Page 94 of Nightshade

Limbs paralyzed with fear, I watched its full form come into view and prowl toward Jesper. After dragging its nose across the man’s wound, it opened its mouth far wider than I would have imagined it capable, and bit down into his chest.

Jesper’s eyes flew open, a gut-wrenching scream echoing through the maze. Terror exploded inside of me, jerking my body into motion. I spun around and ran in the direction from which I’d come. Head muddled with fear and panic, I didn’t pay attention to the path ahead of me, and when I hit the first wall with no exit, the distress inside of me flared. I backtracked toward where I thought the main path had been, only to find I must’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere again, as it ended on another wall of hedges. Aimlessly running in the other direction, I kept my eyes peeled for Cerberus. He was nowhere.

The fear gripped my lungs, squeezing the breath out of me.

“Help! Someone help me!” Every muscle in my body shook, my throat dry and hoarse. “Someone, please!”

A shadow swooped overhead, but quickly passed before I could get a glimpse of it.

Twisting around, I ran through the maze, swiping at the vines and leaves that seemed to reach out for me. I hit another wall, and at that point, I knew I was well and truly lost.

Not a sign of the dogs. Nothing remotely familiar to let me know whether, or not, I was on track to the exit. And whatever had flown overhead earlier left me feeling like a trapped mouse.

Something rustled the surrounding foliage, and I backed myself toward the dead end behind me.

That harrowing, hissing sound skated down my spine.

The hedge shivered with movement.

Cerberus?

More snarling, and what sounded like a scuffle in the next row over.

Every nerve ending flared with fear, while I contemplated whether to run. A screeching sound echoed around me, followed by a sharp yelp.

Not a dog, a human.

“Jesper?” I whispered, cautiously stepping toward the place I’d seen the rustling of the hedge.

Edging closer, I noticed what looked to be a black substance dripping from one of the leaves onto the white gravel path. On closer examination, it had a reddish tint, like dark blood. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I padded quietly by, trying to see through to the other side, which, of course, I couldn’t.

Something gripped my ankle, and I let out a scream. Looking down showed a bloody hand wrapped tightly around it, and on instinct, I kicked at my captor to break myself free.

From the hedge, emerged the blond I’d met the other day.

Remy.

“Wait. Just … wait.” Pain laced his voice as he crawled from the hedge and pushed to his feet. Once he was upright, I could see the dark-reddish blood at his flank where claw marks marked the path of torn flesh.

“Are you okay?” he asked me, as if I weren’t the one standing there bleeding out.

“You … you’re …. That looks bad.” I pointed toward his injury. “It looks deep.”

“Just a scratch.”

“The caretaker, Jesper. I don’t know for sure … but …. I mean, I think he’s dead. I’m fairly certain.” Head still heavy with chaos, I fought against a stiff jaw to relay what had happened.

“I didn’t see anyone. Searched the maze. Something attacked me, though.”

“No, he was there! I saw him. His … ribs … they were … bent. And that thing ….

God, what was it? It looked like it was … eating him?”

“No idea what it is. And aside from some blood, I didn’t see any caretaker.”

I stared down at the blood on my hands and dress. Jesper’s blood. Not mine. “I didn’t imagine it. I saw it.”

“I’m not arguing with you, princess. I’m just saying, I didn’t see him.”