An End of Night (A Shade of Vampire #16)(20)

“Hello?” my father called out. When nobody responded, he called out again louder this time. Still no sign of anybody approaching.

“Micah said that we should have met one of the wolves by now,” I said.

“We just need to keep looking,” my father replied.

He pointed to the tunnel opposite us. I followed him as he crossed the chamber and entered through it. We passed along more twists and turns until we reached yet another, larger chamber. I could feel the damp of the walls, and it was colder here. I wondered how much further we would have to travel before we reached the center of the mountain.

“Hello?” we called out together.

Silence.

“Perhaps they are all out hunting,” I murmured.

My father seemed to be distracted by something in the corner of the chamber. I followed his gaze. He was staring at a dark form crumpled on the ground. We moved toward it cautiously. It was a werewolf—in human form. That meant that the sun had risen on the horizon outside. He was a dark-skinned man, thickly built. The expression on his face looked like he was in pain.

“Excuse me,” my father said, his mouth right above the man’s ear.

The werewolf didn’t budge. My father gripped one of his shoulders and shook him. Still no response.

“Odd,” he said.

We continued along another tunnel. The chamber we arrived in this time was filled with more werewolves—men and women alike, all strewn on the floor and unresponsive to anything my father and I did to wake them. We even tried applying heat to their skin. After checking their pulses, we were certain that they were not dead, just in some kind of profound sleep.

I glanced up toward the ceiling, noticing that there was a level above us, lined with a low stone railing.

“Hey,” I said suddenly.

“What?” my father asked, frowning.

“I swear I just saw something stir up there in the shadows,” I said.

My father headed straight for the wall beneath the spot I was staring at. The wall’s surface was rocky and jagged, allowing him to climb up toward the railing easily. He pulled himself over it with a thud and looked around.

“You see anything?” I asked.

I had barely finished my question when my father lurched forward and disappeared out of sight.

“Dad?” I said, holding my breath. “What’s happening?”

There was a struggle, grunting and gravel crunching, and then my father spoke. “It’s all right. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“No! Let me go!” The voice was young—it sounded like that of a boy.

“It’s all right,” my father repeated. “I don’t mean you any harm.”

I was about to begin climbing the wall myself to see what was going on when my father reappeared. He was holding the arm of a small boy who looked no older than six. The boy struggled against my father’s grip, but my father held on tight. The boy stopped suddenly when he saw me standing in the center of the chamber. His eyes widened. “You don’t smell like witches. What are you?”

“We are Novaks,” my father replied.

The boy wrinkled his nose. “Novaks?”

“We are here to help you,” I called up. “We promise. What’s your name?”

“Kyan.”

“Can you tell us what happened here, Kyan?” my father asked.

“A w-warlock came.” Kyan’s voice trembled as he spoke. “He took my mother and my brother, and he cast a spell on our whole pack.”

“A warlock?” my father asked, shocked.

“Yes. He’s locked himself in the chieftain’s quarters.”

“Can you take us there?” my father asked.

Kyan bit his lower lip. “I am afraid to go near.”

“Then tell us how to get there,” my father said. “We might be able to help your parents if you help us.”

“All right,” the boy said after a pause.

My father helped him onto his back before climbing back down to the floor to meet me. Kyan pointed to a tunnel to our right. “Go down that passageway,” he said. “It will lead you to another chamber surrounded by doors. The largest one is the entrance to the chieftain’s private quarters… I-I don’t know what the warlock wants with him.”

“Thank you.” My father looked at me grimly, then we left the boy and followed his directions.

Indeed, we did arrive in a chamber filled with rounded oak doors and we stopped outside the tallest one.

“Warlock,” I breathed. “Who could that be?”

My father pressed an ear against the door and raised a finger to his lips. I pressed my head against the wood too and joined him in listening.

My heart skipped a beat as I picked up on a familiar voice, deep and masculine.

Rhys.

Chapter 13: Sofia

I was both relieved and surprised when my daughter and husband came climbing down the mountain so soon after they had left. I’d expected them to be much longer.

“What happened?” I asked, running forward as they approached, still invisible.

“We’ve got a problem,” Derek said.

“What?” Kiev asked.

We all gathered around them.

“Rhys Volkin,” my daughter replied. “He’s within the mountain. He has taken the chieftain hostage.”