Bloody Curse | Book Two of Blood Trilogy

Chapter 42

Cameron

Caleb ran off after Aidan burst through the door with a crying Alexia in his arms. I grew worried and ran after the man. Aidan stayed put in the guards' chamber and sat down on a nearby sofa. He tried to calm the little girl as much as he could, but her cries and sniffles remained the same. Her heart pounding against her chest and I could hear how every beat slammed against her ribcage. 

I wanted to reach out to her and pull her in my arms but I reached the doorway and followed the captain's footsteps. He bolted straight for Violet's mother's room. 

I took the scene in before me and saw how Caleb instructed for her mother to take the Shadow straight into metal room and she followed him out the room. I was about to follow but then turned back around to see Asher on his knees and he was soothing his wife. Her face was drawn with pain and I wished I could help in any way, but there was nothing to do. The married couple seemed to be deep within each other's thoughts anyway. 

I sighed and stepped back. At the same time, Derek walked up behind me and grabbed onto my hand. He squeezed it reassuringly then nodded his head in the direction that Caleb had gone. I nodded to his suggestion and walked in silence. 

I was too busy being absorbed by the attack that happened behind the castle walls that I hadn't noticed where Derek was guiding me. He took me straight to a locked door that I haven't been to before. He knocked then it opened to his calling. 

We both strolled through and it shut behind us with a fellow guard standing next to the door. Before us was a winding staircase that led straight down beneath the surface. Dust picked up wherever we stepped. I followed behind Derek since he seemed familiar with this setting. I didn't question him about it but rather stayed quiet. 

My feet met with the ground and I looked at the old stone bricks that decorated the ceiling and walls. I snapped out of my trance when I heard Caleb's voice booming through another thick door. It was dark among all the other doors in this castle. 

A guard opened the door from the inside to allow us in. Derek didn't quite need to knock for them to acknowledge our attendance. 

The room was a perfect square. There was a single lightbulb hanging straight down the middle above a chair where the Shadow sat. Her eyes were flames but the maid's body looked exhausted from the attacking. I felt bad for the lady and just wanted to wish the Shadow away from the host's body but Caleb wasn't finished and I knew that. I also knew that Asher wouldn't want to leave without answers. 

Who knows when he would show up. He was still tending to Violet and her injuries and there was no way that he would forgive himself for ever leaving her alone again. I sighed and glanced at the metal floor. Violet was so lucky to have someone stand by her side despite the situation. I then looked up at my mate to see his eyes on me even though he was talking to Caleb. 

He was looking past the captain's shoulders and straight into my eyes. I cleared my throat then shifted to the corner of the room and waited for further instructions, which probably included Asher being there with us. 

Not too long after, Derek went to stand by my side in silence. The heat from his body radiated off him and I felt it on my right side, but we weren't quite touching. I just wanted to reach out and wrap my arms around him but the situation before us was more important. We had to deal with this Shadow and get something out of it. 

Caleb continued questioning it with a threatening voice but the lady's mouth did not crack open. I watched the captain stand and run his hand through his hair a million times. There must've been so much going through his mind and deep down, he must be stressing out about his wife yet he was busy and he had to carry out his duty as captain. 

A knock came loudly from the other side of the door and a steaming dark figure walked in. The shadows of this room made his eyes darken and more dangerous. His dark attire and clenched fists just told how much he wanted to defeat the Shadows once and for all. And how frustrated he was at always falling under their traps. 

He took long strides towards Caleb and stared at the Shadow the entire time. Behind him walked a similar figure. His dark eyes were glued on the back of his older brother's head and he waited for answers, so he saw where I stood and walked up to me. We exchanged a short glance and waited for the two men to decide on what to do. 

"Where does the Shadow go after you get rid of it from your mind?" Ash asked to Caleb. All our eyes were on him since he had been possessed by the monster before. He sighed and looked down. 

"I'm not sure. I think it just disappears. I never really noticed it at that point since I was so focused on chasing after Jill. It all happened so quickly." He mumbled then looked back up to face Ash. 

"Then how about we give it a try? We are trapped in a metal box. Hopefully, this Shadow can't escape." Asher announced then looked around the room into our eyes for confirmation. We weren't sure on what to do but there was nothing to fear. We are just here doing out duties. 

"Right. Then let's just get started." Caleb stated and took a deep breath. He raised his hand and drew his hand back but turned away. "I can't do it. To rid of the Shadow, there needs to be a hard impact on the head, but I can't hit a woman." He exclaimed. He definitely seemed troubled and I knew that every man in this room would struggle with the thought as well. I swallowed past the lump that grew in my throat. What are we going to do now? 

"Just do it?" I suggested. "Deep down, there's still a Shadow in there and I'm sure the maid would understand if we hit her." I whispered. There was nothing we could do. We had no other choice and I bit my tongue after spitting those terrible words. Hopefully, the woman would understand and not hate me. It was for a good cause. 

The men turned the heads away from the smack. The impact echoed in the metal room but the damage had been done. The Shadow stood before all of us in the lit room and the ghostly figure was haunting. Its red eye sockets burned into each and everyone's soul. The clicking captivating all our concentration. Only the smell was absent. 

I grew my fangs down in defense and noticed that every man in this room had as well. The woman's figure was slouched against the chair and her eyes were closed. I hoped that no damage had been done to her and wanted to let her out this room but the Shadow hovered right above her body. 

All men stood in a circle around this Shadow and it spun in the circle to face everyone. 

"Why have you come to attack you?" Asher demanded through gritted teeth. His hands were in tightly clenched fists and his fingers were tickling with flames to send this Shadow straight to Hell. 

There came a snicker then more clicks following straight after. The red eyes clashed with Ash's dark chocolate ones and they had a war within themselves. 

"Because our leader wants revenge." A deep demonic voice sounded. It growled then leashed out at Asher but he was faster. He put his hands before him and pushed the Shadow back with a ball of flames. It flew back against the wall and so the guards shifted to the king's side. 

It drifted back to the center of the room, over the lady's unconscious body, with a devilish smile. 

"Mistress Anabella has come to claim her throne and there is nothing you can do about it. You've gotten rid of her once, but now she's come with something that can never be defeated. There is nothing you can do as we have already surrounded this castle with our army." It continued with the coarse voice. 

I stopped breathing for a second and flickered my eyes over to Caleb and Asher and watched their reactions closely yet they had no change in facial expressions. Nothing scared them and they didn't falter one bit at the threat. 

"We've also been keeping a very close eye on your precious princess."