Page 95 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Five

Once I’m behind a hedge row, it’s like the garden swallows up all noise beyond it.

The sound of fighting and suffering is immediately gone.

I take quiet steps on the pale cobblestone path through the main garden, sticking to the left as Draggun instructed.

I only hope Bran and Arion will find me. Bran can usually smell me anywhere. I have faith he’ll catch up considering this was never our plan. He and Arion were supposed to meet me in the palace.

It seems stupid now, to have fallen for the queen’s illusion of Sam. It was an amateur mistake.

It takes everything in me not to turn around and run back to my best friend, or look for my vampire boyfriend, or my fae brother.

I’ve never been spiritual or religious, but I have faith that this is the right path.

I just have to keep going.

I have to trust myself and my instincts and?—

A hand clamps over my mouth. Bran’s whisper is at my ear a second later. “It’s me, Mouse.”

There is a moment of dread and fear that I’ve been tricked again, that the queen has used illusion magic. But then I inhale and I know that scent. I know the smell of Bran. That amber and leather and musk.

Happy tears spring in my eyes and I twist around, latching on to him. I’m so grateful for him, I could scream.

When I pull back, I spot Arion behind him.

“You aren’t supposed to be out here,” Arion says.

Bran’s jaw flexes as if he too is annoyed by this deviation but he says nothing.

“I’m sorry. Everything happened so quickly.”

My brother nods and looks beyond us. “She’s out here. I can sense it.”

“Draggun said she’s running for his realm. He said it’s on the other side of the labyrinth.”

Arion snaps his attention back to me. “Truly? She must be desperate.”

“I don’t want to lose her.”

His mouth sets in a grim line and he nods. “Neither do I. So we won’t. Come on.”

Arion knows the way to the labyrinth so there is no more guessing on direction. We find the entrance soon enough, but before we slip inside, my brother stops us.

“There is something you should know about this place.”

“Go on,” Bran says.

“It can sometimes change, depending on its mood. Stay close by my side. Do not split up. Or you may never find your way out.”

I glance at Bran. His pale, handsome face is unreadable.

“Should we be worried?” I ask Arion.

“Not if you listen to me.”

That’s not exactly soothing.

“All right.” I tuck several loose strands of hair behind my ear. “Let’s do this then?”

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