Trillian's third stage

“Trillian warned us it would be hard,” Mira said. “We have to win, anyway. It’s now or never. My guess this time.”

She walked over to Cole and gave him a hand up. As Cole brushed himself off, he looked around, trying to refocus. A huge wall loomed ahead of them. Gray blocks the size of cars were fitted together without mortar. A large, gateless archway granted access through the wall. Part of another wall was visible through the arch. Above everything soared a narrow, straight tower, stretching absurdly high, its base out of view.

“Oh, no,” Jace moaned.

“What?” Mira asked.

“This was my worst sky castle,” Jace said. “My fifth mission. I never came closer to dying.”
“Tell us about it,” Mira said.

Jace gave a weary sigh. “It was bad. I chose not to wear a parachute. Back then, I thought speed was more important than a safety net. These walls are part of a maze. At the center is a herd of horses.”

“Scary,” Cole said.

“Says the guy with nightmares about bunnies,” Jace snapped. “I haven’t finished.”

“What’s the threat?” Mira asked.

“There was a monster,” Jace said. “A big one. Maybe twice my height. It had blades for hands. The lifeboat set me down in the center with the horses, but the monster chased me into the maze. It played cat and mouse for a while. I swear it toyed with me for fun. Then it drove me up the tower. There were no rooms—just a spiral stairway that went up and up. I seriously thought I would die from exhaustion. The monster was right behind me, its blades scraping against the stone steps. I could hear it breathing. At the top was a musty room with no windows. I was cornered. I knew I was dead. There was no way out, no way back to the lifeboat.”

Chapter 32