Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Author:Zoraida Cordova
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2016-07-11T04:00:00+00:00

20

All roads lead to the labyrinth.

—from the journal of Rosaria Vargas

When I wake, I feel like I’ve slept for a hundred years. Rishi sleeps in the fetal position atop a pile of leaves, and Nova sits beside me. We’re back in the nest.

“It’s funny,” I tell Nova, “having to remind myself that this isn’t a dream.”

He nods but doesn’t look at me. He leans his head back against the cool wall, watching the avianas in their bird form, flying around the statue of El Cielo.

“You could have died,” he says.

“You told me an encantrix can do anything.”

He looks off to the side, avoiding my eyes. “Experienced ones. Not ones who barely know how to control their power.”

“I had to do something to save your skin. A simple thank-you would be nice.” I sit up and stretch the stiffness out of my body. I’m covered in tender bruises, but it was worth it to know that my family is safe. For now. “Madra’s going to help us with the map. Let’s get our things and keep going.”

I stand to walk past him, but he takes my hand in his. He stands, towering over me. He brushes my tangled hair back and cups my face. His eyes are greener in this firelight.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

I shake my head. “Why’d you do it, Nova?”

He starts to smile. I bet he can’t help it. I bet his smile gets him out of and into all sorts of trouble.

“You and me?” he says. “We come from different worlds. I have nothing to my name.”

“What about your grandma?”

He shrugs dismissively. “I’m just another mouth to feed.”

“That can’t be true.”

His hands slide down from my cheeks to my neck. I wonder if he can feel my heart racing.

“Not everyone’s got a family they’d die for,” he says. “If I thought it’d get you in trouble, I would’ve thought twice about stealing. Okay?”

“I can’t get all righteous on you,” I say, “though I’d just like to point out that you’re the one who told me not to touch anything.”

Eye roll. “We cool?”

Rishi clears her throat. She’s leaning on the wall opposite us. How long has she been standing there without me noticing?

“Let’s get this donkey show on the road,” she says.

“I think you mean dog and pony show,” Nova says.

Rishi looks him up and down. I guess they’ve stopped yelling at each other, but that doesn’t mean they’ve called a truce. “Since you’re here, I’m pretty sure I mean donkey.”

• • •

We say good-bye to the avianas, leaving them two-thirds of our food supplies. Madra walks us to a tunnel that leads out of the caves. It smells dank and is lit by torches.

“I do not think it is wise to journey to the labyrinth,” Madra tells me. “But I honor your loyalty to your family, Alejandra Mortiz. I will take a look at your map.”

I unfold the map for her to see. Her hawk eyes follow the ink rendering of Los Lagos.

“The opening to this cave is on the map,” I say, “but if you hadn’t come to our rescue, we’d never have found it.

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