Eventually the sounds of the party fell away to nothing, save for the gentle susurrus of the wind rustling through the leaves and the distant hoot of a tawny owl. Seraphina finally floated to the ground, letting her bare feet touch the soft dew-damp grass. The princess bit her bottom lip and wiped away the remnants of her tears before looking around to see where inside the maze she was.
By her guess, she was somewhere to the north-east, close to the outdoor hothouses that grew larger ornamental trees and bushes that wouldn’t normally survive the rocky soil and mountain air. Seraphina had never been allowed into the glass building. According to Uncle Savant, many of the plants inside were extraordinarily toxic, and it would only take a single stray finger to end her life.
Pink oleander
