest. I nobly sacrificed my cravat to make him a foot-wrap.

  As we climbed the stairs to the harpies’ lair, Cael nudged me in the side. “What’s the plan?” he whispered, looking up apprehensively.

  “Not to whisper,” I replied, louder than was necessary. “I want them ready to pounce on the first thing they see.”

  Cael looked at my bundle, his mouth falling open in an ‘oh’ of understanding. He gave me a thumbs up and began to stomp up the stairs.

  Absolute silence met us at the top — they definitely knew we were here.

  Perfect. I stopped just below the opening and threw the bundle up into the air as hard as I could.

  The bundle had barely cleared the stairs when a harpy let out a vicious scream. It snatched the bundle in its long talons and vanished back into the fog.

  “On my mark,” I whispered over my shoulder, tensing.

  The sound of curious chirping drifted out of the mist, accompanied by the shredding of fabric. There was a beat of quiet. Then the chittering got more insistent, followed by a couple of outraged squawks.

  “Run!”

  I burst out of the stairwell, the others close on my heels.

  A series of angry shrieks rose from the fog behind us, followed by several loud thuds. One long scream fell away, fading into the clouds below.

  A single harpy clawed its way through the air, crashing into the flagstones between us and the bridge. It bared its teeth at us and hissed, its glued and matted feathers leaving long streaks of the sticky, blood-red sap on the cracked tiles.

  I slowed, scrambling sideways to avoid its claws. Cael lunged past me and brained it with his tonfa.

  We stormed onto the bridge, not stopping until we were through the spire forest, and the harpies’ screams had faded into the mist.

  “That was incredible, Lord Violet!” Thomas crowed, his face flushed with excitement. “What was that tree?”

  I grinned back shakily, adrenaline still singing in my veins. “It’s called a birdbone tree. It’s a sort of stationary plant-monster. They lure prey in with the fruit, and it gets stuck in the sap. The prey knocks the fruit down and gets dragged down with it, then the grass eats them. The locals always burn them when they find them — they usually trap birds and small animals, but they can cripple livestock and adults and can kill children.”

  “Stupid plant could’ve crippled me, and all you could say was ‘don’t step in the grass,’” Autumn bitched under his breath.

  Thomas looked at me in surprise. “I didn’t know there was a monster like that.”

  “There are a few plant-monsters, but it’s one of the stranger ones,” I agreed. “The alchemist I’m apprenticed to had a passion for… extreme horticulture. He’s got a library that rivals the institute’s when it comes to botany. That one stuck in my mind, partially because it’s gruesome, and partially because my territories in Southsea are right on the edge of its habitable zone.”

  Wren had pointed that little fact out specifically. And then asked me to bring one back for him.

  “He must be an amazing alchemist to have been chosen as your master,” Thomas remarked, sounding a little awed.

  Cael laughed. “Old man’s a womanizing weasel. Stick around, and you’ll meet the bastard soon enough.”

  ——————

  I stumbled into the Labyrinth’s main square, dirty, sweaty, and feeling surprisingly… cheerful. Today had been exhausting, but satisfying. I was looking forward to a nice, hot bath, and a big dinner. Lunch had been ages ago, and not nearly big enough.

  Autumn caught my arm before I passed through the portal. “Wait. Don’t you want your share of the loot box?”

  “My share of… what now?”

  He had to be joking.

  Autumn led me back towards the decrepit altar, where Sir Dave had already gathered the others. He dropped our key into the empty bowl directly in front of the small chest.

  There was a bright flash of light, and the key was gone. The small chest clicked, and the lid opened slightly.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  “The commander and I won’t have earned anything fancy,” my brother explained as he reached inside. His arm went a lot further down than the dimensions of the chest suggested should be possible. “We’ve been here often enough and gone a lot deeper.”

  He pulled his arm back out, a small vial dangling from his fingers. He grinned as he read the label. “Warming potion. Great, I like not freezing to death. Without my boot. Or my shirt.”

  I was too stunned to acknowledge the dirty look he shot me.

  He hadn’t been joking. I’d spent the day in a Zelda dungeon fighting the contents of a D&D monster manual with swords, magic, exploding knives, and weaponized fruit, alongside two honest-to-goodness knights, a guy who could turn into a cat, and a guy who was magically bound to me.

  This was the weirdest part.

  Cael grunted. “Thought we couldn’t take shit from here.”

  Anything from within the Labyrinth couldn’t leave the Labyrinth. It had been mentioned to us specifically when Cael had found a treasure chest on the seventh floor full of gems the size of his fist. He was still a little salty about it.

  “These we can,” Autumn replied grandly. “Go on, see what you get.”

  Thomas went first, looking nervous but determined. He was rewarded with a small dagger that resembled a gryphon’s claw in a plain, sturdy hilt. Cael’s prize vanished into his pocket too quickly for me to see, but he looked pleased.

  Autumn elbowed me in the ribs, knocking me out of my daze. “Your turn, Violet.”

  I glared briefly at him, rubbing my side, but I approached the altar and reached into the chest. My hand vanished into a dark fog swirling around the bottom. And kept going. Reaching deeper, my questing fingers brushed against something soft and cool. I jerked back in surprise.

  Nothing happened.

  Slowly, I reached back in, feeling for whatever it was, and pulled it out of the chest.

  A feathered silver hair ornament sat in my hand. The soft, white feathers were swept back like a wing. An amber stone was set in the centre of the intricate silver work. It looked exactly like the gryphon’s eye.

  I ran my fingers over the piece, admiring the craftsmanship. A light current of magic flowed through it — nothing powerful, but elegant and unique. I couldn’t wait to find out what it did.

  “It suits you, Lord Violet,” Thomas remarked, looking over my shoulder.

  “You think so?”

  He nodded. “The design is pretty, but it looks fierce.”

  “… Thank you.”

  I doubted Villainesses got many sincere compliments. I planned to treasure this one.

  “You two gonna stand there all day?” Cael’s voice called with an impatient edge. “S’ godsdamned freezing out here.”

  I looked over at the gate where he was waiting just outside, shivering with his arms wrapped around himself. Sir Dave and Autumn had already started down the path back to the cabin. The falling snow had already begun to dust their shoulders.

  “Coming!” Thomas called back. He pulled his cap from his belt and put it on, once again hiding his ears.

  “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to hide who you are.” His adorable ears were an important part of him. Hiding them felt cruel.

  He smiled shyly, but with a hint of hopeful brightness. “After today, I’m starting to believe that someday I won’t need to.”

  ———————

  I activated the heating charms on my coach and sank into a seat with a happy little sigh. Tempest had plenty of flaws, but at least ‘cheap fucking bastard’ wasn’t one of them — even the coachman’s box on this thing came with heated seats.

  The coach tilted and creaked loudly as Sir Dave climbed inside. He took the seat beside me. The others crammed onto the opposite bench.

  “So?” I asked Autumn as we started moving. “Did I sacrifice my cravat for nothing?”

  “It ate my boot!” Autumn squawked.

  “You were warned!”

  “And you stole my shirt!”

  “Yours was the biggest.”

  “But Sir Dave’s bigger.”

  “He’s the commander!” I retorted, scandalized. “I could never demand his shirt!”

  He groaned. “You’re a jerk, Violet.”

  I smiled fondly. “I love you too.”

  My brother laughed, his scowl melting into a grin.

  Did Past Violet have any idea how lucky they’d been?

  Maybe Sir Dave had been right about trusting him.

  “Also, I’m a Hexbreaker.”

  Thomas’s eyes went wide, and Cael looked at me with a quirked brow, as if he were asking me if I was sure about this. I couldn’t see Sir Dave’s expression under his thick beard, but I got the feeling he was pleased.

  Autumn blinked. “… Like a Hexbreaker-Hexbreaker?”

  “Yes.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since the accident.”

  “… are you fast?”

  Wait, what? “I’m sorry?”

  Autumn made an odd little hand gesture, leaning forwards. “Could you do it during a fight? Because there’s these spells soldiers use to fix armor. Temporarily, until you can make actual repairs — is it easier if the spell’s small? You Break that, and their armor’s dead weight.

  “I… don’t know? If I’m familiar with a spell it might be faster—”

  “Great! There’s only maybe four charms everyone uses a version of.” His eyes shone with enthusiasm. “We can borrow Thomas and slap them on his armor — if you can tag him, you can tag anyone. Or do you need to touch the spells? Hands might be better targets in that case…”

  “Is… that all you want to ask me?” I’d been braced for a barrage of questions. Just not these.

  He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “I guess… can you just break them, or can you redirect the magic? Move the spell?”

  … If only I could be that unconcerned.

  “I don’t know… Maybe? I’m still learning how to—”

  He grabbed the commander’s gauntleted hand and dragged it sideways to show me. “See where these rivets are reinforced here and here? The damn things snap all the time. But if you can shift the spell a little and jam up this joint, that kills any finesse, and that—”

  “Wasn’t the point,” Sir Dave rebuked mildly, retrieving his hand.

  “Sorry, Commander.” Autumn laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “Got a bit ahead of myself, I guess. You three did a good job. Only two teams made it further, one down to eleventh and one all the way to the fourteenth, but that team had to be rescued. Personally, I think you could have made it through another floor, maybe two, but your reasons for turning around were solid. And your teamwork was impressive, probably the best out of all the trainees this year. I’d say you three did a pretty good job. Commander?”

  “I’m inclined to agree.” Sir Dave regarded Thomas gravely.

  Thomas straightened and sat at attention.

  “Knight-trainee Thomas. Today, you demonstrated bravery, ingenuity, and compassion. You, along with your fellow… students, showed sound judgement and strong teamwork. From this day forward, you are no longer a trainee. I formally welcome you into the Royal Knights of Illestria as a knight-apprentice.”

  Thomas looked both stunned and thrilled.

  I broke into enthusiastic applause as Cael gave him a side hug.

  Autumn clapped him on the shoulder, his face shining with pride. “Good job. Whomever you end up serving under will be lucky to have you.”

  “I… thank you, Sir Autumn. I’ll do my best to make you proud.”

  “I’m glad you both feel that way,” Sir Dave rumbled, “because I’m assigning him to you, Sir Autumn.”

  If Autumn had been drinking something, Sir Dave would have been wearing it.

  “Sir,” Autumn choked out between coughs. “I’ve been a full knight for less than a year. There’s got to be plenty of senior knights looking for an apprentice.”

  “And who among them would you trust with Sir Thomas and his secrets?”

  “Well, there’s… ah…” he scratched his chin. “Wait! Sir Ga—… uhm, no, maybe not. There was that thing at the bar … hmm…”

  “My problem exactly. While you were watching our trainees, I was watching you.”

  Autumn swallowed.

  “You have a lot to learn, but I believe you’ll be an excellent mentor to young Sir Thomas.”

  “Thank you, Sir. Ah…” he rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “I’m honored, but what if someone asks…”

  “Why you?”

  He nodded.

  Sir Dave crossed his arms. “Because I’m the Knight-Commander, and it was my decision. Will you accept the Charge?”

  It sounded a lot less like a question and a lot more like an oath.

  “Sir!” Autumn sat at attention and saluted. “Unworthy though I am, I will proudly accept Sir Thomas as my apprentice. Thank you for this honour.”

  The commander saluted in return. “Excellent. Which just leaves you two, Lord Dusk, Mister Mattis.”

  I straightened, and Cael pulled himself out of his usual slouch. “‘Sir.’”

  “You may not be knight-trainees, but you proved your valour just as much as Sir Thomas did, and such potential should not go to waste. The Academy provides advanced tactical and combat classes for select students. I would like to endorse you both.”

  I glanced quickly at Cael, who nodded with an excited grin.

  “We accept. Thank you, Commander.” I replied with a small bow.

  “Congratulations, Lord Violet, Cael!” Thomas cheered.

  “Hells yeah!” Cael tossed an arm across Thomas’ shoulders. “We should celebrate! Princess, you’re paying.”

  “Of course.” I crossed one leg over the other and relaxed back in my seat. Dinner and that bath could wait for a little while. “But you’ll have to return my money first.”

  He sheepishly pulled my coin purse from inside his coat and placed it into my waiting hand. “You’re getting better at that.”

  I smiled smugly. “I have an excellent teacher.”