Majestic hundred-year-old oaks framed the horizon, visible in the distance, beyond which it was already possible to overlook the arches of gloomy pointed roofs and the impregnable wall of a living thicket, which towered in a protective rack for several meters.

A group of seven people moved at a measured walking pace, admiring the local nature and noting the extraordinary silence of the local places. There were no guards standing outside the castle grounds, nor any magical traps that Raphael must surely have left behind.

Artemis could not get rid of the feeling that a strange anxiety was gnawing at her, but she still continued to move forward confidently, leading the rest of the group.

The portal opened by Ivrim allowed them to get as close as possible to the walls of Abion’s castle, but they were still outside it and the main obstacle that bothered Artemis was the labyrinth.

Using the key to Thea’s memory, she remembered that this hellish place was aimed only at taking the life of anyone who entered there and no magic could help them. Only a carrier of vampire blood could enter the labyrinth, but unfortunately, there was no Raphael’s blood left in this body, or there was too little left, so she could not calculate her next step and it occupied all her thoughts.

They stopped right in front of the entrance to the maze, behind which the palace could be seen so close.

The friendly fragrant greenery seemed to lure travelers to enter the maze and find a way out, but Artemis remembered that it was possible to enter the maze, but there was no exit in it.

She clicked her tongue, sighing heavily from the realization that all her childhood and youth she considered herself a true sorceress, and if Ivrim had not scattered her knowledge like fluff to the wind, she would have tried to open the gates for them, as Raphael did. But she couldn’t, and her puzzlement was reflected in Carrick’s concern.

- Is there a problem, Artemis?

Carrick was already at the age when his powers of observation were reaching new boundaries and he was the first to notice the girl’s confusion.

- It’s all right. - she smiled, as if her face hadn’t just been painted with a pensive grimace. - You’ll have to wait for me here.

- I think it’s a bad idea. - Adeline tried to reason with her. – I know that we still don’t trust each other in light of recent events, but still, isn’t it better to stay together?

- You’re wrong. It’s not us who don’t trust, but you don’t trust me. - her voice was softly flowing. – And I don’t want to put pressure on you. But at the moment, I can’t let any of you come with me.

- Aren’t you trying to escape? - Terrence stared at her with narrowed eyes.

- Dear brother... - she deliberately singled out this phrase intonation, which made him crumple. - If I wanted to, I would have done it a long time ago. And now be a reasonable boy... and all of you... look after the only lady in your team.

Sidelong glances darted in Adeline’s direction.

- I hope it won’t take me too long. But you must promise me that none of you will move or dare to follow me.

- Your words sound like there are dangers hiding behind this maze and it doesn’t inspire confidence in you and your words, you know. - Terrence frowned.

- Calm down. - Cornel grabbed the Crown Prince of Riliya by the shoulder, literally stopping him from trying to take a step towards the maze.

Indignant, he snorted and threw his hand off his shoulder.

- What’s there?

- I won’t lie, this place is really dangerous and that’s why I ask you to be reasonable and stay outside of it. I have some idea and I have to try it, otherwise, I do not know how else we should get inside?

- Can’t we just use the portal? - Sean asked. – We have a witch and a magician...

- Not in this place. - she cut him off. – The King of Abion has done everything to protect the castle from outside intrusion. Only vampires, or invited ones, can do this. However, once inside, you can use artifacts to leave Abion, but this is not our case. We need to get in.

- Too confusing. - Klaus mumbled, who remembered how Jenine had to resort to a ritual using a portal artifact to help him and Thea escape. – She’s telling the truth, it’s not easy to get in there.

- So you agree to just stand here and wait? - Terrence was indignant.

- You are the only one who is against it, Your Highness. - Klaus returned his displeasure. – I think she knows better how to get there.

- Thank you, Klaus. - she praised him, but he didn’t appreciate it and only bristled, still being distrustful of her.

The men were still bickering and talking nonsense when Artemis headed straight for the entrance to the maze and her heart sank with a premonition of imminent pain.

She swallowed hard and crossed the threshold of the fence, rushed to run as fast as she could into the very depths of the wattled thickets. All she wanted was to get as far away from the entrance as possible in order to muffle her voice a little, despite the sensitive hearing of werewolves.

The frisky liana had already slid down from above, dragging behind her with a quick slide, trying to grab her by the ankle, but Artemis ran even faster, famously turning around the turns of the green walls.

Her breathing had already become ragged and if she had her way, she would have stopped to catch her breath, but she was still running deeper, further, much further. And the more she moved away from the entrance, the narrower the corridors of the maze became, as if the walls were thickening and squeezing her, already touching her shoulders with sharp holly leaves, tearing the fabric on her clothes and scratching her delicate skin.

She gave a barely audible squeak when the sensation of torn skin burned her shoulder, but still focusing on the vine weaving at her feet, she continued to run away until she was at a dead end.

An impregnable, towering wall of living thorn bushes appeared in front of her nose so unexpectedly, as if the walls themselves could migrate. Could that be why there was no way out of the maze?

She froze, feeling a snake-like tree vine creeping under the hem of her dress. And again that feeling of squeezing on her ankles, so familiar, so bright and so painful. She had to clench her jaws so hard that her teeth gritted, but she still resisted screaming and calling for help.

She stood motionless, just as Raphael had said last time. The more you resist, the more the braided fetters tighten.

This tickling feeling crawling over her stockings was not pleasant, but rather terrifying, and she caught herself thinking that her chest was shrinking with fear. What if she doesn’t succeed? What if they don’t make it?

And then it dawned on her that the more she delays this moment, the longer her fear takes hold of her and in order to break this unfortunate chain, she forcefully pulled her leg up, bending it at the knee.

Instantly, the vine squeezed her tighter and dug sharp thorns into the soft flesh, forcing warm blood to permeate the white stockings. She screamed, but not loudly enough to attract anyone’s attention.

Despite the pain she felt, she still couldn’t beat herself, and then she yanked her other leg, shackling it in tenacious shackles and falling forward, face down.