His bright blue eyes pierced me, making me feel completely exposed, while a smirk curved his plump lips. With a jawline as sharp as a freshly honed blade and eyebrows pulled down in a determined frown, his face was a mask of resolute intensity.
“Hello, Vincent.” The smooth tones of his voice, reminiscent of his father’s, were punctuated by a relaxed, almost careless, delivery. “May I show you to your quarters?”
Hesitantly, I nodded, but my heart would not stop fluttering as he put his hand on my back to lead me out of the chamber.
Chapter Twelve
Keeping my head down in the dimly lit hallway, I noticed the worn carpet, its faded stars and planets barely visible against the dusty purple background. It was familiar in a way, something that was hiding in my memories I couldn’t pinpoint. Silently, Jude led me down a series of dark hallways. The small lights in the walls flickered, casting dancing shadows down each corridor.
We passed numbered doors until we reached the last labeled with a large number one. A grimy, empty glass counter stretched to my left, its only feature a strange contraption about an arm’s length long, bearing the ghosts of faded, peeling labels. A second glass box stood adjacent to the first, its metal bucket hanging motionless, reflecting the sterile gleam of the surroundings. We found ourselves amidst a silent graveyard of machines, their decaying metal hinting at where we were.
Outside the prison, I turned and saw a faded sign above the entrance, with lines of dead lightbulbs circling it. A marquee of faded, almost illegible letters from the last film hung below. “A movie theatre?”
“I guess that’s what they were called back in the day.” Jude shrugged and followed my gaze.
“Wh-where are we?” I spun in a circle, taking in my surroundings. Straight ahead, a long hallway lay directly ahead with two men standing guard before a heavily bolted door, while the opposite end opened into a spacious area.
“It’s where we live and are safe from the vampires and Dogs. We call this place Silvertown after the village that was here before your kind took over.”
My kind? This guy really knew how to get under my skin.
I nodded slowly, a nervous sweat on my brow. I remembered Silvertown from before The Great World War; my father and I used to drive through it, but I didn’t necessarily want Jude to know that. His scrutinizing side-eye made me uneasy. I didn’t know if I could trust him.
“Years ago, the original Unicorns converted this large abandoned building into our home.” He looked toward the upper levels and shrugged. “It may not be pretty, but it’s all we have.”
We walked in silence, a noticeable gap between us, yet close enough where he could easily catch me if I wanted to run away. On either side, doorways lined the hallway, each secured by heavy metal bars which looked cold and forbidding in the dim light. With no one around, I scanned the shadowed area beyond the gates, straining my eyes, but saw no one. One doorway, draped with a darkened rainbow of fabrics, hung in a grimy window, hinting at the treasures within.
Where am I? What is this place?
I followed Jude, who had his chin high and arms swinging rhythmically, taking long strides, the ground firm beneath his feet. His confident stance made me acutely aware of my own posture—I was walking with my arms defensively crossed, as if anticipating an ambush or a sudden attack. I focused on mybreathing, trying to slow my pulse, but the anxiety remained a heavy weight on my chest. Regardless, I was a kidnapped prisoner for an unknown enemy group.
Ahead, the hallway opened into a brightly lit space, a visible contrast to the dim, shadowy corridor we were leaving behind. Vivid colors exploded before me, jolting my senses awake. Sunlight streamed through the large skylight, illuminating the vibrant green leaves of the plants and trees reaching toward the light. It reminded me of the center of Elysium near Smoke.
Jude paused, his eyes flickering to the light above, then to me. “Can you?—”
“—Go into the light?” I knew what he was going to ask. What an idiot.
He nodded, looking genuinely curious.
I raised an eyebrow. “What are some things youhumansthink about vampires? I’dloveto know.”
“Just what we’ve been told throughout the years and in stories.” He shrugged. “Things like they suck blood, can live forever, cannot be in the light, have hypnotic powers, and sleep in coffins. I’ve even heard rumors they can sparkle, although I don’t know how or when that would happen.”
Hypnotism? Give me a break.
I stifled a giggle at the sparkle comment, thinking about Gabe. “It sounds like I have a lot to teach you aboutmy kind.” I rolled my eyes and let out a heavy breath. “Vampires are not like the terrible beings in myths, although we share some similarities. We age differently from humans and need blood to survive. The only truth to the rumors is that we cannot be in the light for long periods. But most misconceptions around vampires were completely made-up for entertainment purposes.”
“What about fangs?” He pulled back his lip, baring his teeth. “You do have fangs, right?”
I shook my head and lifted my lips. “Not me, but everyone else does.”
“So…you’re different?”
I nodded and shrugged. “And to answer your initial question, I also can go into the light without being hurt.”
He narrowed his gorgeous blue eyes, intensely fixing on my face as if to gauge my honesty.
We walked toward the bright light, its warmth beckoning, and my body ached for the sun’s embrace. Jude’s intense gaze on me, and a slight smirk played on my lips as I stepped into the warm sunlight.
