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The Maze | Tia Fielding

2

H

E RAN

.

Faster than he’d run ever before in his life. Part of

his mind still couldn’t believe he was made to do this. But
then, as he rounded a corner and took off to what he
thought was west, he heard the cackle of the predator
behind him. It didn’t leave much room for doubt.

He had always known his grandmother, who had been a

young girl when vampires and other supernaturals revealed
themselves to the human world, had been right. Never, ever
trust a supernatural. They toy with you, they use you, they’ll
do anything to convince you, and then, then they take
whatever they want.

Micah ran, the cobblestones cold, wet and slippery

under his bare feet. The coppery taste in his mouth, the
pounding of his heartbeat filling his head, and the way his
lungs seemed to operate at only half capacity told him he
didn’t have much time left. The spectators—and he knew
there were plenty—were either on top of the walls or in the
air above the moonlit maze he was running. Once again he
considered stopping; it might be easier to just let himself be
caught by the predator, to be taken into pieces above the
maze like others who had failed.

But he was still his father’s son. His father who had

figured it was much nicer that Micah was gay, not half-
supernatural like the neighbors’ son. Yeah, the supes didn’t
always ask when they took human women. So the purple-

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eyed toddler, with claws for hands and a scaled ridge on top
of his spine that formed into a lizard’s tail…. Yeah, liking
cock wasn’t a big deal at that point. Micah snorted even now,
when he had barely strength to move.

He was tall, over six feet, and very, very skinny now that

his former master—who had disguised himself as the
boyfriend of Micah’s dreams—was done with him. He had
lost more blood and more muscle tone because of the poor
nutrition, so much that he was surprised his long, black hair
was still intact. He looked malnourished, but he was still
running because there was a way out of this.

Actually, there were three. Hidden in the maze. If you

found one, you were safe. At least for the next half an hour,
because that was the time the supes would barter. Who would
get the human, or sometimes the weaker supernatural being,
who had outwitted the maze made by angels. Yes, literally.

Suddenly he was skidding to a halt in the middle of a

crossroads. The walls were maybe fifteen feet high, and the
streets were ten feet wide. Cobblestone street, black brick
walls. Very ominous.

“Are you giving up, Micah?” the predator’s voice asked,

spreading through the maze like there was a sound system
installed. Micah knew better.

“No,” he panted, and did quick math. He was coming

into the crossroads from… let’s say west; he wasn’t sure, but
say it was west. He felt like continuing east, and his next
choice would’ve been south. So he took off again, north.
What good had his instincts done him? He was sure they
wouldn’t save him now.

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And so he ran, and he was sure there was an approving

murmur somewhere above him, but he couldn’t care about
that. Okay, what had he heard about the exits? Always on
the inner walls, never on the outer. Never trust ladders,
never trust doors. His eyes scaled what he thought was the
inner wall on his right, and he kept running, his eyes peeled
for it, even when his instinct told him otherwise.

Suddenly his brain registered that there had been

something on the wall, maybe ten steps in the direction he
had come from. Again he slid and struggled for purchase,
but turned around nonetheless, and went to look for what
had made his brain twitch.

At first there wasn’t anything, but then he noticed the

little black ring of steel, way above his head. Fuck! Was this
an exit? If it was, it was meant for someone seven feet tall!
He knew this might be his only choice, the only possibility he
could find for an exit before his strength ran out completely.

He spotted a crate in the next crossroads and ran to get

it. He couldn’t jump high enough, and if the predator who
was making those lovely scratching sounds and cackling as
it came closer caught him, then so be it. Getting the crate
took too long, he knew, and when he placed it against the
wall under the ring, he could hear the steps and the nails
scraping the wall, already entering the same patch of street
he was on.

Carefully, in case the crate was rotten, he climbed up

and reached his fingers toward the ring. The muscles in his
legs were screaming at him to stop this nonsense. There was
no reason to reach, to put them through this! His knees were

The Maze | Tia Fielding

5

shaking too, and when the wet metal evaded his fingertips,
he growled angrily and jumped.

The sound of the crate falling into pieces under his feet

accompanied the sound of the predator stopping a few feet
away. He waited for the pain that he knew was coming, but
at the same time his falling weight was held by something,
and he didn’t know what it was until his tired body and
mind told him his fingers were clutched around metal.

As the escape route’s steps, which were folded into the

wall like one of those funky beds that opened from the wall,
fell down, so did Micah. He passed out from exhaustion,
never knowing if getting to the exit was enough, or if he
should’ve gotten up the stairs as well.

Ramiel looked at his old friend Amosis, or Amos, as he

was known now, two millennia after the two of them had first
met. The vampire hadn’t aged a day, obviously, but neither
had Ramiel.

“But the rules say, the hunter kills him inside the maze

and that’s it!” Amos insisted.

“Yes, but the game and the rules were made by angels,

as were the maze. It is up to me to decide whether he won or
not. And someone had moved the crate. We do not tolerate
foul play, Amosis.” Ramiel glared at the pale figure in dark
red and black clothing.

“You just want him for yourself, as you’ve always

wanted what is mine!” the vampire snarled, taking a step
toward the angel, who was standing near the windows of the

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only building that stood anywhere within ten miles of the
maze.

“I never wanted anything that is yours, my friend. Not

before now. It’s all in your head, and I suggest you get over it
right now.” The angel’s eyes were suddenly so piercing blue
that the vampire could almost feel them boring into his own.

“Right….” Amos snorted.

Ramiel leaned out the window and let his voice carry to

the hunter, who the humans called the predator. “He won.
Bring him to me.”

There was a sound of both cheers and disgruntled

murmurs from below. Some had bet against the boy, but
Ramiel never would’ve done that, were he a betting angel.
Micah had always held more than most ever did: more
promise, more hope, and certainly more wit.

“In case someone is not happy with my decision, they

are free to contact Gabriel.” Ramiel leaned back in, and the
smile on his lips could’ve only been described as self-
satisfied. Gabriel would chew them a new one, or a few. The
pompous ass of an angel thought he had better things to do,
and the complainers would soon learn that.

The chamber door opened, and the hunter crouched to

get in from the seven foot tall door. She was a magnificent
beast, what humans would call a humanoid of some sort,
but nothing like even the angels had seen. One of a kind.

In her arms was the body of the most beautiful human

Ramiel had ever seen. One he wanted to own and to cherish.

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“Thank you, hunter,” he said, as the last female of her

kind placed the human on the stone platform in the middle
of the tower chamber. “You may go and hunt for yourself
now.”

The hunter let out a chilling little giggle, nodded to

Ramiel, ignored Amos, and went away.

“Was it worth it? Putting him through this just to get

your hands on him?” Amos spat, looking at Micah’s nearly
lifeless body on the stone slab.

“Yes.” Ramiel nodded. “This was the only way. No one

can contest this, and not even you can take your words, or
him, back. Now go away.” The angel aimed his glacial gaze at
the vampire. “Go away, you ungrateful, abusing scum.”

Ramiel’s voice hadn’t gotten any louder, but suddenly it

filled the chamber so that the little pieces of rubble fallen
from the ceiling danced on the floor, and Micah whimpered
into consciousness.

Amos huffed, but he knew better. In a flash, the vampire

had changed into his pompous white-tailed eagle form and
flew out of the window.

Ramiel took a step closer to the blinking green eyes of

the human.

“I… I won?” Micah croaked.

He looked at the slender form of the familiar angel, one

of Amos’s friends, in front of him.

“Yes, yes you did, little one.” Ramiel’s voice was

soothing, like balm to Micah’s tired body and soul.

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“What now?” The human struggled to sit up.

“Now, you can choose. Either go on your own, or you

can belong to me,” Ramiel said gently, not approaching
Micah’s hunched form.

“To you? Why?” The suspicion was evident in the

question.

“Because I can keep you safe, you can belong to me for

as long as you want, and because I want you. I’ve wanted
you since Amos took you. I am sorry I wasn’t here for the
last years; had I known he was abusing you, I would’ve
stepped in. Sadly, I didn’t see it before he brought you here
tonight.” The angel’s eyes were full of such sorrow it took
Micah’s breath away.

Angels couldn’t lie. That much he knew of these

creatures. That, and whomever they chose as their mate
would live forever too. Angels were on the top of the
supernatural pecking order, and they weren’t capable of
cruelty to the ones they loved.

So when the question bubbled into Micah’s green eyes,

Ramiel barely nodded.

“Yes, since the first moment I saw you, Micah,” the six

and a half foot tall, slender yet lightly muscled angel said,
looking strangely vulnerable for a change.

Angels were perfect in appearance and in everything

else. They had characteristics humans did, like envy and
hedonism, but only those who were called dark angels were
evil.

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“When you came into Amos’s house that one evening

five years ago,” Micah said quietly, “I knew something about
my future lay in you, Ramiel. I’ve thought about you ever
since.”

The angel looked hopeful, “Yes?” he asked.

“Please, can you take me somewhere more comfortable,

and maybe kiss me?” Micah grinned crookedly, raised a
brow, and struggled to get to his feet.

Ramiel looked amused, held out a hand, and pulled

Micah close before stepping to the window.

“Always,” the angel smirked.

The strange lurch at the bottom of Micah’s stomach was

either because of the step they took out of the window that
was at least ten stories high, or because of the best kiss he’d
ever had, one that would tie him forever to this wonderful,
gorgeous being.

Micah lost himself into the kiss, and let Ramiel’s wings

carry them to wherever the angel wanted them to be. He was
finally safe again.

The Maze | Tia Fielding

10

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T

IA

F

IELDING

lives in a peaceful little town in a small

country in northern Europe. She loves nature, her horses,
cats, and even the yappy little thing that occasionally gets
called a dog. Tia learned to read before she went to school at
the age six and began writing as soon as she figured she had
stories to tell around the mature age of seven. Stories about
horses, adventures, and ghosts might have turned into hot
GLBTQ romance, but she still has a wicked imagination and,
hopefully, more stories to tell.

Visit her at

http://www.tiafielding.com

and by Twitter

@tiafielding.

The Maze ©Copyright Tia Fielding, 2011

Published by
Dreamspinner Press
382 NE 191st Street #88329
Miami, FL 33179-3899 USA
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the
authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Art by Anne Cain [e-mail]
Cover Design by Mara McKennen

This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is
illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon
conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No
part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. To
request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 382 NE 191st Street
#88329 Miami, FL 33179-3899 USA http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

Released in the United States of America
October 2011

eBook Edition