“It’s clear.” Winny reemerges. “I’ve no idea where it goes yet, but it’s clear.”
“In that case, we move quickly and silently,” Ruvan decrees.
A ladder descends into the darkness of the trapdoor, bringing us to a narrow hallway. Ventos has to take off his pack and sword to sidestep through. Lavenzia carries the box for him. The passageway opens to a spiral staircase.
My enhanced vision cuts through the inkiness enough to make out the shapes of the others. But I follow more on sounds than sight. Ventos is hardly silent with his massive sword clanging against the wall periodically. Winny’s short breaths huff ahead as she bounces forward and back.
But my focus is on Ruvan, how he’s moving behind me, every step closer to me than the last. His hands glide over the stone walls on either side of me for support until I’m positioned between them, my back nearly brushing against his chest.
Without warning, his lips graze the shell of my ear. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll keep you safe,” he whispers so softly that I think I’ve imagined it.
I’m instantly transported back to last night. To the feeling of him grabbing me. Pulling me closer. His fangs as they penetrated me.
My breath hitches and I miss a step. Ruvan is there in an instant. His arm glides around my middle. My back is flush against his front and I can’t find my breath.
“Careful,” he whispers before letting me go; I can almost feel him grin. As if he wasn’t the one who made me trip in the first place.
I continue as if nothing happened and hope none of the others noticed. But my mind is elsewhere. Thinking of being alone with him again. Of his strong body pressed against mine. Him consuming me. I shiver and try to get my racing mind under control.
We emerge into a study. More books and records are wedged in every location. Lavenzia lets out a low whistle.
“Callos would have the best day of his life with this,” she says.
“This is all really old… Think it was Jontun’s?” Winny asks.
“Maybe,” Lavenzia says.
“Callos already has enough that we’re bringing back to keep him busy; I am not carrying any more books.” Ventos trudges toward the opposite door. Winny follows, Ruvan and Lavenzia behind. But I linger.
“What is it?” Ruvan halts when he notices I’m not with the rest of them.
Rather than answering, I take the medallion from my pocket and place it into a mirrored divot on the drawer of the desk. It fits perfectly. I press and a small hatch pops open in the middle of the desk.
“What the—” Lavenzia murmurs.
“What’s inside?” Ruvan asks as I open the latch all the way.
“Some kind of letters.” I delicately take a small bundle from the hidden compartment.
“We’ll open them when we’re back. We’ve already been gone too long. Quinn and Callos will be worried.” Ruvan holds out his hand expectantly. I cross and hand him the letters. “Callos will work through everything and discern if anything is useful here at all.”
The remark gives me pause. If. If there’s anything useful. What if there isn’t? What if we don’t find a way to break the curse? Will I be bloodsworn to the vampir lord until the end of my natural days? There was nothing in our initial vow that gives me reason to think this oath can be broken for something as simple as not finding the curse anchor as expected.
I want to ask, but I don’t—I can’t.
Down a series of connected rooms, up a stairwell, and through a locked door that Ventos breaks down with his broadsword, we emerge back into the western wing of the castle—where I first arrived. Just like that, I’m back at the beginning, and yet everything is changed.