“I don’t know. Big man in a scary mask. But what I wouldn’t give to find out.” He waggles his brows.
I put a hand to my head. Is this really happening?
“He wants you to meet him in the labyrinth. Take all right turns. Oh, and he says the future of Belladonna depends on it.”
What?
There’s a knock on the door in the outer parlor. “Daphne?” comes Adam’s muffled voice.
I stiffen, clutching the rose close. Is it a bad sign that I’m so tempted to grab this lifeline Armand is offering me—or the fact that it feels like a lifeline in the first place? What’s wrong with me? Any woman here would kill to be in my place with Adam waiting on the other side of that door for her.
“Is that Adam Archer?” Armand asks. “The plot thickens.”
“He’s worried about me.” I bite my lip.
“You do look flushed. Are you sure you’re all right?”
I shake my head and hold up the mysterious rose. “Help me?”
“This way.” Armand grabs my hand, guiding me down the line of stalls, as if helping me sneak out of the ladies bathroom is the most normal thing in the world.
At the end of the bathroom is a giant gilt mirror. Armand pushes a hidden button and I gasp when it swings open a crack, revealing a tiny door.
“Never come to a party without a planned escape route,” Armand announces, pulling a key out of his jacket pocket and fitting it to the door’s lock.
“Seriously?” I gape.
“It’s New Olympus.” He shrugs. “Nothing is as it seems.”
“Thanks, Hermes,” I giggle. Tomorrow I’ll think this is all a weird dream. But right now, the champagne is really hitting me.
“Daphne?” Adam’s voice echoes, getting closer. “Are you in here?”
I should run to him. But instead, I squeeze behind the mirror, frantic to get away. “Cover me,” I mouth to Armand.
Through the looking glass I go.
Armand nods and closes the door behind me.
I step into some sort of low ceilinged hallway. It’s completely dark but I can feel around with my hands and I trust Armand not to send me towards a dead end. But this night is getting stranger by the second. I stumble on, feeling my way with my hands and find another door, this one unlocked.
It swings open and I emerge into the night air.
Four
Daphne
It’s cool outside, and gods it feels good. Strains of music float above my head. I’m at the foot of a large staircase, the twin to the one I entered at the front of the Parthenon. This one leads to a balcony where guests can gather. Unlike inside, there are no stars in this sky. But a path of tiny twinkling lights leads to my destination.
The labyrinth.
The maze is made of towering hedges, shaped into thick walls of dark green. But at least the elaborate decorations mean that standing light sconces are set up every five feet or so, so I can see in spite of the dark, moonless night. Evening mist floats along the ground.
Creepy much? I shiver and wrap my arms around the soft bark of my costume’s waist.
I look down at the rose clutched in my hand. I held it so hard in the darkness, the thorns pricked my hand and there are two dots of blood on my palm. I wipe them against the dark bark of my bodice. So much for not getting anything on my dress. I glance down the labyrinth.
The future of Belladonna depends on it. What does that mean? Our precarious position isn’t a secret. My father is ill, leaving me at the helm. Even with the Ubeli Foundation’s generous donations, Belladonna is sucking through money. The possible merger with Archer Industries is a lifeline.
This invitation is probably a prank. Armand or Adam or someone is playing a joke.
But if it’s one of them, then that means they know the secret of the rose. My secret admirer.
I clutch the rose like a talisman and blunder forward, entering the labyrinth. Immediately, the noise and music of the party becomes muted. A shiver creeps its way up my spine at the sudden quiet.
The box hedges stand about two feet above my head on both sides and up ahead the path forks left and right. Which way to go? Then I remember what Armand said. Keep turning right. That’s easy enough to remember.
But then another shiver runs through me as I look around and stumble a little. Dang, I really should have eaten something. I blink a few times, trying to think. I giggle. Usually it’s not this hard to think. But then I frown and try hard.
Because what if it isn’t Armand or Adam? Sure Armand gave me the rose but is he really the most trustworthy? It’s not like I know the guy, not really. Am I really just going to wander blindly out into the dark to meet some stranger dangling my company’s survival out in front of my nose?
If this was a horror movie, I’d definitely be the first to die. Dumb girl walking out into the dark alone. Then again, I’m a virgin. Don’t they kill the virgins last?
I clap a hand over my mouth to keep in another hysterical giggle. Dear gods, I should just go back to the party. I stop in my tracks and look over my shoulder.
But the harder I listen, the more I actually can hear voices and the occasional laugh somewhere around me, probably others also exploring the labyrinth.
I scrub a hand down my face. This is not a freaking horror movie. I’m just being silly and letting myself get freaked out. There are people around everywhere and the security at a party like this has to be insane.
No one would try anything while we were in a public place and literally all I’d have to do is scream. I mean, the party is being thrown by Cora Ubeli and her husband was supposed to be a big bad mob boss—and that’s not even taking into account the rumors about Mrs. Ubeli herself.
No one’s dumb enough to try to screw with any of the Ubeli’s guests.
I blink hard to reorient myself, then turn right at the fork and head further into the labyrinth. Chill bumps race down my arms, both from the cold night air and the dark night. And I do really want to know who’s been sending the roses all these years. It’s never felt like someone malicious.
Strings of lights are woven into the hedges here and there, along with the occasional standing sconce, but it’s only barely enough to see where I’m going.
So pretty. I sigh and trace my fingertips along the lights.
Pretty lights in the dark night. Haha! I trip again.
Whoops! I barely catch myself and frown down at the mist covering the ground.
Well, that’s why I’m tripping. I can barely see my feet. Ooh look, another fork in the path. Another right turn. More twinkly lights.
But the lights seem to blink in and out, and for a second I can’t make out anything at all. The mist is especially heavy here for some reason, like someone’s blown a fog machine over the garden.
“Hello?” I call out, waving a hand uselessly at the mist to try to see.
I blink hard and take another step down the path. My step stumbles though and the path spins crazily.
Whoa, I don’t feel so good. I blink again and reach out for balance. My hand brushes against shrubbery but I can’t get a good grip and stumble again.
Shit. When was the last time I ate? I have a bad habit of working through meals and today I don’t think I even grabbed anything from the snack machines, I was so anxious about the newest round of experiments.