The door to Taika’s dark cell groaned as it opened, the iron hinges grinding in protest. We could have spoken through the bars, but we wanted to make it clear we didn’t feel the need for anything to separate us from her. She hadn’t been given any light because of its wooden walls, and the torches outside could only cast splutters of weak firelight into its threshold. Taika herself lounged on a lone bench attached to the back wall, her large frame filling up every inch available. She looked up slowly, her eyes flashing with a languid calm that set my teeth on edge.

  Tetora’s breath came out in short snuffs behind me, a snarl hiding underneath them. Aleph, however, had insisted that he speak with her on our behalf.

  “You know why we are here,” he announced, his shoulders straightening.

  Taika took her time sitting up, even doing a half stretch as if she were waking from a nap. “You need a guide,” she said. “And I need my clan back.”

  “You need to convince me why you should still breathe,” Tetora shot back. “We can find our way without you!”

  He was blustering, of course. It was a well-known and easily verified fact that neither humans nor hybrids had ever managed to make their way into the Mistress’s domain and return to tell the tale.

  “No, you won't,” she replied, adjusting her sleeveless shirt with meticulous focus. “I’m to be your guide—no one else. The sooner you come to terms with this, the sooner our negotiations can commence.”

  Aleph cleared his throat. “Tell us what we should expect, and perhaps we will be more amenable to said negotiations.”

  “Don’t you get tired of being the voice of reason for my brother?” Taika asked, her whiskers twitching. “Someday, I hope it is you who has to be held back by him, just for a change of pace.”

  Aleph didn't rise to the bait. “Answer the question.”

  “Expect the unexpected,” she said simply.

  Tetora snarled. "Enough of your useless riddles! If you think we’re going to trust you without—”

  “I don’t.” Taika leaned forward, her golden eyes gleaming. “Doubt me all you like. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m the only one who can get you through her mazes.” She rubbed at her right ear for several seconds before her gaze flickered to me. “They change all the time, you know. I don’t even know what to expect when I go in.”

  “But you seem to think you’ll be helpful,” I said with a scoff. “You may wish to elaborate a bit on that point, you know? Because I’m not convinced that you’re party material.”

  “I’m supposed to show you the way,” she replied as if that made all the difference. “We all heard Master Ambrose’s decree. He may not like the idea, but he can’t go against the Mistress’s wishes. So, we play her game for now.”

  And what game are you going to play with us?

  I didn’t ask since I knew she wouldn’t answer. But perhaps what she had already said was enough. She’d go along with us until a better opportunity presented itself.

  I signaled Aleph by scuffing my boot on the ground.

  He exhaled. “We leave come morning. Be ready.”

  Taika sat back, her tail flicking lazily. “I always am.”

  We shut the door, the lock clicking into place behind us. I watched the guards secure it, then turned away. Taika was another player in the game, and I wasn’t sure what the rules were yet.

  I found Vernie in the nearby mess hall long after dinner hours had passed, sharpening one of her knives.

  “I knew you’d find your way in here eventually,” she said, still trying to sport an upbeat smile. “I saved you something to eat.”

  After filling her in on things, even as I filled myself with food, I declared, “I’m going to ask you to watch her closely on our march. Tetora’s too angry to watch for subtle signs of impending betrayal, and Aleph’s going to be busy watching him.”

  Vernie nodded and stood up. “Understood. Let’s go get some sleep.”

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  We shared a small room that night, probably for the best. She allowed me some time to write in my journal, but cut me off from spending the entire night staring at the page, as I was unable to fill it. My feelings weren’t ready for publication, and the scribbles I added were just angry cross-outs of the word 'demon.' At one point, she offered to tell me a story to distract me.

  “I should just concentrate on closing my eyes,” I murmured, declining the invitation. “I appreciate the thought, though.”

  “Sleep well, Rae-Rae,” she replied, stifling a yawn. “We’ll start fresh tomorrow.”

  I mumbled a good night and squeezed my eyes shut, praying exhaustion would hasten my slumber.

  Although I tried my best, I couldn’t send my spiritual self to wherever Nora was. My sleep was fractured and dreamless, and I searched for my straw pillow several times throughout the night, only to find I had somehow tossed it on the floor. As the first rays of light broke through our small window, I got up to attend to a few things on my own.

  Captain Sonea was waiting for me outside the barracks, arms crossed. She watched the soldiers as they started to roust themselves for the morning shift change. Even though she wasn’t looking at me when I approached, I knew she wanted to speak to me specifically.

  “I wish to debate something with you,” she said with measured slowness. “I will even contradict myself during our discussion. Please bear with me as I present both sides of the argument.”

  “Alright,” I agreed, both curious and a little confused. “Present away.”

  She inhaled and straightened up. “I expect to receive orders to push into the Wastelands. It will come from a well-meaning Captain Corwin following traditional battle tactics and recent political intrigues, but I already disagree with them.”

  “And you want me to say it’s okay to ignore them?”

  “Yes. He’ll be furious when he finds out, so I’d appreciate it if you put down your orders in writing before you leave.” She smiled slightly. “I’d have drawn them up and forged your name, but I thought that might sour our friendship.”

  “Especially if we don’t get into the specifics of the argument.” I glanced off toward the front, even though I couldn’t really see anything due to the wooden walls. “It is hard to say what’s left out there. We can’t say for sure if she grabbed all of his army, now can we? There’s almost certain to be traps.”

  Captain Sonea nodded. “I don’t think the risk is worth it, even if there are untapped Ereborite deposits out there.”

  Ereborite? Should I know what that is?

  Captain Sonea waited for a soldier to pass before continuing. “Ah, you weren’t around for its discovery, were you? It’s a dark, heavy, and dense metal found deep underground in this region. I know that describes many of them, but this one’s new.” She glanced around once more. “Officially, it’s about as useful as a lead cup. Still, Corwin noted that Councilman Procul was planning to have the Assembly commission a few exploratory mining operations for it. That was the only time either of us ever heard of him opening a purse he controlled for something so dubious in terms of a payoff.”

  “You mean suspicious,” I said sourly. “You don’t happen to have any around, do you?”

  “Holy Sage Relias is ahead of you there,” Captain Sonea replied. “He hadn’t been advised of its discovery, either, so I gave him a bit to study.”

  The fact that Procul was so interested in something so scarce was a giant red flag. The more I thought about it, the more I began to worry about the implications of its discovery. “What special characteristics does it have?” I asked.

  “I’m not entirely sure,” Captain Sonea admitted. “I had our blacksmiths look at it earlier, but they said it was a contaminant that interfered when they worked with Umbrium.”

  I pulled out the dark coin I had been saving. “That’s what this Umbra mark is made out of, right? Which is much more abundant around here.”

  She nodded. “It’s worth more as a coin, and even then, it's not all that much.”

  “Even more suspicious. I wish Nora were—” I stopped, a painful shiver running through me. “We’re getting off track. Ereborite farming alone isn’t worth ordering a forward march,” I concluded. “With both demon lords having some sort of portal capabilities, there’s always a chance they’ll get behind you, and you’ll be spread too thin at the point to respond appropriately.”

  Captain Sonea reached into her cloak. “I was half-lying earlier. For optimal efficiency, I did draw up counter-orders… but if you don’t mind…”

  I read through them carefully, but there was nothing in them I wouldn’t have said myself. They were professional and clearly written to be as tight and non-confrontational as possible.

  “He’s still going to give you a hard time, regardless,” I stated with a sigh. “Let’s go find something I can sign this with. I’ll add a few personalized comments so he knows it’s really my signature.”

  “You won’t be able to take them,” Taika said pointedly to Aleph and Tetora, gesturing at our pack-laden horses.

  “And why not?” I snapped before they could reply.

  She looked at me as if dumbfounded. “Because they weren’t invited.”

  “They’re horses,” I said flatly.

  “And?”

  I inhaled sharply. “If you’re telling me it’s customary to invite animals to tea, I can only assume you’re quoting a fairy tale!”

  “It would be cruel to take them,” she started to explain as if I were a child. “Her mazes are designed to keep uninvited humans and hybrids out, but the psychological effects would still be significant to animals as well.”

  Psychological effects? Ugh…

  Relias was the last to join us at the gate, his eyes somber. “This sounds consistent with the little information we know about the Mistress,” he acknowledged as he relieved his horse of its saddlebags. “Given her tendency for secretive experimentation, I would assume her defenses would be attuned to quickly combat brute force by sentient beings. Manipulating minds would come quite easily to her.”

  I was losing another party member!

  With a low cry, I wrapped my arms around Aurum’s neck, reaching up to run a hand through his golden mane.

  “You have to stay here,” I mumbled into his side. “I’m sorry.”

  He huffed, pressing her forehead lightly against mine, seeming as if he understood what I was saying.

  “We’ll be back, though,” I murmured. “Promise. I'll do my best to come back quickly.”

  I hoped I had told him the truth.

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  Be careful which world you isekai into. Not all of them have plumbing.