The Cursed Labyrinth (Accursed Archangels #2)

By Alexia Purdy

This is Book 2 of the Accursed Archangels Series

Thalia Brennan is lost within the legendary labyrinth realm called the Skein alongside the archangel, Ereziel. Encountering different beings and enchanted locations, they must find a way out. It’s rumored there’s a doorway into Heaven from here, but no one knows exactly where it is. Thalia is certain the gate doesn’t exist until she stumbles upon a young girl who’s also lost. She didn’t come from Earth. She came from the Heaven’s gate and must be returned.

The creatures of the Skein Labyrinth can be more terrifying than those of Earth, Heaven, or Hell. When the three companions make their way to the outer rings to find the gateway to Heaven, they discover there’s more here than meets the eye and being a native might have its advantages. Being hunted by those who’ve heard Thalia has the only key to escape, the trio scramble to find the portal back to Earth, or the gate to Heaven before becoming imprisoned in this strange realm forever.

Accursed Archangels is a young adult urban fantasy series which will appeal to readers of paranormal romance, vampires, reverse harems, angels, demons, and supernatural lore.

Books in this series:
The Unbreakable Curse
The Cursed Labyrinth
The Irredeemable Soul

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melancholy Muse Press
• Release date: Jun 21, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463727973

Alexia Purdy

Alexia is a USA Today Bestselling author who currently lives in Las Vegas and loves spending every free moment writing or hanging out with her four rambunctious kids. Writing is the ultimate getaway for her since she's always lost in her head. She is best known for her award-winning Reign of Blood series, and A Dark Faerie Tale Series.Sign up for email updates and exclusive giveaways: http://smarturl.it/AlexiaPurdyNewsAlexia's websites:www.alexiapurdybooks.comhttp://alexiaepurdy.blogspot.comTwitter: @AlexiaPurdyAlexia Purdy Fan page:https://www.facebook.com/AlexiaPurdyAuthorA Dark Faerie Tale Series by Alexia Purdy FB page:https://www.facebook.com/ADarkFaerieTaleSeriesReign of Blood Series FB page:https://www.facebook.com/RoBbooks

Book preview

The Cursed Labyrinth

Accursed Archangels Book 2

By

Alexia Purdy

The Cursed Labyrinth

Accursed Archangels #2

A Dark Urban Fantasy of Magic and Realms

Copyright © March 2018 Alexia Purdy

All rights reserved

Chapter One

The ground dug into her cheek, cold and damp with rain. It smelled of earth and tasted like burnt toffee on her tongue. Sweet, yet thick and sticky. Had she blacked out somewhere in the middle of Central Park? Or maybe even a graveyard, perhaps? In her line of work, anything was possible.

Blinking, Thalia Brennan peered about, assessing the world around her with unabashed interest. Immediately, her heart fluttered at the sight of a dark crimson sky streaked with heavy, water-laden clouds. Streams of light emanated from the land, marring the sky. The hollow screeches of creatures filled her mind with terror as her vision cleared. They flew far above, eyeing her like a snack, their swooping bodies too large to fit between the walls of the labyrinth. This was not home. It wasn’t anything near Central Park or even the same universe, for that matter. She’d fallen down a rabbit hole so deep that there was a sun shining the wrong color, and the earthen mud squishing between her fingers wasn’t quite made of the same stuff as it was back home.

Tall, overbearing, hedge-like walls rose up on either side of her, and wild vegetation was strewn across the path. Undulating vines dangled down like tentacles, waiting for her to wander just a bit too close so they could snag her. The land breathed in and out as though it were alive, but it remained hollow and desolate, long unattended.

This place… a lost wonderland twisted up in its own insanity.

Isao! Thalia called out, her confusion not letting her think. She rubbed down her face and body, caked dirt flaking off as she dusted her clothes. She still wore her leather jacket but was missing her sword. A quick scan revealed it gleaming in the odd red light, half buried in black dirt where it had landed. She reached out, her muscles screaming from a deep ache she’d known only when she drained her energy and required a recharge. Stuffing it into its sheath, she felt around for her backpack. It was also missing. She flicked her eyes around, but it was nowhere in sight.

Where am I?

The moment the words left her lips, she knew where she was. The Skein Realm was nothing like she’d imagined. The blood-red sky and oily black earth were a far cry from Earth’s appearance. The iron-laden dirt reeked of a sweet, metallic scent, staining her palms and jeans a deep orange-red so dark it looked like dried blood. She pushed off the ground and grimaced, pain shooting up her right leg. She immediately crumbled, a throbbing ache distracting her as she pressed on the swollen flesh of her ankle, breathing sharp, quick breaths through her mouth as the pain washed over her.

This wasn’t happening. Injured in a foreign place like this? Just great.

No, no. Worst timing ever, she muttered, groaning in disappointment as she yanked up the leg of her jeans and tugged her sock down to assess the damage. It wasn’t broken; she could still walk on it. The bruising told her she’d sprained it badly and would have to take care to not injure it further.

Perfect, she thought. She needed the damn backpack for a medical bandage to wrap it and keep it reinforced. She scanned the surrounding ground once more until she spotted her bag shoved into a hole beneath the hedge wall surrounding the pathway. There, two prairie dog-like creatures hovered over it. They looked mutated… larger than one would be back home. Their dark fur gleamed slick with oil edged with the dark red dirt. Their marbled brown eyes looked rabid, and their front teeth hung jagged and chipped.

Hey! Get away from that! She tugged at her sword, swung it through the air then repeatedly slammed the flat side against the ground. The noise startled the beasts, causing them to edge back, hissing, but they held fast to the crackers they had in their tiny but sharp talons.

Get away! She threw her sword at them, and they scattered, flying into the hedges as they squealed in fear. At least they were afraid of larger creatures. They could do damage to her if they knew the state she was in. She scrambled over to the pack, limping and cursing beneath her breath for having to move her ankle. It shot hot liquid agony up her calf and thigh, but she ignored it as best she could. Tugging the bag out, she found it open and the contents strewn across the ground in the indentation.

A few protein bars were missing, and one had a large bite from it, wrapper and all. Flipping the bar over in her fingers, she noted the teeth marks. They looked larger than the mutant prairie dogs’ teeth. Perhaps another visitor? She hoped it didn’t return for more. Inhaling sharply, she gave her surroundings another thorough survey before stuffing her things back into the pack and pulling out an Ace bandage.

After securing her ankle with the bandage, she strapped on the backpack once more, this time tightening the chest strap in case she was again catapulted into another dimension. She held out her sword, afraid of running into anything out of the ordinary in this treacherous place. The animal calls echoed all around, ominous at best.

This wasn’t New York City anymore. Hell, it wasn’t even Kansas.

Hello? she called out thinly, not wanting to attract anything large or possessing sharpened teeth. Ereziel? Isao? Are you here?

She swept the ground in case anything popped out to catch her unawares. The hedges stood tall and were anchored to even larger masonry walls. The pathway between the walls was wide enough that someone could build a decently sized single-family home in it. Her entire studio apartment could fit in it. A longing to return home hit her like a sledgehammer, but she breathed in deeply, shoving it away before her fear got the best of her.

She was supposed to have arrived here with Isao. This wasn’t starting out as they’d planned. Somehow, Ereziel had grabbed onto them both but had let go too soon, flinging all three of them in different directions. They could be miles from here or nearby. She might never find where they had landed, a thought that dug its talons in with a deep-seated fear and refused to let go.

Finding nothing of interest, she peered down both sides of the path, wondering which way she should take. On her right, the path appeared to go on forever, disappearing into the horizon. On her left, it took a sharp right turn and wound deeper into the unknown of the labyrinth.

Which way? she mumbled, her voice soft and uncertain. She doubted anything was near enough to hear her, but she couldn’t be too careful. She sighed and turned toward the left, hoping it was the right direction. Glancing up, she noted the bright spotlight of a beacon burning into the crimson of the sky. It was one of many, most so far away that the light was but a streak in the sky. Beacons were lights given off by wraiths. That meant there had to be some sort of settlement near them. Isao had told her as much. Maybe she should head toward the nearest one? She hoped it would be safer than remaining in the labyrinth. At least she could check it out and see if anyone had seen Isao or Ereziel.

Off to see the wizard we go, she mumbled to herself, limping forward, sword in hand and heart in her throat. If only this was the Land of Oz and she could tap her shoes three times to return home. If only.

Chapter Two

The sound of cackling echoed nearby, but it was hard to pinpoint from which direction it had come. Thalia turned in a circle, trying to find the exact location. Sounds inexplicably bounced off the hedge walls, echoing and resonating enough to confuse her. Why did that happen? The hedges should have absorbed sound. She was already lost and in no way any closer to the nearest beacon.

Laughing. A murmur of speech. More spine-tingling giggles. Thalia cocked her head to the side, listening, but she could not make out anything coherent. She sighed, rubbing her eyes and wondering if she should just give up, sit, and have a snack. Who knew when the next meal would be coming around? All she had were some water bottles and what was left of the protein bars she’d stuffed into her pack along with an extra set of clothes and some scant medical supplies. Isao had been carrying most of the food. So far, the lack of forage in the hedge maze was very apparent.

Deciding to eat rather than starve while in a strange land, she sat in the middle of the pathway, legs crossed, and ripped open a protein bar. Chewing pensively, she scanned the sky and both ends of the corridor she was currently in. What if it went on and on without reaching any cities? There had to be cities here. Peering up at the crimson sky, bleeding like an opened wound, she narrowed her eyes at the beams of light slicing into the clouds. Each one represented a wraith’s stronghold, a palace or small city controlled by a wraith. They called themselves barons, and the beacons were magic they emitted that lit up the sky above the city and protected it with their powers. That’s what Isao had told her. She sighed as she finished her snack and polished it off with a swig of water. Stuffing the bottle back into her backpack, she jumped while zipping it up as a deafening laugh echoed across the hedges like a madman’s dance. Was it the same person as before? It was hard to tell.

An inhuman scream ripped through the maze, the kind that could chill blood and bone with one sound. Thalia jumped to her feet the moment she heard it, the zap of pain from her ankle forgotten. Fear that the scream could belong to Isao or even possibly Ereziel had her in fight mode in seconds. Swinging the pack around her waist and snapping the straps together, she tightened it enough so that it wouldn’t sag on her back and began to run, her wings tucked in behind her. She had her sword in hand, ready to slice through whatever creature was unfortunate to cross her path.

At least the fall into the maze hadn’t damaged her new appendages. She could just barely wobble on her strained ankle enough to fight but feared she wouldn’t last very long in this condition. Her wings provided the balance she lacked but also tugged on her back, making her sore far more quickly than before. She didn’t dare fly yet. She was still not used to having wings and didn’t want to risk crashing. And besides, up in the air she’d have no protection from the creatures circling above.

Isao? Ereziel? she called out. One hand on the hilt of her sword, she turned the corner and skidded to an abrupt stop.

The hedges bowed out into a circle here, as though it were the center of the maze. Flat flagstones lined the clearing, and in the middle was a stone bench, sitting desolate and alone. Peering past it to the other side, Thalia found a figure bent over another, sawing away with a large serrated blade, blood splatter staining the stones as well as the person’s clothes. It was everywhere, like a scene from a horror movie.

Blood-spotted feathers were strewn across the entire circle as though a large avian animal had been slaughtered here. As the stranger finished hacking away, a wing came loose, and the person, a woman, held it up, cackling loudly as her body shook with delight.

The wing looked oddly familiar. Its mate lay unmoving next to the woman, just as mutilated and bloody as the one she now held.

What the hell are you doing? Thalia held her sword out, widening her stance as she edged forward. Put that down now and back away from him.

The woman startled but failed to drop the wing in her hand. She eyed Thalia with brilliant oil-black eyes which reflected the crimson shine from above. Her face was grimy, and stringy black hair hung over it like a shroud, but she could still make out a thin, crooked nose and even finer lips pulled tightly into a malicious smile.

She lifted a finger to her lips, shushing Thalia with a wicked grin. Ah, the wee baroness returns. I’ll be on my way now. I got what I came for.

She reached up and snapped her fingers, and the wings shrunk into a small pendant that looked like a locket. She snapped the lid closed and stuffed it into her pocket as Thalia ran toward her, sword raised, battle cry ringing through the air. The woman had the audacity to laugh even more before snapping her fingers again and disappearing into a thin trail of black smoke. Thalia swung and hit nothing but air, the smoke trail dissipating in the wind from her blade.

No, she gasped and twirled in a circle. She didn’t feel any pain in her ankle as she scanned the area. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as her heart beat thumped through her thoughts.

The witch now stood on the opposite side of the bench, studying her closely and flipping the pendant between her fingers as she pensively observed Thalia. She looked baffled, stunned even, as though she knew her but couldn’t quite put a finger on who she could be. But she had called Thalia the wee baroness. She knew something.

Thalia peered down at the man on the ground, horrified as the edge of Ereziel’s profile came into view. He was thankfully unconscious, for the sight of his mangled back lacking the pair of wings which had sat there for all of time was more than unsettling. Her stomach lurched as she gasped, her hand at her mouth. Turning, she glared at the witch quietly studying her.

She’d taken Ereziel’s wings. No one deserved such a fate, not even him. Though they’d had hard times and a myriad of disagreements between them, she never would’ve wished such a humiliation upon him, even with his bold attitude and defiant outlook on life. Thalia cringed at the sight. Blood everywhere. Blood on the stones. On his feathers. All over his back. How could anyone be so heartless?

Give me the wings, and I might let you breathe another day, Thalia threatened, her heart hammering in her chest, the thump of its beat filling her head with rage.

Your family awaits, young baroness, the witch replied. It’s been far too many years for a wraith-kin to be missing. Your absence has been noticed.

Thalia barely registered the confusing dialogue as the maddening hate grew inside her. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Give me the wings, witch, or suffer at my hands. I’m not feeling very generous today.

We are not so different, you know. You’re not quite right either. The witch cackled once more, apparently finding the conversation delightful. It disgusted Thalia down to the bone, and she wanted to swipe her sword across the witch’s neck to silence her forever.

I don’t care what you think. Give me the wings. It’s your last warning. I’ll slice your arms from your body before you can even scream. She stepped forward, unafraid and determined to take down the