though even his input seemed oddly pleasant. Then there was Leila quietly observing the men at play, but every so often she’d surprise them with a salacious comment, or whisper the answer to a riddle, or simply stare at the cards and smile, as if she too was reveling in the brief moment of peace.
Day shifted to night. Enzo and Zander were the first to vanish, and Flynn soon followed in the midst of his own tantrum. “Fuck this!” He tossed a handful of cards onto the floor. “Fuck all of you, and fuck this game!” Orion trotted after him, mocking his poor sportsmanship, leaving the remaining players with their unruly laughter.
Raphael scooped up Flynn’s strewn cards. “I’ve had enough of Flynn for the evening.” He turned to Tobias. “You can share his tent tonight. I’m joining Caesar.”
“He beats his cock in the morning.”
Raphael groaned. “Of course he does.” Grumbling under his breath, he hopped to his feet. “Good night, you two.”
As he hurried off, Tobias turned to the rest of the group—except there was no one left but Leila.
She grimaced. “Does Caesar really touch himself right in front of you?”
“We haven’t any privacy.”
Leila chuckled. “Boys,” she muttered, pressing her hand to his forehead.
“Do I have a fever?”
She pulled her hand away. “No. Apologies, I keep checking. It’s a habit, really. I must be driving you mad.”
“I don’t mind.”
She smiled, though it faded once her eyes danced across his face. “God, look at you.” She cupped his cheek. “Your nose…all bruised, even under your eyes.”
“It doesn’t feel so bad.”
Another smile. “Yes, well, you have that secret weapon.”
Leila set her sights on his thigh, unraveling the bandage and gently prodding at his stitches. Her whole body appeared involved in her work, from her pursed lips to her focused gaze—a care that flooded him with shame.
“Oh God, I am an absolute cock.”
Her eyes flitted to his. “Why?”
“I’ve never thanked you,” he said. “You’ve tended to my wounds, you stitched my leg, you fixed my nose—”
“It’s far from fixed.”
“Irrelevant. I should’ve said something sooner. Know that I normally have much better manners than this.”
She sighed. “Tobias—”
“Thank you. For everything.”
Leila went quiet, rewrapping his thigh. “You’re the only man here who’s thanked me. Who’s even asked my name. So if you think yourself a cock, understand there are thirteen men here more worthy of that title than you.”
The shame in his face burned deeper. “There’s still no excuse.”
Leila glanced across the sanctuary. The other men were tucked away in their tents, leaving the two alone in a way that felt bold and apparent. “It seems everyone has turned in for the night,” she said. “I should let you get to sleep.”
“Oh, I won’t be sleeping. I never do. Not much, at least.”
“Why’s that?”
He cocked his head at the tents. “It’s hard to relax with these sorts close by. Giants. Dragons. Shepherds.”
“Yes, I imagine you’d have to sleep with one eye open.”
A long silence wedged between them. Leila stared down at her satchel, idly fiddling with the strap, and the air in the sanctuary turned thick.
“You can leave if you’d like. If you must.” Tobias paused, trying to read her face. “But don’t think you’re doing me any favors because of it.”
“Would you prefer if I stayed?”
“Only if you’d prefer it too.”
Tobias held his breath—he hadn’t a clue why—and Leila abruptly hopped to her feet.
“Come.” She flung her satchel over her shoulder. “We’ll go someplace else.”
He scanned the small, dank sanctuary. “Of course, since there are so many places to choose from.”
“There are more than you’d think.”
Succumbing to her will, Tobias attempted to stand only to collapse beneath his marred leg. “Shit.”
“Oh right, I forgot.” She grabbed his wrists and yanked him upright. “Here. Lean on me.”
“But you’re so small. I’ll crush you.”
“Oh, shut up. And I’m not that small.”
She lurched him forward, setting off on her journey with Tobias limping at her side. He slumped over her narrow shoulders, awkwardly managing their height difference before catching sight of their destination—a familiar dark portal.
“Wait.” He stopped short. “Where are we going?”
“Someplace quiet.”
“That’s strange, because it looks an awful lot like we’re headed into the labyrinth.”
“Just for a short while,” she said.
“You expect me to go back in there?”
Leila studied his grave expression and snorted. “Oh please, I make my way in and out of this shithole every day, and I do so without dying.”
Tobias somewhat willingly stumbled along at Leila’s side, and soon enough black brick surrounded them. They were in the labyrinth—voluntarily, no less—and