The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Golden Hind

CHAPTER TEN

"Rouge?" A desperate, angry, snarl boomed in the silence of their prison. The hinds heart began to hammer so hard in her chest that she was sure her rib cage would break. goosebumps travelled over her body as she began to tremble.

"She's down here," Kaia shouted back, her voice breaking as she felt adrenaline surge through her. It had to be the witch's vampire, her Raphael. One way or another, this was her way out; either he would kill her, or she would escape with them. She could just make out what she thought were hands pulling on the bars above. The hands disappeared, she jumped as a deafening crash filled the air. Another crash and the bars shattered showering bits of the metal down on them as she did her best to shelter the unconscious witch from the falling fragments. Several scratched at her bare skin. A huge black form filled the tiny window and dropped the twenty feet to the floor in front of their fallen rocks.

"Everyone follow Raphael, now!" Someone with a velvety, deep voice shouted from above, something about the voice made shivers run up Kaia's spine despite not knowing the word's meaning. Those few words had made a million tiny hands tickle at her spine. For a moment she forgot where she was and what was happening as that voice washed over her.

Her eyes flicked back to watch the dark silhouette stand up from the floor, another shiver ran up her spine, only this one wasn't as pleasant a feeling. He was huge and terrifying; anger radiated from him in waves; she could smell the metallic scent of blood. The deer in her wanted to run, always her first instinct in the face of danger. was this the gentle lover the witch had described? This huge, bloodied mass of seething rage?

"Rouge. Rouge, you need to wake up. He's here. He came for you." She prayed she was right, and this was the witch's vampire and not even more trouble. Although she couldn't imagine what else could be more trouble than a cold, damp prison for centuries. What if it was the vampire? Would he kill Kaia for letting his witch get sick? A part of her hoped he would; she didn't know how to do it herself. The huge man dropped to his knees next to where Rouge lay in Kaia's arms and stroked her face. Her skin was hot and clammy to his touch.

"Rouge?" he whispered. 

"She's ill." Replied Kaia weakly, her voice trembling with fear and excitement. He glanced at her, then turned his attention back to his bride. One by one, others landed behind the vampire in the cramped prison, all huge, and terrifying to the overwhelmed hind. The thud of each landing made the doe jump; after silence for so long, so much noise in her tiny cell was overwhelming. Adrenaline was coursing through her wasted muscles. She had not expected the vampire to have friends, but then the witch had talked about his brothers. She tried to remember their names. Maybe the vampire brothers were as close as she had been with her sisters. They would have died for each other; she didn't want to live now knowing they were gone. Perhaps the vampires felt the same and had all risked death to save their brother's bride. Would they stop her from following them out of this place? They must have a way out, why would they come only to trap themselves? She hadn't thought of him bringing people, this could destroy her chance of escape.

Kaia watched in an oddly excited yet fearful silence as something small and glowing dropped through the opening and landed on the ground with a crunch. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion to the hind. Purple vapers swirled slowly up and started to form the glowing disc of a portal. She'd seen something like this before; it was something like that glowing disc that had brought her here in the beginning, which meant this glowing disc could get her out of here. As the portal formed the light grew too bright for the doe's now sensitive eyes, she squinted trying to see as Raphael scooped Rouge into his arms and without waiting for the others, leapt through it, she thought she could see others following him. It was so bright, she couldn't make out anything. She needed to make a run for it.

Panicking she'd miss her chance she was on the verge of shifting forms and making a lunge towards the portal when someone moved between her and the glow, holding his hand out to her and blocking some of the glare from the doorway with his body.

"Coming with us?" Kaia didn't know what he said, and it wasn't the velvety voice from before, but the tone wasn't aggressive, and he didn't grab at her. With a deep breath, she took his hand as she squinted in the purple light of the portal, relief and fear both flooded her. Gently, he tugged her to her feet, and she let herself be pulled through the portal. Whatever waited to greet her on the other side couldn't be worse than languishing in this hole for another day. Her last thought as the purple light enveloped her was how warm the hand she gripped felt compared to her icy one.