They turned around a corner, and the street became narrow and steep. The houses alongside seemed to close in around Maev, silent and craggy as prison cell walls. The road kept twisting, growing more and more narrow. Maev cursed and ran, having to escape, to find the pyramid again; she couldn't even see it now, only the stone walls around her. A great sense of urgency filled her. She knew she had to find the pyramid soon, to save whatever dragons she could. If she was late, they would die. She would fail. Requiem would fall, and her father and brother would die in fire. She kept running, lost now, and she realized this was no mere city; it was a labyrinth, and she was trapped within it.

"Dorvin!" she cried. "Alina!"

They did not answer. She looked around but couldn't see them, and she panted, and cold sweat soaked her. She tried to shift into a dragon, to soar and find them, but she couldn't grasp the magic. Whenever she felt the tendrils of starlight within her, they fled her grasp. She cursed again. She forced herself to stand still, to focus, to grab the magic. But it was no use; she was too nervous, too scared, and the power evaded her, leaving her in human form. She ran again.

"Dorvin and Alina!" she shouted, running through the maze. "Stars damn it, where are you?"

She did not focus on finding the pyramid anymore, just to leave this maze, to return to the boulevard, to feel oriented again. As she ran, shadows darted behind her. At first she thought them her friends, but no. Red eyes blazed in doorways and alleys, and black wolves bristled, baring their fangs. With growls, the beasts burst into a run, chasing Maev. She ran, fleeing them, pawing for her sword but not finding it. Damn it! Where was the blade? The sun dipped behind the buildings, shrouding the labyrinth in darkness, and the wolves were gaining on her, and—

"Mammoth Arse!" Dorvin grabbed her shoulders. "Bloody stars, you almost ran over me. What are you running from?"

She blinked. "I . . ." The sunlight was shining again. She stood on a cobbled street, and the pyramid rose ahead behind trees and homes. She shook her head wildly. "There were wolves. Did you see them? More wolves like the demon ones we saw."