I needed to get up.
I needed to find my way back and see what was going on, struggling to regain my composure, my fingers reached out to grasp the wall for support and I fought to stand upright, managing to steady myself.
My eyes caught Alexander’s lifeless, mutilated body and I stared at it for a few more seconds. I waited for the feeling of remorse to wash over me considering I’d just killed someone for the first time but instead, I felt nothing.
There was no regret, only an overwhelming sense of relief that he was gone forever.
Slowly, with every part of me aching, I turned to regard my surroundings. I had no idea where I was; I didn't know the vault very well and neither did Alexander, he’d simply dragged me away hungry to get his perverted needs satisfied.
I shuddered at the reminder that moments ago, his hands had been clawing at me hungrily.
I threw him one last spiteful glance before I began to trudge my way through the long halls.
Still confused, I took a turn and stumbled down another hallway, stopping when I came to another dead end.
Frustration burned my insides and I longed to let out a cry. The longer the seconds I spent away from my family, the more danger they were forced to face.
I had no idea what was happening with them and the thought of what Silviu could be doing at this very moment tore me apart. My back rested against a wall and I felt something creak behind me.
Instantly, I whipped my head to face it. It looked like an ordinary wall, nothing special but when I placed my palms on it and pressed them against the wall, it gave way, revealing a dimly lit room behind it. I stepped inside, my eyes drawn to the spiraling staircase in the middle of the room that led toward the ceiling where sunlight streamed into the room through a narrow opening.
This had to be one of the exits from the vault. Maybe if I could go out through it, I could enter the vault once again through the main door, and I would find my family.
My head throbbed painfully and I could feel my strength wane as I made my way up the stairs; the more I walked, the farther the exit seemed. My fingers gripped the banister and I used it to propel my body every step of the way.
Finally, I reached the top of the stairs. I fell to my knees and reached up to the ceiling-like opening and fitted my fingers into it.
I took in a breath before I began to push it to the side but it remained unmoving. “Can you just…” I faltered, a tear rolling down my face. “Please, please, please.”
I tried once more with all my strength and this time I successfully shoved it aside. A flood of light poured in, fresh air from outside consuming me.
I clawed my way through and finally, I was able to land outside.
The exit led to the courtyard. In the distance, I could hear the sounds of the ongoing battle, my eyes squinted at the view farther from me as I thought I saw men clad in the Black Tide warrior's attire or maybe I was hallucinating because there was no way Callan’s warriors would be here.
I climbed up the steps that led through a cobblestone path back to the manor.
The courtyard was void of people. Or so I thought.
“What do we do, sir? My men are retreating, they are weakened and…”
The man who’d been speaking trailed off when his eyes met mine. He was dressed in battle attire, one that seemed familiar to the one the warriors that had been with my uncle wore, the man who he’d been talking to had his back to me but I knew instantly who it was.
At the abrupt halt of his partner’s speech, Silviu slowly turned to face the source of it, his eyes gleamed when they settled on me.
His mouth curled into a sinister smile when they set on me, his eyes, those vile orbs taking in my blood-drenched appearance. I stood still, barely breathing when he approached me.
Questions flooded my thoughts. How could he be here? What had he done to my sisters? My mother?
“I see you managed to get rid of that imbecile, Alexander,” Silviu drawled in a leisurely tone. “I always knew he was all bark.”
I glared at him.
He circled me slowly as a predator would his prey. “I didn't think you had it in you, what did they give you at the Black Tide pack? Or is it finding Callan that…”
“Keep his name out of your mouth!” I spat.
“Careful how you speak to me, your life is in my hands now.” Silviu warned, a twisted smirk playing on his lips.
“What have you done with my sisters?” I asked, managing to keep the panic off my voice.
At the mention of them, his eyes glinted with a sickening satisfaction. “I left them to die in the vault. No one would be finding them in a long time and by the time your mate’s men manage to reach them, they'd be long dead.”
My heart stopped. Callan’s warriors were here!
I turned to look behind me when Silviu grabbed me by the jaw forcing me to look at him.
“Look at me when I talk to you!” he barked.
Something possessed me and without thinking, I spat in his face.
He let me go, recoiling in shock at the mucus that dripped slowly down his forehead.
The man he’d been talking to earlier moved to attack me but stopped when my uncle lifted one of his hands, signaling him to stand down.
“Go back to your men, this is family business,” my uncle said to him, his eyes fixed on me.
“I am not your family, you despicable—”
A smack sent me flying backward. I landed heavily on the concrete ground and stumbled down the steps until I collapsed at the foot of it.
I felt the air sucked from my lungs just as my body went limp.
A dark shadow fell over me and my uncle’s looming figure stood above me. “You have caused me far too much trouble. Alexander was mine to kill. How dare you take that away from me?" he asked, his features contorted into a savage rage.