Walk Into The Light - Shadows of the Night 6

Chapter 2

Hi,

Chapter 2, book six! I still can't believe this is real. And yet, I'm excited for the new book and I hope you'll all like it! Let me know what you're thinking :-)

Lara

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Chapter 2

ANDY

The bike was still where I left it – a single piece of good news in a number of bad ones. It took me ten minutes to walk to the parking lot and I still had no idea where to start. Where would Vladislav take-

"Mr. Varner?"

I flew around, arms going up, magic on the point of tipping over and exploding from my hands. It was Giuliana. I exhaled.

So she hadn't vanished like the rest. I eyed her suspiciously. Anna's godmother had fought Heléna Bathoryn and she looked none the worse for wear. What happened after Vladislav disappeared?

"What happened to the witch, Bathoryn? Did you-?"

"She vanished with Vladislav. And no, I have no idea where they went, which is why I came to see you," she said.

I shook my head. "I don't know either where Vladislav took Anna. Hell, I don't even know how he vanished."

"But you must know something. What do you know, Mr. Varner?" she moved closer. There were shadows under her eyes and other small indicators of sleep deprivation. I could see that Giuliana too was exhausted. "This is your city."

I shook my head. "You're wrong. This isn't my city. It's Alexander's. And I'm pretty sure he's one of the few people in New York who might know where Vladislav could have gone to."

She nodded. "That's what I thought. Then we do have a starting point."

I arched a brow. "We?"

"I don't know you Andy Varner, but I know that you're Anna's friend and that she trusts you. We both want to save her. I might be able to help, but I can't do it alone," she said. "I need to talk to Alexander first."

Anna's godmother might not be someone I knew well enough to trust fully, but I had no other options or clues anyway. Besides, as a witch she was a powerful ally.

"Fine. Let's see if we can find the head vamp," I said, pointing to my motorbike. "Luckily for you, I have an extra helmet."

* * *

ANNA

This was Vladislav's head. That place he lived, breathed and thrived in. To me it was hell. It was crammed with an almost tangible darkness that seemed to be alive and growing. The stone walls threatened to be closing in, thrusting their gruesome paintings with the depiction of blood and death on me – as if they were showing one hundred ways of torture that could lead to my own death. And I wasn't alone in here.

There again. Something had moved – moved as if it was not distinct, but part of the shadows.

I squared my shoulders. I had looked into another kind of abyss before and survived, I would look again and face whatever was coming; then get out of here.

"Who's there?" My voice reverberated from the throne room's stone walls, if indeed, the parameters were still the same and I was still in there.

No one answered, the sounds of motion slowly retreating. I exhaled, breathing hard, then stared at the darkness, gripping my elbows. No more footsteps. Not a hint of another being or presence. With the absence of it, a bitter, hollow feeling of loneliness sunk in. The room was crammed with shadows that were thickening, growing with each second. Random sounds of silent, empty whispering that might have been only in my head ghosted through the darkening throne room.