“Wicked…” I tense his fingers with mine. I should be angry with him. I am angry with him. But right now, I know that whatever is happening is out of his control. Is he going to hurt me while I’m in the maze? Yes. Most likely.

My head pounds as I fall backward and the trees in the distance start to bleed into the bright orange embers. “Wic—” I rest my hand on my forehead, closing my eyes. My brain turns to static as blood rushes to my head.

“Hey!” Wicked catches me with his arm. “Fuck.”

“What’s going on?” Sweat pools down the side of my head. He scoops me up and carries me toward the back of one of the little houses. He comes in clearer now, but the piercing vibrations inside my head are almost too much to handle.

“Look at me. You’re coming down from the drugs I gave you.”

“Such a fucking gentleman…” I push off him, swiping the dust off my clothes.

“Listen to me!” His hand covers my mouth, his body towering over me. “I brought you here because it was my job to do that. If I don’t do my job? Poppy dies. Now—” He peeks around the corner of the house but keeps his hand covering my mouth. Wood scrapes against my back but my breathing calms at the proximity of his body against mine. He comes back to me. “Something is wrong with Poppy. Do I need to lock you away somewhere so I can find her, or are you good?”

I nod and he slowly releases his hand from around my mouth. “Good.”

“Wait—” My hand goes to his arm again. “Why don’t you just kill me?”

“I still might,” he growls, grabbing my hand and yanking me behind another cabin. Soft mumbles start drifting through the space, and Wicked’s finger presses against my lips.

I stare up at him. “What?” I mouth, only my lips press against his fingers.

He leans down, resting his forehead against mine, his eyes closed. “They killed her.”

I pause. My blood turns cold as I bring my hand to his cheek. “What? Who did? Who killed who?”

He grips me by the throat, forcing my eyes onto his. There’s no anger, no sadness, no—emotion. Void empty pits of nothing stare back at me. “You need to run. Now. And don’t look back.”

“Wicked—” He tightens his grip around my throat.

“You need to run because if I don’t kill you, they sure as fuck will.” I blink back the tears but my hands fall to the side.

“I’m not going anywher—” A dark shadow falls over his face, but before he can open his mouth to say anything else, the chanting gets louder, and I can almost feel the flames against my face.