Deathtrap (Crossbreed #3)(73)
“You haven’t seen anything yet, lass.”
Without wind, the temperature underground was tolerable. In front of us, Niko made no attempt to conceal his two katanas beneath his black coat like he usually did. He wore them affixed to his back. Blue kept pace with him, her midnight-blue cloak covering the tops of her tall boots. She’d drawn the hood over her head to conceal her long hair, probably for the best. Christian and I were in the rear, with Viktor and Shepherd up front.
“Did you live down here or topside?” I asked.
Christian glanced behind us before answering. “Both. Neither offered privacy, which is why I have a little house in the woods.”
“You mean cellblock eight?” I quipped.
He suddenly grabbed my sleeve and pulled me to a stop. “Keep your eyes low.”
“Superstitious immortals?”
“Not just that. In our line of work, you always want to avoid anything that makes you stand out in a crowd. Think about when we first met in the bar and how later it took you a minute to recognize me. People tend to ignore hair and clothing, because those are things you can change. Down here, people pay attention to eyes, tattoos, and scars. If we run into a tangle with any of these shitebags, you don’t want them putting a bounty on your head. And a girl with a blue eye and a brown one isn’t so hard to find. Make yourself forgettable.”
“What about Niko? He’s got a distinctive eye color for his race.”
“He’s also learned a lot in his long life. Notice how he always keeps his eyes low. It’s a submissive gesture.”
I snorted. “A man with two swords isn’t exactly the submissive type.”
“Most people arm themselves down here; they’ll just assume he carries them for show.”
“Maybe I should have worn contacts if it’s such a big deal.”
“Ever been punched in the eye while wearing a contact lens? There’s a reason most of us don’t wear those.” Christian tucked my necklace beneath my shirt. As if my hair wasn’t disheveled enough, he ran his fingers through it and scrunched it up. “Don’t smile at anyone.”
“Afraid they’ll see my fangs?” I punched them out just for effect.
Christian’s eyes hooded, and he stepped closer. “And don’t do that either.”
We stared at each other for a long moment, the air between us a degree warmer.
“Hurry up,” Blue shouted.
Christian turned on his heel, and we picked up the pace. When the tunnel branched, we turned right.
“Are there women down here?” I asked.
“Aye. Powerful women. So careful not to start any catfights.”
I nudged him. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t watch.”
“Make no mistake, Raven. The Vampires down here kill for sport. You look at someone the wrong way and they’ll cut your throat. Not everyone down here is a maniac, but laws don’t exist. No one will come to your rescue. Remember that.”
We reached the end of the tunnel and entered a wide elevator with a caged wall. Viktor switched a lever, and the mechanical parts slowly began to turn. The wall just outside the rusty bars moved upward, and when it disappeared, I gawked at the view below. It wasn’t just a maze of underground tunnels; it was a world. We were in an enormous cavern, stories high, that served as a gateway to numerous tunnels built into the walls. Some were above us and others below. Bridges made from wooden planks and ropes connected a few openings on opposite sides of the massive room. I pressed my forehead against the bars and gaped down at a river.
A Chitah scaled the wall with astonishing grace as he climbed to a higher tunnel. My hair stood on end when a wolf howled, the sound reverberating off the walls around us.
“Careful what you say,” Christian murmured. “Vampires down here use information to their advantage.” He lifted my chin with the crook of his finger. “Are you listening? Don’t get swept away by all this.”
The elevator came to a hard stop. I turned around to the opening to see a man lighting a pipe just outside. He ignored us as we circled around to the other side and approached one of those rickety bridges.
A man guarding the bridge held up his hand.
“Privet. We are here to see an old friend,” Viktor said.
The black-bearded man smiled. “Russian?”
“Tak tochno.”
“I thought as much. A fellow countryman.”
They immediately conversed in Russian, and I wished Gem were around to fill me in on what they were saying. Viktor showed the man his watch, and they spoke further. It looked like there was some bartering going on, though Viktor had cash in his wallet. Did money not matter in this place?
After Viktor gave him the watch, they shared a laugh, and the man let us pass. I picked my way across one plank at a time—some of them broken—holding on to the ropes for dear life as I stared past the large gaps in the wood. When my foot slipped through a loose board, Christian snaked his arm around my waist.
“I got it,” I said, my heart racing. Heights I had no problem with; water was another story.
Niko gripped the ropes, guided by Blue, who was talking him through each and every step.
Once we reached the other side, Viktor and Shepherd led the way through a tunnel carved from natural rock, and we all put distance between us again. Lanterns were affixed to the walls, light flickering on the uneven rock and water dripping from several crevices.