Charlotte always had special treats for him to try out on a hunt, and he had taken them all with him. Lachlan adjusted theleather bandolier of blades that crossed his chest and shifted the sword hanging on his hip. It usually sat on his back in a hunt, but he didn't know how tight the tunnels would be, and he didn't want it banging on every low ceiling he came across.
Lachlan attached the patches to the wall beside him and walked back a safe distance before whispering the words to activate them. He didn't have magic, but Charlotte made sure he didn't need it. The air buzzed, and he covered his ears as a silent detonation blasted part of the wall free. His ears still popped hard enough to rattle him for a moment. She had got the silent part right, but not the air pressure.
Lachlan switched his torch off and stepped through the rubble. No alarms were going off, which was a good sign. Lachlan climbed through the gap in the brick walls and found himself in a bedroom. It was gold and blue. His skin crawled.
Who the fuck would make something like this in the catacombs? He spotted a pile of clothes on the bed, and his heart gave a painful thump. They were the clothes that Apollo had been wearing. Had they taken them from him? The thought of people stripping Apollo lit a firestorm inside him.
"Yeah, looks like I'm going to have to murder you all now," Lachlan growled under his breath. He went to the door, and it swung out into a hallway. It wasn't locked because it was empty, which made his job easier.
The hall was empty, too, but well-lit. He checked for cameras but didn't see any. He didn't know if it was a good thing or not that they didn't want these sections of the building being filmed.
Lachlan tried two of the doors, and they both opened to reveal more opulent rooms. It was giving a creepy sex dungeon vibe, and his urgency to find Apollo ratcheted higher.
The third door he tried was made of steel, unlike the others, and it was locked with a keypad.
Lachlan didn't waste time trying to hack his way in. He pulled another patch from his bag and stuck it on the keypad. This one melted whatever it touched. Electronics began to burn as the keypad, the wires, and the wall behind turned to liquid goo.
Voices rose in panic, and Lachlan pulled free his favorite dagger. He kicked in the door and stabbed the throat of the first person running towards him. Blood sprayed over a white coat, and the man fell to the tiled floor.
Apollo was on a steel table with cuffs strapping him down, needles stuck in his body in different places. Lachlan's body shut down into a killing calm, and he launched himself into the fuckers who dared to touch what was his.
11
The Sanguis Vitae had drained so much of Apollo's blood that he had begun to hallucinate. That was the only answer he could think of because Lachlan Ironwood just came through the door of the hellish lab he had been stuck in for hours.
Apollo had woken to the aftershock of whatever sound weapon that bitch Bellerose had used on him.
He had been strapped to the table in only his underwear. Doctors with masks had hooked him up to an IV bag filled with fuck knew what in one arm, and then they had started draining him.
"T-Told you…he would come…" Apollo said and let out a tired laugh.
Lachlan's face hovered above him. He looked so beautiful, even splattered with blood. "Apollo! I'm going to get you out of here. Just hold on. Watch the door and tell me if anyone comes through."
"So pretty," Apollo murmured. Maybe he was dying. He didn't mind so much if he got to look at Lachlan first.
"Gods, what have these fucking monsters been doing to you?" Lachlan cursed.
He undid the straps on his feet and hands before he began to pull the needles out of him. Apollo winced with every single sharp pinch. Lachlan reached into his satchel and pulled out the clothes Apollo had abandoned hours ago.
"They are dirty, but I need to get you covered," Lachlan said, starting to dress Apollo like a baby. Do you know what they have been feeding into you?"
Apollo shook his head. "I can't… I don't think I can walk."
"It's okay. I got you, baby," Lachlan said and hefted him over one shoulder. "Just tell me if anyone is coming up behind me."
Apollo's stomach heaved dangerously as Lachlan started hurrying down the halls. A shadowy figure appeared through the blur of tears in Apollo's eyes.
"Someone there," he said, and Lachlan turned in a quick move. Apollo didn't see what he did, but Lachlan turned back just as quickly and kept jogging. There was a lump on the floor where the other person had been.
Apollo must have passed out for a few minutes because when he came to, he was in darkness. Lachlan shone a torch in his face, and Apollo squinted.
"Good, you're back. Drink this," he said and tipped something into Apollo's mouth. He recognized the banana taste of one of his healing elixirs. His head started to clear, and energy surged through him.
"Fuccckkkk," Apollo gasped.
"It does have a kick. Lean on me. We need to get moving. Those bastards would have to have some kind of alarms going off by now," Lachlan said and slung an arm around Apollo's waist. The floor they were walking on was dry for now, thank the gods.
"How did you find me?" Apollo asked, his mouth too dry and his legs still too weak.
