Page 64 of The Vampire's Vow

My heart sinks, exhaustion threatening to pull me down with it. Another cramp has me clutching my stomach as I double over, and it’s only as the pain subsides that I realize what lies beneath my hand.

The corset’s lacings.

My fingers struggle to undo the knots, but I finally manage before unwinding it from around my body. I breath a sigh of relief as the corset starts to loosen around my body … until I realize that undoing the lacings is going to leave me topless.

Whatever. It’s not like everyone hasn’t seen everything already.

Ripping the remaining length of the lacing out of the bodice I give myself a second to savor the relief as it falls to the floor. Attaching the lacings to the long string of shoelaces, I drag myself back up off the floor, clutching the diary to my chest, and continue on through the maze.

I swear, it didn’t feel this endless when Valentine led me through these halls, but then again, he actually knew where he was going.

I finally reach another crossroads, and yet again, I’ve run out of string to find my way back.

My chest tightens as I try to hold back tears of frustration as I turn to look down each of the halls. I can’t give up now, not when I’ve come this far.

Pressing myself against the left side of the wall, I follow it down and around the nearest hallway, running my hand over every inch of every dead end that I meet.

Nothing.

Finally making it back to the were the cross section where my string lays in the center of the floor, I continue on down the next hall, keeping myself pressed to the lefthand side of the wall.

At this point, I have no idea how long I’ve been searching these halls, and I can only hope that no one touches the string or I’ll never find my way back out. This thought sends my mind into overdrive as it begins imagining the most catastrophic outcomes of my current situation.

I can’t help it, I burst into tears. My back pressed to the wall, I slide down to the floor and hug my knees to my chest.

You can do this, Evelyn. You’re so close. Don’t give up. Not yet.

I don’t want to listen. Iwantto give up.

I want to let go, to be done with this place … with this life.

No.

I can give up on this place, on this mission, but not on my life.

Forcing myself back onto my feet, I straighten, but my knees give out and send me stumbling forward. I reach out to try to catch myself against the other wall.

Only, it’s not a wall.

I pass through it, tumbling down a set of stairs and into the depths below.

22

Luci

I’m woken by the soft thud of something against the metal door. At first, I think it’s Valentine returning to finish me off once and for all, but then I hear a muffled moan of pain.

“Evi? Evi, is that you?!” I shout.

Silence.

“Luci?”

Her voice is barely audible, and wouldn’t be to human ears. Not through that door.

“What happened?”

Again, silence … and then I smell her blood.

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