Vampire Emeritus (Part #3) ✔

Chapter 37: No Way Out

Frantically, I turned around, half-expecting someone to attack us right now. Then, I glanced at Ian, my eyes widening. Has he known we would end up here? Has he done it on purpose?

"You..." I squeezed out. "Did you know this is where we were going?"

"Yes." Ian walked ahead, not even sparing a glance in my direction. "The way out is through here."

"Ian!" I buried my feet into the red carpet. "You said you wouldn't fight him!"

"And I won't!" He faced me, the blue now covered the whites of his eyes. "This is the closest way out! There's too many doors in all other directions."

Sounds reached my ears from above; shooting, fighting, shouting. We were getting closer to the surface. The claustrophobia ceased, replaced by a very real fear. Perhaps we wouldn't die inside this lair, but we just might die on our way out.

"Come on." Ian moved through the room and checked the doors, but the severed hand worked on none of them.

"I can't believe you came down here on your own." I pursed my lips.

"It's a good thing I have you as my shadow." Ian put the black box next to the door.

I scanned the map in my hands. To his credit, he truly tried to take down the door that didn't lead towards Vilmus's chambers, but around them.

"You went in here blindly." I shook my head, anger remerging. "You had no idea what awaited in here, yet you came here alone without telling me."

"I knew you'd follow me." Ian's fingers shook as he messed with the wires on the black box. "I just wanted to get this over with before you got yourself in trouble."

"Oh, you condescending bastard." I chuckled, the sound humourless. "I only came here because I knew you'd need my help."

"Goddammit, Chloe!" Ian palmed the floor and faced me, the blue illness danced in his eyes, devouring the whites and the pupils. "How many times do I have to explain myself?"

I crossed my hands on my chest, "You didn't explain yourself, exactly. You keep talking, but you're not actually saying anything."

Ian sat on the floor and wiped the sweat off his forehead, his hands trembling. The muscles in his shoulders and neck tensed as he looked at me, slight desperation shining in his eyes.

"I can't tell you." He spoke.

My chest squeezed.

"Why not?" I whispered.

"Because I'll scare you off." Ian sighed. "You're so damn young, Chloe. You don't want the weight of knowing how I feel on your shoulders."

I swallowed my heartbeat, "That's not true. I'm way more terrified of how I feel."

Ian glanced at me, "We need to get out of here."

Disappointment slammed into me, hard.

"Fine." I looked away. "Blow up the door."

Ian returned to the box and changed the timer. Right as he was about to stand up, the door on the sides of the hallway opened, revealing guards dressed in black standing on each side.

Ian and I jumped up at the same time, meeting back to back in the middle of the room. I dropped the duffel bag on the floor and took out the guns. Ian grabbed the stake.

My grip tightened around the gun in the back of my pants. I took in the cultists. There was nine or ten of them, all heavily armed, sneers curling their lips, anger shining in their eyes. They circled us in tandem.