“Adrian,” he blurts out. “My name is Adrian.”
“How long have you been trapped here?” I ask.
The pain is his eyes is real, and it only makes me more worried. “I… I don’t know. Time is meaningless here.”
“Do you remember how you ended up here?”
He pulls his hair back and stares into nothing. “Punishment.”
“My name is Manu, and this is Karl, my mate.”
A ripple of pleasure rolls down my spine. It’s been so long since I’ve heard her say those words that it does my head in. I want to push her against the wall and kiss her again, and again.Hell. Why am I getting hit by this lust in front of a stranger? This isn’t normal, especially after I just spent God knows how many hours—maybe even days—making love to Manu.
“I know it’s not the best of circumstances, but it’s nice to meet you. I haven’t had company in a while.”
“Wait, are there other people trapped here?” I ask.
He nods. “Yes, I reckon thousands, maybe more. I’ve only met a few. Some were too lost already and didn’t even see me.”
“How did you find us?” Manu asks.
The corners of his lips twitch up. “You weren’t being very subtle. I heard you from miles away.”
A growl lodges in my throat, and my fangs descend. Manu touches my wrist, a subtle gesture that works like a charm to diffuse part of my aggression.
“And that explosion we heard? What was that?” she asks.
Adrian’s eyes grow troubled. “That wasn’t me. Nothing good comes whenever I hear that sound. It means we need to move.”
I still don’t trust this man, but I agree with him that we need to move. Our current location isn’t safe. We walked into a self-made trap. We’d better get out before a predator finds us.
We follow Adrian out of the alcove, and it depresses me to see that the landscape is still as barren as ever and the mist lingers, rendering visibility beyond a few paces from us null. I hate this place. How could I have considered for even a moment staying here forever?
Anotherboom, much louder this time, shakes the ground. Manu falls into my arms, and we both stagger backward, trying to remain upright. Adrian’s reflexes must be top-notch, because he barely reacts to the earthquake.
“We need to make haste. It’s coming closer,” he says. “Follow me and try not to get lost.”
He takes off, quickly disappearing from view. Shit. I grab Manu’s hand, and together we step into the unknown, following a man who could very well lead us to our deaths.
Thirty-One
CHERYL
ELLNESARI, PRESENT DAY
Heidi was taken to another room in the manor, and we haven’t seen her in three days. But from time to time, we hear her screams. On the first day, she begged for Freya, but the fuckers only allowed her friend to join Heidi the following day.
I’m anxious and can’t keep still. “This is madness. How is she still in labor?” I ask no one in particular as I pace the room.
“Indy will help her. I know he will,” Lana replies.
Oh good grief. Lana’s infatuation with Lord Indigo is annoying and nauseating. I can’t believe she’s that blind to the evilness of his character—not only his, but all these motherfuckers who are keeping us here.
“If he could help her, he’d have done it by now. Aren’t the Nightingales supposed to have great powers?”
“I don’t think they have the knowledge to help vampire females during birth,” a brunette vampire who hasn’t spoken much since I arrived replies.
“How much different can it be from Nightingale pregnancies?”
