Chapter 160 Chapter 160
“No, impossible,” he growled. “Bastard must have taken this into consideration when they created the trap.”
“Shit. Then what do we do?”
“We keep searching.”
“That’s our only option, huh?” she mumbled. Valerie couldn’t fathom how their Halloween party had escalated into this. She had gone from dancing and having fun to fearing for her life. Even though she knew that Naomi’s friends couldn’t have known about the true dangers lurking in this place, she began to feel resentment towards them.
She regretted accompanying them, and she regretted dragging Maxwell into it as well. Why did she always feel responsible for everyone? She could have just let the group of students come here on their own… maybe the blood mage wouldn’t have cared about them. The trap had been meant for her and Maxwell after all.
If only she had known this beforehand, then she would have handled the situation differently. But no, thanks to her, Maxwell was now in trouble—and she hated the thought of anything happening to him. Her worried gaze drifted over him as she studied him. His posture was tense, and his eyes ruby.
The glowing light he radiated gave him an otherworldly appearance, made his eyes and his chain shimmer in the otherwise dark room. He was like a beacon in the darkness, and she didn’t stray from his side since the magic he released had a soothing effect on her nervous self.
She loved the way it prickled on her skin, leaving tender warmth. Sometimes she wondered how it was possible for demon magic to feel so welcoming and inviting, but she assumed it had to do with their bond.
“Come on, sugar, you’re spacing out,” he said, squeezing her hand a little to gain her attention.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she replied sheepishly. “We should move on.”
He nodded, and they went back to the hallway where they had come from. Valerie gulped, her gaze darting from left to right. She scanned the impenetrable darkness at the end of the hallway, wondering where it would lead them. The sound of her heels on the concrete floor was loud in the deafening silence of the orphanage. It reverberated around them.
She felt the urge to fill the silence with her voice, to make it less terrifying, but she was reluctant to speak since she didn’t want to alert any dangerous beings to them. Then again, they most likely already knew they were here.
“Maxwell,” she whispered.
“What?”
“I’m scared,” she said quietly. “If we make it out of here, we… We should do something fun. Go on another date, maybe.”
He pursed his lips as he stared into the darkness that lay in front of them. “Not if we make it, when we make it. There’s a significant difference,” he murmured. “You’ll get your date eventually, sugar.”
Somehow, his unwavering conviction to survive relieved some of her stress. She admired many things about him, and this was one of them. As someone who did not even have half of the confidence he possessed, she could gain a lot of hope from him.
A tiny smile found its way on her lips. “Okay,” she answered. “And where do you want to spend the date… Maxwell?”
He let the use of the pet name slide and only gave her a slightly annoyed look. “I wouldn’t mind a whole vacation, honestly. Just you and me alone with nobody to interrupt us,” he said, smirking slyly at her. “Imagine the things we could do…”
“What do you mean?”
“You can’t be that clueless,” he snorted. Leaning in so that his lips hovered right next to the shell of her ear, he whispered, “I could take off your clothes, and we could have some fun.”
Valerie flushed. The hotness of his breath on her skin had her shudder. She bit her lip. “I should have known you were talking about that,” she whispered.
“I don’t hear you say no.” He chuckled slowly while they continued, exploring more of the dark hallway. And again, Valerie couldn’t help but notice how damn good he was at distracting her from her fear. He knew her well, and he also knew how to use his charms in the best possible way. His method of comforting her was unusual.
“I am not opposed to the idea,” she replied. The blush on her cheeks was prevalent in the soft light he released, and he grinned seeing it.
“Then it’s a plan,” he decided, nodding to himself and looking very satisfied.
“I can’t believe you’re talking about sex when we’re in the middle of a dangerous situation,” she snorted. “Typical demon.”
“I can talk about sex whenever I want,” he said stubbornly, arching a challenging eyebrow. “But, you know, doing it is more fun than talking about it.”
“Oh, Maxwell, you sure are something else…” she sighed.
“I’m honest.”
“Very honest, yes.”
They were interrupted by another strange sound, a monotonous noise that originated from the blackness in front of them. It could have been a piece of metal hitting a stone, Valerie didn’t know for sure. Growing louder and louder, it made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She widened her eyes, freezing up.
Maxwell quickly stepped in front of her to shield her from whatever was approaching them. He used his magic, brightening up the hallway. It was fairly easy to see that he deemed it a threat. Curling his right hand, he made a silver rapier appear out of thin air. Valerie had seen the weapon once before, but it had been a long while ago. He hadn’t been forced to use it anymore since then. Now, however, he wasn’t ready to take any risks regarding their safety. He held the slim weapon tightly and prepared himself for a confrontation.
“Who’s there?” he called into the shadows, his deep voice rumbling through the hallway like thunder. At first, they didn’t hear a sound. Silence was the only answer they received. Several tormentingly long seconds ticked by. Maxwell didn’t move. Neither did Valerie.