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The large house came into view, and I raced under low hanging washing lines pegged with dresses and shirts.
My heart stammered to a stop when I reached the entrance, the door hanging off its hinges. I quietened my breathing, but no sounds came from within. Goosebumps spread over my arms, the hairs standing erect on the back of my neck as I realized, the whole thing with Avyanna had been a trap to distract us.
We sped inside, the house eerily quiet as not even a breath was detected. They were gone. All five of them. Including Astor.
ELEVEN
Olivia
“Areyousurethisis the best idea?” I asked Erianna and Anna.
The grimy brick walls of the alleyway closed in around me as I stood in front of the door of the Malum Dominor headquarters, the scent of stale beer and cigarettes heavy in the air. “We should have told Sebastian and Zach we were leaving. What if they come back and find us gone?”
Erianna clasped Anna’s hand in hers, her warm smile having a calming effect on my building nerves. “Azia will let them know we’re safe.”
I relaxed a little and nodded. Azia was at the house, ensuring Astor didn’t escape, although I had to wonder if he would try after everything he told me. If Salenia found out Astor tried to aid me, including back in the south when we were captured, then he was as good as dead. “Anna,” I said hesitantly, listening to her mortal heart pounding loudly in her chest. “Are you sure about this? It’s not too late for us to take you back.”
Her lips curved into a timid smile, her delicate nose and chin giving her a softness that was echoed in her gentle expressions. “I am certain.”
I nodded, my heart beating faster and my mouth going dry. I hated her bring out here, with vampires prowling every corner, but I supposed she was used to it, living here with Zach.
The sound of countless bags rustling in the breeze and distant chatter from the crowds in the main street chorusing the air, filled my ears, overwhelming my senses. Tension rose in my chest and my shoulders tensed. I curled my fingers into my palm and squeezed until the tips of my nails bit into my skin, drawing a small amount of blood. I kept my eyes closed, trying to steady my breathing.
Erianna tapped twice on the door, and a smaller door of metal grated open, a pair of eyes glaring out from the small, square opening. She whispered the password, then the door opened.
I blinked at the green light of the hallway leading inside. A suited man stepped out of the way as Erianna walked inside with Anna.
I followed them, bracing myself to meet the infamous Salvor, when I felt Sebastian’s fear pulse through our bond. My throat closing as I gasped for air, a sizzling panic overwhelming me. I succumbed to the grief, piercing me from out of nowhere, but I remained rooted to the spot. Something was wrong. “Wait,” I spluttered as my mouth caught up with my racing mind. Erianna glanced over her shoulder, her black braid swinging between her muscly shoulder blades, and I caught my breath. “It’s the bond. Sebastian. Something’s wrong.”
That was an understatement, as pain tore through the bond, ripping my emotions into shreds. My heart thumped, my chest tightening as if my rib cage were a python, slowly squeezing any breath from my body. My fingers trembled as I pressed my sweaty palms together, and I tried to steady my racing thoughts. “They’re in danger.”
Sweat beaded my body, despite the cool air, and Anna’s brown eyes shone under the green hue. Erianna whirled into action. She unsheathed her dagger with one hand and grabbed Anna's arm with the other. She ran out the open door, her leather boots pounding against the ground. “Take Anna back to the house,” she ordered. “Tell Azia what you felt. I’ll try to find them.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but she was already gone, her citrus fragrance still lingering around us. I struggled to shut out Sebastian’s fear. Everything in me broke as I walked in slow motion, wanting nothing more than to go to him. But Erianna was gone, and I didn’t know where they were.
If I left Anna here, she’d be fed on in an instant. Still in my disguise, from Azia’s spell, I didn’t worry about braving the main roads of the city, despising the cheers for Salenia ringing around us. We shouldn't have left, attempting to make plans behind their backs. Erianna insisted Malum Dominor could help us, and Azia said the sorceress Sebastian and Zach were meeting would give us more insight on our next steps.
Yet, my intuition kept nudging me that something was wrong. I wanted to kill Salenia, to set Sebastian and others free of their grisly fates in the underworld, but this wasn't how to go about.
“Is Zach okay?” Anna asked, desperation clinging to each word as I hurried us along.
“I don’t know,” I admitted tearfully. “The bond doesn’t work like that. I can only feel what he does.”
We eventually arrived back at the house, each step feeling like an eternity. I stared at the door, swinging from its hinges, my mouth drying. “Stay behind me,” I warned, and hesitantly stepped inside. Anna grasped my wrist, her small squeeze an attempt to show me I wasn’t alone.
We moved stealthily, as Sebastian’s fear became more palpable.
“No!” Sebastian’s screamed echoed through the walls, pounding into my eardrums.
My eyes widened, my chest heaving as I looked up the dark staircase toward our room, listening to what sounded like fists pounding against wood. I raced up the stairs, and Anna struggled to keep up.
I found Sebastian hunched against our bedroom wall, Zach at his side, his head in his palms. His fist connected with the wall. “Sebastian, what’s wrong?”
He turned slowly, blinking several times as if I might not be real. A sigh of relief left his mouth, and he walked to me, tears running down his cheeks. He pulled me against his chest, cradling my head. I leaned into his tight embrace, placing my hand on his chest, willing calm into his body. After a few seconds, he pulled me at arm’s length, looking me up and down. “What’s wrong with me? Where were you?”
My brows furrowed. “I…. we went out. I’m sorry.”
Zach held Anna, who stroked his hair, then kissed him gently. “I’m okay,” she promised in a whisper, and I looked around the room. Sebastian shook his head. “You were gone and…”
