Under Ground [1.]

🔸10🔸

The orange flame on the table was swallowing the darkness and illuminating our tense faces.

Gabriel was sitting reclined in the armchair with one foot on the table and the hand resting on his knees. Pretty uncomfortable.

"First, we have to find that stone, then we will-" He paused and began to tap on the wooden table with his slim fingers so his rings were making the sound similar to the ringing of an old bell.

He was looking at me through a row of his dense black eyelashes, while following every move that I did during the time I was trying to get comfortable in a chair.

"We have no time, they have already sent people down here looking for survivors. If they leave, there will be no opportunity for us to get out." I spoke after a few minutes of silence and caught his easygoing glance as he looked at me, and then turned his gaze to the candle that almost ran out of wax.

"We won't get out through that exit." He blew and the flame bent down dangerously only to come back to original position few seconds later.

"What? But that's the only way out!" I gasped and thought "Well, is he damn crazy?"

"No, it's a side exit and exit that is surrounded by vampires, and you'd be a real treat if you show up there." He shook his head as the sign that I should not protest and listen to him. Still, he's the only smart one here.

What an egoist.

"Where will we go out then?" I raised my eyebrows, arrogance burning my tongue.

"Through the hole where bats come in." He continued to tap on the table, making me widen my eyes in disbelief how he can be so calm.

"Bats? You mean those creatures that can fly, but don't have feathers." Nasty little creatures.

Once, one of them flew in through the opened window and broke everything I had on my desk. I barely could make it leave with the broom at the distance of two meters. And since that, I'm not opening that window.

"Yes." He rolled his eyes and finally stopped with irritating tapping on the table. I thought I would lose my mind.

"No way. I'm scared of bats."

"It's the only way out." He started to argue with me, slightly leaning over the table. 

"What about that old mine?" I turned to him, looking at his black eyes.

I couldn't discern the pupil from the iris, that's how much they were black. Like two buttons that you put to the snowman as the eyes.

I laughed at that thought and watched his face change its expression from the tensed to the soft.

"That old mine is collapsed for a thousand years, and moving the stone would just attract other vampires to that place." He got up from the chair and walked to the second table, taking a map of the stars.

Maybe that was my answer to cataclysms, and he didn't want me to see it.

"But-"

"Without but, it will be the way I say." In the second he appeared behind me, moving my hair away and exposing my neck to his lustful look.

"What about the stone? Do you know where it might be?" I tried to distract him.

"It's not in the room where I brought you before." He let my hair and walked away, holding his hands on the back while looking at the gray walls that had the mildew in the corners.

"How sure are you?" I stood up and made a couple of steps towards him.

"I've searched everything." He answered and looked at me for a little bit before I stopped just a step behind him.

He was considerably taller than me, probably around fifteen centimeters, and the tip of my head was reaching the edge of his smooth chin.

"Can you take me there?" I made another step and insecurely touched his upright back, and then upper arm.

He looked shocked because of my movements so he moved away just few seconds later.

"There is no need for that." A cold tone came out of his sinfully mouth, and then he turned and looked at me angrily, but I didn't stop there.

"Do you want that stone or not?" I raised my eyebrow and crossed my hands. It doesn't matter to me anyways.

For a moment, he looked like he is thinking and then his expression changed to the dissatisfaction. That was a clear sign that he is doing this against his will.

"Fine, but you can't stay long." He sighed and I smiled triumphantly.

"There will be no need to." I exclaimed and smiled again, hoping he will become softer, but he wasn't showing any other signs except hate and dissatisfaction.

Alright then.

"When do you want to go?" He rolled his eyes and bent his head into disinterest.

"Now would be perfect."

"Let's go then." He blew and the flame disappeared so the whole room was swallowed by the darkness.

I felt his hand around my wrist, starting to lead me out of the room.

Dampness slapped my face when we stepped into the dark hallway, making my body tremble.

After a few minutes of walking, we have entered into an already lit up room and I felt so relieved because I finally got out of that darkness.

Since he told me that we were not alone, I didn't really want to wander around by myself. That's why I gave up on that plan of escape and stealing his keys.

I just don't feel safe without him.

I immediately walked to the table and started moving the papers into a pile, searching the corners, and opening the drawers.

At the end, I opened the drawer in the table and stopped when I spotted a small dark blue box.

Bingo.

I tried to open it, but it was locked.

In the meantime, my unhappy mumbling caught Gabriel's attention. He got closer, standing right next to me and watching what I'm doing.

"Let me try." He took the box and also tried to open it, only that he was way more stronger than me.

But nothing.

The box was still firmly closed and reliably preserving its content.

Then I noticed that the top of the box could move. It was also dark blue as the rest, only that it had a bunch of dots that were representing the stars.

Orion's stone, that means I'm looking for Orion's constellation.

I started to twist it and slowly align the stars in the line.

And soon the box showed the contours of the body and head of Orion.

Then it clicked and I impatiently opened it.

The interior was covered with a dark blue velvet, and there was a small stone the color of sapphire with silver threads in it.

"Gabriel?" I called him and he showed up in a second, looking at the gemstone in front of us.

"Orion's stone, you've succeeded." He smiled and I almost missed that real smile that sparkled like a hundred kilowatts.

Something warmed me around the heart, and then I reached for the little stone and put it in my palm.

I took one of Gabriel's rings with a red ruby ​​and replaced it with the Orion's stone.

"I hope this will work." I said and put the ring back on his right ring finger.