Page 58 of A Touch of Darkness

His answer sends a cold ripple through me, but I nod and quicken my pace to keep up with him.

At the bottom of the stairs, the corridor stretches out, narrow and dimly lit by flickering torches. The light throws strange shadows across the walls, making the carvings writhe as though alive.

“This way,” Lucian says, his voice soft but urgent.

I follow him, each step taking me deeper into this strange labyrinth. The air grows colder, and the oppressive silence presses harder against my ears. When we reach a large metal door, I stop, unease pooling in my stomach. The room in front of us looks like a metal cage. The door is nearly all metal, aside from the bars near the top, but then the rest of the room is more cage-like, with bars—almost like a jail cell.

Lucian places a hand on the door, his fingers brushing over the runes etched into its surface. They glow faintly under his touch, the magic responding like it knows him.

“Wait,” I say, my voice trembling. “Are you sure?—”

But the door creaks open before I can finish, revealing the rest of a circular chamber. The sight of it sends a jolt through me.

The room is eerily familiar, its stone walls lined with more of the glowing carvings. A shallow basin sits at the center, surrounded by intricate symbols etched into the floor. The air hums faintly, charged with an energy that makes the hair on my arms stand on end.

“Oh my God,” I whisper.

“It’s the safest place to hide her,” Lucian says, his voice calm and even. He gestures toward the basin. “They use it to channel dark magic. It’s the only way to sustain her condition.”

His explanation feels thin, but before I can question it, he steps aside and motions for me to enter the chamber.

“Go ahead, and stay in front of me,” he says. “We don’t have much time.”

I hesitate at the threshold, my instincts screaming at me to stop. “Lucian, I don’t think?—”

“Trust me,” he says, his voice softening. He steps closer, his eyes meeting mine. “Please, Sylvie. You have to trust me.”

His words weaken my resolve, and I take a shaky step into the chamber. The moment I’m in, the door slams shut behind me before I can react.

“Lucian!” I spin around, panic clawing at my throat. I pound against the metal as he stands on the other side, metal bars separating the two of us. “What are you doing? Let me out!”

He turns around, his back to me. The way he holds himself is… off. His shoulders are too rigid, his stance too calculated.

“Lucian?” I take a hesitant step forward and slide my arms through the bars, my voice echoing in the oppressive silence.

He turns again, but the movement isn’t smooth—it’s strange, almost jerky, like a puppet being yanked by its strings. His face is shrouded in shadow, but I can still make out his features.

Or at least, I think I can.

Then, everything changes.

His form begins to ripple, like heat waves distorting the air. I blink, convinced my mind is playing tricks on me, but the sight only grows more grotesque. His skin seems to melt, his features twisting and stretching in impossible ways. I take a step back, stumbling and falling to the cold ground as I let out a sharp cry. His tall frame shrinks, his broad shoulders narrowing as his entire body shifts.

“What the fuck?” The words escape me in a trembling whisper, my legs frozen in place.

The dark hair fades to a pale blonde. The sharp jawline softens, morphing into delicate curves. His hands, once large and strong, now slender and graceful. Within seconds, Lucian is gone, replaced byher.

Amara.

The woman I met the night I came here to meet with the Society undercover. It’s her eyes. I can tell. I’d know them anywhere.

She tilts her head, a slow, cruel smile spreading across her lips as she watches my horrified realization.

“Surprise,” she says, her voice dripping with mockery.

My chest tightens as I try to piece together what I just witnessed. “What the hell—what are you?”

“Oh, Sylvie,” she says, taking a step forward. “It’s called dark magic. It’s not all that uncommon. You didn’t really think Lucian would ever bring you here, do you? He may be a repulsive vamp, but he isn’t a total idiot.”

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