Jake trailed behind Shadow; they had walked for miles and his shoes had rubbed his feet sore, his legs ached, and even worse, he was starving.

"How much further?" Jake asked miserably.  

"Not far now." Shadow glanced back. Hex walked a few steps behind Boy, with Chester and Tiny behind him. No one had noticed the faint silver glimmer of a week-old trail. A trail Shadow had followed for two hours. No longer searching for Rose, Shadow was in search of something else. 

"I'm hungry," Jake grumbled and rubbed his empty stomach. "And tired." 

"There is no point whining. We don't have food or time to waste." Shadow walked a little faster. The slippery trail was glowing brighter, which meant they were getting closer. "You can eat and rest once we've rescued Rose and escaped the maze." 

"Whatever," Jake said, slowing down to walk alongside Hex. "Have you any food in your sack?" 

Hex looked down at Jake. "No. I have something far more valuable. Would you like to see it?" 

Jake's face lit up. "Yes, please." 

"Very well." Hex lifted the sack over his head and crouched. Untying the rope, he opened the sack and reached inside. 

Jake held his breath, Chester and Tiny huddled closer, and Shadow watched from afar. Slowly, Hex pulled his hand from the sack. 

"Are you ready?" Hex asked with his fist clenched. 

"Yes, yes... I'm ready." 

With a slight nod, Hex uncurled his fingers to reveal a speck of light the size of a pea. 

Jake frowned and leaned closer. "What is it?" He reached out to poke the tiny, glowing ball. 

Hex snatched his hand away. "Be careful, don't touch! This is a fallen star." 

"No, it's not!" Jake scoffed. "Stars are massive, really, really massive." 

"Which fool told you that?" Hex asked curtly. 

"Everyone knows that." Jake shrugged. 

Hex turned to Chester. "Did you know stars are massive?" 

Chester shook his head. "No, of course not." 

"What about you, Shadow?" 

"Possibly in the human realm, but not here." Shadow couldn't take his eyes off the glowing light in Hex's palm. 

Hex turned to Tiny for his opinion and then decided that was pointless. 

"What is so special about a star?" Jake's interest quickly faded. 

It was Shadow who answered his question. "A fallen star can grant a wish, any wish."  

"Really! So, I could wish for a hamburger and large fries... and poof... they appear." Jake's stomach growled loudly. 

"No!" Hex and Shadow shouted together. 

"That is a wasted wish." The sorcerer's eyes sparkled with tears. "My dearest wish, my only wish, is to bring Rose back home to Rune Hall, where she belongs." 

Shadow shuffled from foot to foot. Despite the niggling pang of guilt, he had decided, and nothing anyone could say or do would dissuade him. "We should hurry... it's not wise to dally." And besides, the shimmering trail was dimming. 

Hex nodded in agreement, slipping the star back into his sack he looped it over his shoulder. "Let's go!"  

*

The snail was far larger than Shadow expected, and it munched loudly on the moss covering the maze. Picking up a rock, Shadow pressed his back against the wall and blended into the stone. 

"Shadow! Where are you?" Hex yelled as he sprinted into the tunnel. He'd taken his eyes off Shadow long enough for him to slip away. But the binding potion meant he wouldn't get far.

Chomp... Crunch... Munch... 

Hex whipped around to face the noise and gasped at the sight of a humongous creature, stripping moss from walls with teeth so sharp they could shred skin and severe limbs. Hex froze. Any sudden movement may attract attention, and he had no intention of being supper for a snail. Slowly he backed away... with each step, his shiny black boots squeaked... The snail continued his feast. Almost safe, he took a few more steps before he turned... from the corner of his eye, Hex saw the rock hurtle towards the snail. With a thump, it struck the snail's shell. The creature stopped chewing and spun its hefty body towards Hex. 

The sorcerer's heart raced...To run was futile; to stay was to die... and Jake was mere feet away. But so was Tiny. An equally gigantic beast, with a misguided sense of loyalty. This was his only chance, and Hex ran away.