He gently lifted her face, ceasing her erratic movements, and pressed his lips to hers. His warm touch slowly guided her out of her nightmare, and she naturally responded to his call.
“If I knew you two will end up snogging in the hunters’ lair, I would have brought popcorn,” Byron said, annoyed.
Helena broke into a smile, allowing her body to relax. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” Lucious whispered into her ear.
As he guided her back to Byron, her hand clung to the material of his shirt. Past the paralysing fear raining on her mind, she couldn’t dismiss a brewing bad feeling.
“Great, we have gathered. Now let’s get on with it,” Byron said.
“I thought you were going to make a wedding joke,” Lucious replied.
Byron pinched his fingers. “I was this close to one but thought better of it.”
No one laughed as they crept closer to a door at the end of the corridor. Byron pressed his ear to the thick wood. Helena noticed their breathing had slowed while hers did the opposite.
Byron whispered, “I can hear eight of them.”
“Same,” Lucious agreed.
“There are only three of us,” Helena said. “We’re outnumbered.”
“We could eliminate a few in a surprise attack,” Lucious interjected. “The rest, we need to take care of them before they call for help.”
“Take the stairs. You should be able to see the sanctuary from there. I’ll go in from here,” Byron said.
“Are you certain?”
“Go,” he snapped, pushing her and Lucious out of the way.
Helena made her way up the steps. The uneven surface of each one produced tiny creaks under the weight of her body. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed that Lucious didn’t seem to have the same problem. Damn vampires. On the final step, he caught her wrist.
“Wait here,” he said through the link.
“Can you hear a hunter?”
He didn’t reply and fleeted past her. The sound of someone’s neck snapping had her cringing at the image her mind summoned. She waited for the inevitable agony that lack of his presence would induce, yet nothing happened. The soul-bond was stable. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she searched for him.
Lucious crouched by the wooden railing, overlooking the sanctuary. Rows of pews lined the middle of the room with a single red carpet stretching from the entrance to the altar. She squatted by his side and studied the ongoing events.
Three men and two women sat topless on throne-like chairs on the dais. She recognised Ben. He sat next to a girl with strawberry-blonde curls that ran down her shoulders. A black veil hid the girl’s face from Helena, yet something kept prickling the back of her mind.
Another hunter pressed the hot iron brand into the young woman’s skin. She groaned in pain while the older man next to her held her hand. Once the brand was removed, burned raw skin displayed an image of a snake wrapped around a tarantula.
“Do you, Benedict Carver, agree to the union of the two clans?” the man holding the brand asked.
Ben darted a nervous glance around the room. What Helena assumed to be his parents on Ben’s left, nudged him. Their brands stood out like angry beacons against their pale flesh.
“Say the words,” his mother said.
Ben was ready to reply when the door downstairs burst open. A large black beast covered in fur from head to toe erupted into the sanctuary with a roar. His large tongue peeked out between a razor-sharp set of teeth. Snapping his jaw at them, he launched for the hunter guarding the far end of the room.
Shouts for help came from Ben’s parents, and everyone ran to the altar where an array of weapons rested. Lucious aimed his gun and shot the first man in the head. The branding iron fell out of his hand with a loud clatter and the hunter’s body lifelessly tumbled.
“Kill the intruders,” Ben’s father screamed.
Helena drew away from Lucious who could shoot people without flinching. Human life meant little to him. He ejected the clip and slotted in another one with a click.
“Helena, don’t stray from my side!” he sent through the link.
“Don’t kill them.” She looked at Ben’s parents, falling and clutching their chests.
The bride and her guardian hid behind the pillars, out of Lucious’ reach. Before Helena could add more, a bullet whizzed by her head, and Lucious forced her down.
“Don’t get up. It’s dangerous,” he snapped.
She brushed his hand away. “Don’t kill Ben.”
“If he doesn’t shoot back, I will return the favour.”
“You shot his parents! How does that make it better?”
“I do not have the time for this.” He returned to picking off targets.
Through the gaps in the railing, she witnessed the slaughter below. The beast in the room went from one person to another. Mangled and gutted bodies of the hunters fell one after another. The werewolf’s claws scratched the polished parquet as he raced across the sanctuary towards the bride.
A bullet lodged in Byron’s shoulder. He let out an animalistic cry that shook the entire building. His silver eyes flared as he ripped the girl from behind the pillar and dragged her out into the open. The black veil fell from her head, and Helena’s heart froze when she saw Laura’s pale face.
“No!” Helena screamed and stood up.
Lucious grasped her around the waist, desperate to peel her away from the railing. “Don’t be a fool. Stay low, Helena.”
“That’s Laura!” she cried out, fighting his unyielding hold.
For a second, hers and Laura’s gazes locked. Something dark flashed in her friend’s green eyes. But, it didn’t last long. Laura slashed Byron’s chest with a silver dagger. The werewolf released her, and she jumped away before running for the door.
Ben got to his parents. He picked up a torn white shirt off the ground and pressed it to his mother’s bullet wound. The material soaked up the blood at an alarming rate.
Helena managed to fight her way out of Lucious’ grip and sped downstairs. She burst through the doors right as Byron lifted his clawed hand to strike Ben from behind.
“Don’t hurt him!” Helena yelled.
The werewolf turned his head her way.
Arriving at Ben’s side, she fell to her knees. “Are they okay? Are you hurt?”
Ben said nothing, and they watched the light fading from his mother’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“For what?” Ben asked. There was no grief or sadness on his tired face.
Did the death of his parents affect him so little?
Helena shifted away. Her back hit something solid. Two strong arms wrapped around her and lifted her into a standing position. She didn’t have to look to know it was Lucious. His nerves seeped into the link, making her worry spike.
“You should leave. More hunters are going to gather in a matter of minutes.” Ben stood. He studied his bloody hand and wiped it on his jeans. “Didn’t you hear me?”
Helena steeled herself. “Maya, before she became a demon, was going to tell you how she felt about you.”
“You stuck around to tell me my old partner was in love with me?” Ben let out a laugh as he shrugged on his tank top. “I knew you were not right in the head, but this…”
Lucious tensed behind her, and Helena fought back the tears. Ben desperately tried not to show it, but she could see the pain Maya’s loss caused him. It was always there, beneath the surface.
“We did what we came here to do,” Lucious said. “Now, let’s go. Byron, make sure there are no surprises on the way out.”
The beast gave a nod of his massive head and dashed for the door he came through on all fours.
“Come, my dear,” Lucious urged through the bond in a soothing voice.
Following his suggestion, Helena accepted his hand and left the sanctuary behind. At the exit, orange flames engulfed the doorway, trapping them inside.
Lucious pulled her back
. “What’s going on?”
“I know that fire. She’s here.”
“Who?”
“Eliza. She must have found out about our plans.”
Lucious led her back towards the sanctuary, his gun ready at his side. The flames weren’t only trapping them at the exits. When she looked up, wooden beams supported by carved angels in the nave were ablaze. The stained glass windows gleamed with an orange glow and smoke gathered and sank as they ran between the pews in search of another exit.
He rattled a steel door handle, hissing when his hand came away with blisters.
Helena scanned the room for anyone else. By the altar, Ben sat on the steps, staring at the ceiling with a bored expression. He wasn’t even trying to fight his way out of the building. Why?
Tearing away from Lucious, she ran to the hunter. “Ben, we have to get out of here!”
“Be my guest. Go. It’s not like I have anything left to live for…”
She slapped him across the face. “Are you an idiot? Maya is out there, alive. If you die here, she’ll haunt your ghostly ass.”
Life reflected in his eyes at the mention of his old partner. He rose and shouted to Lucious, “The doors won’t work. If you break it, a grenade with silver will go off.”
With an unhappy grunt, Lucious stopped kicking the wooden obstacle and walked to them. As he drew close, a large beam crashed onto the nearby pews.
Ben grasped her side, yanking her away from the flames. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” she muttered. “Is there another way out?”
He pointed at the doorway to their left. “If we go through that door, we can go through the extension of the building into the cellar. This church’s plans were hidden from the public’s eye for a reason.”
“We cannot trust this man. He betrayed us and hurt you.” Lucious yanked her away.
She wiggled out of his hold. But, before she could tell him exactly where to shove his head, Lucious’ phone buzzed. He put the call on speaker.
“Where are you?” Byron yelled.
“Trapped inside,” Lucious said in exasperation. “Can you get us out?”
“What do you want me to do? I’m outside, stark bollock naked, the building is on fire, and the hunters are coming!”
Ben snorted. “They’re not here for me. My clan was ordered to head north if something went wrong.”
“Is that a hunter yammering away?” Byron asked. “Making friend’s already?”
“Be quiet, Byron,” Lucious growled.
Helena faced Ben. “You said there’s a way out. Where does it lead to?”
“East, to the river.”
“Did you hear that, Byron?” Helena said. “Meet us there.”
The werewolf chuckled. “Water, exactly what you need after a barbeque.”
Lucious stashed his phone away and took hold of her arm. His tense grip on it prevented her from separating from him. She disregarded the possessive gesture. “Lead the way, hunter.”
Ben escorted them to the corridor Helena saw Laura escape through. At the back of her head, she couldn’t stop worrying. They haven’t talked once since the hunters came to their apartment. Although it was over a month ago, it felt like an eternity had passed.
They arrived at a sudden dead-end. Ben touched a rounded brick on the wall, pushing it inward. A second later, the wall moved. Ancient cobwebs with carcases of spiders jittered in the chilly draft. Darkness absorbed the path ahead of them, and she swallowed. Even with Lucious there, the thought of being unable to see the light again sent a shudder through her.
“Is there a torch we can use?” she asked in a wavering voice.
Raising a brow, Ben asked, “Are you serious? This isn’t an Indiana Jones movie. Plus, your boyfriend is more than capable of leading you through the tunnel.”
The hunter vanished into the void, and she stopped. Her feet rooted to the spot.
“I could carry you?” Lucious offered.
Fighting every urge to decline his offer, she agreed. They didn’t have much time. The smoke was catching up to them. One glance over her shoulder confirmed that there was no way back.
His hand grasped her around the shoulders. With the other, he lifted her knees. Then, he left a soft kiss on her forehead and strode after Ben into the shadowed tunnel.
The endless thumping of her heart pulsated in her head as her paralysed limbs refused to move. She focused on the warmth he radiated and the comforting heartbeat in his strong chest.
“Do you remember the first time I carried you like this?” he asked out of the blue.
“Yeah, after you turned Andrew.”
“At that time, I thought your blood was sweeter than anyone I had ever tasted.”
She managed a smile. “Is that how you pick up women in pubs?”
Lucious chuckled. “I believe that response may be more suited for Alexander.”
“Oh, so you don’t hit on every woman in your vicinity?”
“None held my attention long enough.” He halted. “Why did you stop, hunter?”
Ben muttered a curse. “I can’t exactly see where I’m going. I was told to follow the right wall, but I can only feel a bunch of rocks ahead.”
Lucious set her on the ground. Pushing her palms against the damp rocks, he whispered, “Stay here and don’t move.” His footsteps bounced around the tunnel as he drew away from her. “You are correct. It appears the tunnel has collapsed.”
“Then we’re trapped, stuck here till we suffocate. That’s just great,” Ben muttered.
Lucious checked his phone. “No reception.”
“Of course there won’t be. We’re underground,” Ben retorted.
“We can clear it.” Lucious adjusted the brightness on his phone to low. He nestled the device on a rock by the wall, irradiating the surrounding space.
Helena let out a breath of relief and eyed the mound of rubble ahead of them. “How long will it take to clear this up?”
“Twelve hours? A day at most,” Ben said with an edge to his tone.
Picking up the first boulder, she said, “Alright, let’s get moving while we can still see.”
Sweat tinged Helena’s clothes. On her shaky legs, she struggled to remain upright. The phone beeped for the dozenth time, indicating it had a low battery, and she groaned. They spent the past two hours shifting rocks from one place to another. There seemed to be no end to it.
“Helena, you should take a break,” Lucious said next to her.
She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “I’ll stop when the light goes out. Every time your phone makes a noise, it’s like a death sentence.”
“I know you are frightened. I am certain Byron is doing everything in his power to get to us from the other side.”
“Since when are vampires best friends with the weres?” Ben lifted a heavy boulder and hurled it across. Like hers, his shirt clung to his sweaty body.
Lucious straightened his posture and glared at the hunter. “I could ask the same about the witches and your clan.”
“It wasn’t my clan that convinced the witches to join us.”
“How long did you know that the girl you had to marry was Laura?” Helena asked.
“I had no idea until the veil came off.” Ben rubbed the back of his neck. “Shane took the leadership of the Irish clan into his hands. In the meantime, he is training her. Her family has been running the show for three generations.”
Helena’s brows shot up. “Shane Quinn, her uncle?”
“Yes.”
She remembered seeing him during a sleepover once when they were in sixth class. At the time Laura’s uncle arrived, her parents tried pushing him out of the house and soon were consumed in an argument. He stormed off after punching Laura’s dad.
“What will happen to the hunter clans?” Lucious asked.
“Honestly? I’ve no idea,” Ben replied with a sigh. “I’m supposed to be the next in line to take over the Black Mamba. But, since we are trapped in here, od
ds are that Shane deemed me to be dead. With the united brand on his chest, he can sway my clan to join him.”
“So, the war is not over,” Lucious said.
Ben nodded. “Probably not.”
The phone alarmed them with another dying beep and the final source of light blinked out of existence.
A sharp pain in Lucious’ chest was spreading. At first, he thought something was wrong with Helena. Seeing her sleeping by the wall with a peaceful expression caused him to doubt that possibility. The active curse on his body would soon drive him into agony. He heard reports of cursed vampires not lasting a week. Those unlucky sods, which couldn’t get the caster’s forgiveness, perished without a trace. He had no one else to blame but himself. His impetuous actions brought this on them.
“Hunter,” Lucious whispered, so he wouldn’t wake her.
Ben collapsed into a sitting position with a groan and rested his head against the wall. “What do you want?”
“Where is the rest of the Circle?”
“I told you, we weren’t the ones who recruited them.” The hunter rubbed his sweaty face with his dirty hands. “But, I did hear Shane is keeping them safe somewhere in the city.”
“I see,” Lucious said, returning to work.
“…I’m sorry about what I did to her.”
“It is not me you should be apologising to,” Lucious replied with a cold edge.
“Yeah, you’re right. Is her phobia my fault, too?”
A rock slipped out of Lucious hands and, before he knew it, he grasped the hunter by the throat. His fingers dug into his flesh as he spoke each word packed with venom. “Do not take her condition so lightly. For giving her such a scar, I am eager to end you right here. The only thing stopping me is her will to keep you alive.”
Ben let out a strangled laugh. “I never thought she would forgive me.”
“Remember this, hunter. It is not her you should worry about,” Lucious spat out and removed his hand. “The moment she stops caring about you, your life is mine.”
“Noted.”
Peeling her eyes open, Helena discovered she was in Lucious’ arms as he carried her across a green field. She smiled at the sunny skies above their heads.
Crumbling Control (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 3) Page 19