A Bond of Blood (A Shade of Vampire #9)(15)

But somehow, that just wasn’t as important as leaving with Eli and Adelle.

I also knew that I’d likely end up a prisoner again, dead, or worse. But, as crazy as it was to realize, I still preferred to take the risk than just continue sitting in The Shade.

I felt guilty for betraying my brother. I knew he’d want to go, but he wouldn’t have wanted me going. So I just couldn’t tell him. There was no time to argue with him and I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

My heartbeat quickened as I thought of Caleb. What had been a sore nerve was now a throbbing bruise.

I realized now more than anything why I had such an urge to come for myself. And it was more than discovering what had become of my parents.

I wanted answers. I wanted to hear them directly from that vampire’s own mouth.

And I wasn’t going to stop hunting that boy down until I got them.

Chapter 15: Rose

We couldn’t have arrived soon enough. When the submarine halted, I breathed out a sigh of relief. I’d been trapped in that narrow trunk for hours, and the air was becoming heavier from lack of oxygen.

But even though we had stopped moving, I dared not budge yet. I heard footsteps overhead. Someone was coming down the steps.

The door unlatched and footsteps approached. Eli, I assumed. Perhaps he was looking for weapons. My breathing quickened. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the lid to open and Eli to discover me.

But just as hands clamped down on the box, there was a pause and then he stepped away, moving toward the right of me. I heard the clanking of wood and clinking of metal.

Eli had noticed the weapons in the corner just in time before he opened the chest. After a few more seconds of rummaging, the footsteps retreated and the door clicked shut again. The chest must have been thick enough to contain the sounds of my breathing, even to Eli’s sensitive ears.

I waited several minutes more until I could no longer detect footsteps above me. I heard the hatch opening and closing, the sound reverberating around the metal frame of the submarine.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the trunk and climbed out. I tried to stand up, but I crumpled to the floor. My legs had fallen asleep. I waited for the pins and needles to fade before getting to my feet again.

Bending down, I sifted through the weapons. I picked out two small stakes, a dagger, and a UV-ray gun. After checking that the gun was loaded, I scooped up a handful of extra bullets and poured them into my pocket. I fastened the weapons to the belt in my jeans and then left the room.

I crept upstairs and climbed up the ladder toward the hatch. Taking a deep breath, I pushed it open slowly, just enough for me to peek through.

We were back on Caleb’s icy island.

Even as I climbed out, I couldn’t help but feel confused as to how we had gained entrance so easily. Caleb had told me that there were heavy spells protecting this place, and I’d barely felt any turbulence. I could only assume that either Adelle was a more powerful witch than we had thought or they were now welcoming visitors.

I lowered myself down the side of the vessel until my feet landed on the jetty. I shivered as a harsh wind whipped past me, and pulled my collar up. I wished that I had had time to bring warmer clothes. I was still dressed to suit The Shade’s temperate climate: a t-shirt covered by a light sweater and jeans. My shoes were made of light cotton—the freezing snow was already seeping through them.

I hurried away from the harbor and dove into the first patch of shrubbery I came across. I looked around, squinting as I tried to detect even the slightest movement.

On seeing and hearing nothing, I hurried into the woods. I kept off the main path, sprinting from one tree trunk to the other and pausing to look around each time.

I managed to reach the end of the forest without bumping into anyone. However, when I looked up at the mountain upon which the castle was perched, I swore.

I was now in clear view of anyone who happened to look out of the front windows. And I had forgotten how high up the building really was. These shoes I was wearing hardly had any more grip than the slippers I’d worn during a walk with Caleb.

But now wasn’t the time for second thoughts.

I wondered where Adelle and Eli would be right now—whether Adelle would have been able to transport them directly inside the castle with her magic.

I began climbing the steps. Although I was sweating after barely a fifth of the way up, I kept going, my breathing more painful with each step I took.

My main worry throughout the ascent was that someone would notice me. I was wearing dark clothes amidst all this crisp white snow.

A quarter of the way up, I stopped, my eyes wide with terror. The creak of heavy doors echoed down through the cold air. I dropped to the ground, spreading myself out flat against the steps. I gathered up snow and tried to cover myself with it. I crawled to the edge of the staircase and looked down. There was a small overhanging ledge a couple of feet down. My heart hammering in my chest, I lowered myself down onto it. I gasped at how high up I was, and how narrow this ledge felt now that I was perched on it. I shuffled myself as far away from its edge as possible.

Now I just have to hope whoever has exited the castle doesn’t stop short at the scent of my blood.

After covering myself with snow, I closed my eyes. I barely dared breathe as I waited for the vampire to pass by. Quick footsteps grew louder and louder. The moment the vampire was level with me, I sat bolt upright.

It was Frieda, the ebony-skinned vampire Caleb had instructed to bring me food while I’d been staying in the castle.