He laughs, the sound echoing off the chamber walls. “Low? I’d say I’ve risen quite high. The Blood Assembly, the witch covens – all of it will be mine. And the best part?” His eyes glitter with malice. “You helped make it happen.”
My blood runs cold as the pieces click into place. The intelligence leaks, the security breaches – they were too perfect, too convenient.
“Half the information you presented to Arabella was complete bullshit.” He chuckles. “When she examined it, she’d find the holes. Which led her to question anything your people presented.”
“You played her.”
He shrugs. “She should have been smarter.”
A commotion erupts from the main hall.
A blast of magic rocks the chamber, nearly knocking me off my feet. Through the smoke and debris, I catch sight of Valerian materializing near Lucien. Their eyes meet in silent communication before Valerian unleashes a beam of red light that fills the room.
“No!” I lunge forward, but an unseen barrier forces me back. My fist connects with the invisible wall, sending shockwaves of pain up my arm.
Through the dark energy field, I watch helplessly as Lucien draws a circle in the air with his fingertip. A trail of light marks the path, glowing brightly. The air hums unnaturally as he activates it. A portal begins to form behind him.
“You can’t save them all, Marcus,” he taunts, backing toward the swirling vortex.
My chest tightens as Kara’s face flashes through my mind.
The portal pulses as Lucien steps through. I throw myself against the barrier again, but Valerian’s magic holds firm. By the time Marina and Morgan break through his spell, the portal has collapsed.
I slam my fist into the wall, cracking the stone. “He’s going back to the gallery!”
“No!” Lake chokes out as he reaches us. “No, the girls are there. My wife!”
Kara.
He’s going back there…and Kara’s going to run right into him.
22
Chapter 22
Kara
TheserviceentranceofThe Meridian feels wrong. Evil pulses through the walls, making my skin crawl. I press my hand against the cool metal door, sensing the layers of protection spells woven into the building’s structure.
“There’s something different about the magic here,” Mia whispers, her face pale in the dim light. “It’s not just vampire magic. Someone’s been experimenting with dark rituals.”
Soren unfolds the blueprints Selene provided, spreading them across a nearby crate. “The holding cells are two levels down. There’s a service elevator that bypasses the main gallery floors, but it’ll be heavily guarded.”
Mom’s fingers trace intricate patterns in the air, weaving protective wards around our group. The magic settles over us like a second skin, familiar and comforting.
“I’ve got us covered,” Zephyra murmurs. The air around us shifts, creating a bubble of silence that will mask our movements. Her control over the winds never fails to impress me.
Rowan suddenly grabs my arm. “Guards,” she hisses. “Two vampires approaching from the east corridor.”
I flatten myself against the wall, heart pounding. I catch fragments of the guards’ conversation – something about rotation schedules and security protocols.
“They’re heading away from us,” Rowan confirms after a moment. “But there are more inside. I can sense their thoughts – they’re on high alert.”
“The blueprints show three possible routes to the lower levels.” Soren points to different paths. “We should split up—”
“No,” Mom cuts him off. “We stay together. We can’t risk getting separated in here.”
I nod, knowing she’s right. The foul magic pulsing through this place makes me want to keep everyone close. Whatever Lucien’s been doing here, it’s twisted the natural order of things.
