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The two wolves limped after us, leaving the vampires they fought in pieces behind. Nina and Charlotte flanked either side of me as I ran through the tunnel, right into the heart of the shadows once more.
An alarmed bark echoed ahead.
I clung to Henry and doubled my pace, shouting, “Lucius!”
A responding bark assured me he was fine. We met him in the large room and followed him out of the exit tunnel, heading toward brimming daylight. Sweet, wonderful,warmdaylight.
We followed the train tracks to the rusty gate where Iver held it open with a wounded forehead. Concerned glances were shot in his direction as we darted through. None of us stopped until we reached the jeep. I hopped into the back while Charlotte jumped into the driver’s seat.
When Nina didn’t join us, I searched for her, locating her kneeling next to an injured Lucius. She waved for us to go ahead. Without hesitation, Charlotte started the jeep and hit the gas. The tires squealed against the pavement, bringing with it the smell of burned rubber.
And then the open air, the hot breeze, the scent of life invaded my nostrils, chasing away the awful stench of death.
I glanced down at Henry.
Though maybe we weren’t entirely clear of that smell just yet.
Chapter 18 - Charlotte
My cuticles ached from chewing on them. Every time I looked at the hospital bed, I didn’t see a child laying there. I saw my failure. And even though it took the form of a weak kid, it wounded me in ways I wasn’t sure I would ever recover from.
All my fault.The phrase circled through my brain like an announcement in an airport.Now paging Charlotte to Gate Guilt. Your flight is leaving soon. The more distance you put between you and Henry, the safer he is.
Worry nipped at me the same way I bit into my fingers. I watched Valerie treat Henry, easily alleviating the effects of the wolfsbane poisoning. Though color returned to his cheeks, the rest of him looked like a corpse. Veins pulsed black against his alabaster skin.
It made me shudder to think what the curse was doing to him.
Let the body continue to give life outside of the ritual circle.
He was still dying. We had to do the ritual.
Now.
Movement captured my attention. Adam sank into the right side of the bed, reaching for his son. Relief and concern warred on his face. Deep down, I ached to be the one to release him of those bonds. But I knew better than to step in.
Nina warned me not to get involved again. She hadn’t said that specifically, but I gathered as much from our recent chat. The fact that it had occurred just this morning blew my mind. Surely ages had passed since then. Why else did time drag on this way?
“Dad?” Henry coughed, his face reddening the more he strained through the fit. “Did I…?”
“Don’t talk, kiddo. You’re not doing so well.”
Henry reclined on the bed. “It sounds like fireworks in my head.”
Adam glanced at me. We were the only two left in the room yet it felt clogged with tension in here. I couldn’t read his features. Was he upset about Henry or me?
Or both?
“Yeah, I bet,” he said to his son. He turned back to Henry and tried to smile. “But you’ll be alright soon. I have someone coming to help.”
“I thought Valerie helped me.” Henry turned his tired gaze to me. His pupils widened with recognition, almost surprised by my presence. “Is it Charlotte?”
Adam stammered over a response. When he finally found the words, he said, “No, it’s… it’s your mother.”
“My mother?”
A vise gripped my heart. “Yeah, she said she would help. Isn’t that nice?”
Adam looked grateful for my input but just as alarmed as me by the way it was stated.
