Gideon snorted. “We’ll have every one of them bowing at your feet in no time.”

I drained the rest of my water glass and motioned for the server to refill it. When Gideon had said it would be a long night, he wasn’t wrong. “I don’t know that I want them bowing. I’d be happy if they’d simply let me come home without trying to kill me.”

Chapter 9

The moment dinner ended, Gideon and I made a hasty exit. The others crafted plans for cigars, cognac, cards, and music in the drawing room, but I claimed exhaustion, and Gideon led me away before Tereza could protest. As we left the dining room, I hooked my hand in the crook of his elbow, seeking his comfort.

The walls between us had crumbled over the past month. The trust he’d so easily discarded when he betrayed me to Lord Daeg had been mostly restored, but at least one obstacle remained between us. I was Lady of Thunder, but I had no kingdom and no powers. Perhaps I’d never reclaim Inselgrau, but the throne was a secondary worry. My lost connection to the storms was still my greatest concern. Gideon had sworn his fealty to a ghost—remnants of the girl I’d been and the unrealized queen I hadn’t become.

How could I make demands of him? How could I be worthy of his loyalty and sacrifices when I had nothing to offer in return?

“I’m not ready to go back to our rooms,” he said.

I paused, stopping beside him. “What do you suggest?”

His usual somber expression eased, and a faint dimple shone in his cheek. “There’s a labyrinth.”

“Really?” I could think of nothing more appealing than getting lost with Gideon in a dark maze. It was the perfect distraction from the steady stream of apprehensive thoughts that had been troubling me most of the night.

“It’s made entirely of shrubs.”

“Have you explored it?”

“Not yet.” He shook his head. “I only saw it from the outside when I was surveying the grounds last night.”

“It’s dark.” I glanced through a nearby window. “Clouds are moving in. There’s no moonlight.”

“So, you’re saying you don’t want to?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Gideon.”

He grinned. “You’ll come with me, then?”

I glanced at the windows again, at the dark skies and the clouds concealing the stars. “It might rain.”

“Then let’s be quick about it.” He grabbed my hand, and we dashed down a hallway leading away from the center of the castle. Rarely was Gideon anything but stern and harsh. I would have questioned his spontaneity but was afraid it might ruin the moment, and I wanted to see where he’d lead us. We hurried past innumerable doorways and several other passages before he hauled me to an abrupt stop before a pair of glass doors. He flashed another grin and pushed open the doors. Flickering torches threw light across a stone patio and planters dripping with greenery, but the light gave way to thick shadows several yards beyond the castle’s exterior.

I stared hard into the darkness. “The maze is out there?”

“There’s a pathway.” He pointed at the shadows, at some indistinguishable location. “Sure you want to do this?”

I bit my lip. “It’s a little ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“We never get to be ridiculous.” A wistful look crossed his face. “I remember you at Fallstaff. You always smiled. You seemed to enjoy life so much. I haven’t seen you like that in ages.”

Surprised by his uncharacteristic openness, I gaped at him. What had inspired his sudden change of temperament? “I always assumed you thought I was a nuisance.”

He shrugged. “Mostly, I envied you. Even after your father died, you had Gerda and a house full of people who loved you. You were never alone.”

Remembering Gerda hurt like a cold knife in my heart. To avoid contemplating her further, I took off running, heading for the maze. Gideon’s heavy footsteps thudded on the stones behind me as he gave chase. He put on a burst of speed and flew past me, beating me to the entrance, which appeared as a thick block of darkness carved into the labyrinth’s shadowy walls. “Last chance to change your mind,” he said, breathless.

I panted as I studied the towering foliage before us. “No. I’m doing this.” Grabbing his hand, I tugged him through the opening. Utter and complete blackness swallowed us, and I stumbled to a stop. “I can’t see a thing.”

He pulled me close. His warmth enveloped me, chasing away the evening chill. “No going back.” His words seemed to take on a double meaning.

A heavy, expectant silence filled the air between us. Who would make the next move, and what move should that be? My doubts surfaced again and pushed me out of my indecision. “C’mon.” I pulled him deeper into the maze. “Let’s get completely lost.”

We wove through the labyrinth, proceeding mostly by touch. A thick carpet of grass muted our steps. My stiff skirts rustled, and my pulse pounded in my ears. We made our way several yards, unimpeded, before reaching a dead end.

I patted at the walls of our leafy enclosure as if a solution might reveal itself. “Maybe doing this in the dark wasn’t such a great idea after all.”

Gideon squeezed my fingers. He shifted, bringing his body heat closer. He smelled like soap, leather, and sword oil. “Giving up already?”

Again, his words seemed to have a double meaning as though we were talking about more than finding our way through a labyrinth. I laced his fingers between mine and pulled him away from the barricade, heading in the direction from which we had come. “It would be tempting. It would be easy,” I said.

“When have you ever chosen the easy path?”

“You said you remembered me at Fallstaff. If that’s true, then you know I used to always pick the easy way. Breakfast in bed was my favorite meal of the day. Luncheon in the library was a close second. My life was easy, Gideon. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that spoiled princess so quickly.”

We had tramped through the darkness, keeping a wall at our right shoulders and turning any time we reached an opening. The narrow, enshrouded pathway opened into a wide circular space, illuminated by several floating blue globes like the ones leading to Otokar’s workroom. A fountain burbled at the center of the pavilion.

“I have forgotten her.” Gideon said. “That spoiled girl must have died the day they attacked Fallstaff. I’ve certainly never seen her again.”

I dropped his hand and sidled up to the fountain. A fine mist sprinkled my face and shoulders. “Look at this gown I’m wearing. The beads. The hair.” I lifted my dress hem and stuck out the tip of my toe. “These ridiculous slippers. I think Tereza would install me into her court if I asked. She’s lonely, and the fact that we have a certain type of lineage in common is very appealing to her.”

“What about what the comté said?”

“What? That Tereza’s putting me in her debt on purpose?”

The lantern’s blue light leached color from his face, and he looked like something carved from ice. He nodded.

“She has the luxury of playing politics,” I said. “I’m simply trying to keep us all alive. I’ll worry about Tereza’s motives when I’m not in such a tenuous situation.”

“It might be too late by then.”

If finding my powers felt like ascending a colossal mountain, then reclaiming a kingdom felt like trying to climb to the moon. How did I even begin, especially if I couldn’t navigate a simple relationship with someone like Tereza? “What if I’m not prepared for this? I’m ill-equipped, Gideon. Inexperienced. I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing.”

He lowered his pitch and all but growled. “I know you very well. I’ve seen you at your highest and lowest.” He crossed the small rotunda, and his hands curled around my waist. “Throughout it all, one thing remained true. You are a queen to your core—thunder, or no.”

Like a Fantazike balloon taking off during a storm, my quavering heart swelled and rose into my throat. “How can you say that?"

“Because, whether princess or pauper, Evie, you’ve always commanded my heart. I’m sure I can’t be the only one who feels that way.”

A soft chuckle and a sudden light, harsh and bright, shattered the moment.

I stumbled away from Gideon and turned to face our interloper. A dark silhouette loomed behind a lantern that beamed at us like a spotlight. “Oh, um, Je suis désolé. I am sorry to intrude,” said the trespasser, whom I immediately recognized as Vanessa, the comte’s quiet attaché. “I thought it better to interrupt you before things became more...intime? That would have been very awkward.”

“What do you want?” I asked. “Why are you here?”