The Blackwood Curse

Chapter 32

Sarah's POV

The weight of everything Zeke had revealed pressed heavily on my chest, yet I couldn't let it show. Not here, where the walls had eyes, and secrets bled into every shadow.

I stood at the edge of the grand staircase, gazing down into the dimly lit foyer. The silence was deafening, broken only by the faint crackle of the fireplace in the parlor below. Eren had left hours ago, summoned by Victor for some urgent family matter. It was a temporary reprieve, but I knew it wouldn't last. Axel's words from the night before still echoed in my mind, mingling with Zeke's revelations.

The Blackwoods were tied to something supernatural. My parents were sacrificed. And now, the women I had helped escape were my aunts-living, breathing fragments of a past I barely understood.

I needed to see them.

My fingers tightened around the phone in my hand. Zeke had arranged everything. A car would be waiting for me at the estate's outer gate in less than an hour. But first, I had to get out without drawing attention.

I turned back toward the hallway, the soft rustle of my footsteps muffled by the thick carpet.

As I reached the door, a familiar voice called softly behind me.

"Sarah."

I froze, my hand hovering over the doorknob. Slowly, I turned to see Axel emerging from the shadows at the end of the corridor. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his dark eyes glinted with something unreadable.

"What are you doing out here so late?" he asked, his tone casual but his gaze sharp.

"I could ask you the same," I replied, keeping my voice steady.

He approached, his movements fluid and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey. "Couldn't sleep," he said, stopping a few feet away. "Too much on my mind."

I crossed my arms, trying to mask my unease. "Same."

Axel studied me for a moment, his eyes searching mine. "You were leaving, weren't you?"

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. I opened my mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn't come.

"Don't bother lying," he said, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "I know you too well, you're going to meet zeke and your aunts."

I glanced down the hallway, my mind racing. If Axel knew, how long before Eren did too? My escape plan was unraveling before it had even begun.

"How do you know?" I asked, my voice sharper than intended.

Axel's expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "Because you're walking into something you don't understand. The Blackwoods won't let you go so easily, Sarah. And if Eren finds out..." He trailed off, the unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air.

"I'm not afraid of Eren," I said, though the tremor in my voice betrayed me.

Axel stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You should be."

The intensity in his gaze sent a shiver down my spine. For a moment, we stood in tense silence, the weight of unspoken truths hanging between us.

Finally, Axel sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If you're set on leaving, you'll need my help."

I frowned, taken aback. "Why would you help me?"

"Because I can't let you face this alone," he said, his voice softening. "And because I owe you the truth."

My heart pounded in my chest. "What truth?"

Axel hesitated, his eyes flickering with a mix of hesitation and resolve. "Not here. Follow me."

He turned and began walking down the hallway, his steps purposeful. Against my better judgment, I followed, my curiosity outweighing my caution.

Axel led me to a hidden passage I hadn't seen before, concealed behind an ornate tapestry. We descended a narrow staircase that seemed to spiral endlessly into the depths of the mansion.

At last, we emerged into a small, dimly lit chamber. The walls were lined with shelves filled with ancient tomes and artifacts that radiated an unsettling energy. In the center of the room stood a large wooden table, its surface covered in old, weathered documents.

"What is this place?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"The Blackwoods' archive," Axel said, moving to the table. "This is where they keep their most guarded secrets. And this"-he picked up a leather-bound journal-"belonged to your mother."

My breath caught in my throat as I stepped closer, my eyes fixed on the journal. The leather was worn, the edges frayed, but her name was unmistakable, embossed in gold lettering on the cover.

"My mother..." I whispered, my hands trembling as I reached for the journal.

Axel watched me carefully. "She knew more about the Blackwoods than anyone realized. She tried to protect you, Sarah, but she paid the price for it."

I opened the journal, my eyes scanning the pages filled with my mother's elegant handwriting. The entries detailed her growing suspicions about the Blackwoods, her fear for our family, and her desperate attempts to uncover the truth.

"She suspected we were performing rituals," Axel said, his voice low. "But she didn't know how deep it went until it was too late."

Tears blurred my vision as I read the final entry: "If you're reading this, Sarah, it means I failed to protect you. But you must be strong. The Blackwoods' power is rooted in darkness, and only you can break the cycle."

I closed the journal, my hands shaking. "Why are you showing me this?"

Because I care about you more than you realize." Axel said, his voice filled with quiet intensity.

His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotion. I met his gaze, my heart torn between gratitude and fear.

"Thank you," I said softly.

Axel nodded, stepping back. "You'll need to leave soon if you want to reach your aunts. But be careful, Sarah. The Blackwoods won't let you go without a fight."

I swallowed hard, the weight of his warning sinking in. "I will.".

The weight of the journal in my hands was both comforting and suffocating. It tethered me to my mother's courage, her defiance, but it also reminded me of her fate. Her warnings felt like whispers from the past, urging me to act, to escape before the Blackwoods consumed me too.

I closed my eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply, trying to steel myself. But when I opened them, Axel was still there, watching me with that same piercing gaze. His dark eyes seemed to drink in every detail of my face, searching for something I couldn't name.

"Sarah," he said, his voice a low murmur.

Before I could respond, Axel stepped closer, closing the space between us. The room seemed to shrink, the air thickening with a tension that was both suffocating and electric.

"I need you to understand something," he continued, his tone soft but laced with urgency. "I didn't just help you because I owe you the truth, or because it's the right thing to do."

His hands moved slowly, deliberately, until they rested on my waist. His touch was firm yet gentle, grounding me in the moment. My heart thundered in my chest, a wild, chaotic rhythm that matched the intensity in his eyes.

"I helped you because I care about you," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "More than I should. More than I'm allowed to."

His confession sent a jolt through me. I tried to step back, to create distance, but his grip tightened, holding me in place-not forcefully, but with a quiet, unyielding determination.

"Axel," I said, my voice shaky. "This isn't-"

"It is," he cut me off, his gaze never wavering. "You feel it too, don't you? That pull between us?"