Page 68 of Blood Illusions

I swallowed hard. “Why do these vamps keep building creepy altars and using these dark symbols?”

“I don’t know.” Justice put the chalice back. “These are definitely the symbols we saw back at the Shadow Mine, though.”

My chest tightened. “Then I bet the body count down here is going to be high.”

“Possibly,” he agreed softly. “This blood is old, so I doubt we’ll find anyone alive.”

I stiffened, thinking of my dad. Had his blood been drained and used to make these creepy symbols?

I swept my flashlight away from the altar and noticed three tunnels leading into darkness. The same creepy symbols written in blood were painted on their walls.

I narrowed my eyes. “Great, a choose-your-own adventure in the vampire’s lair. Any mini-maps or evil breadcrumbs to guide the way? Or do we just pick the tunnel that screams ‘deadly trap’ the least?”

Justice sniffed as if he were trying to discover which tunnel smelled the least foul.

He glanced over his shoulder at me, his eyes glowing red. “I detect something alive in the middle tunnel, but in the other two, all I smell is death.”

I closed my eyes and bit my lip hard.

Please-please-please let my dad be in the middle tunnel.

Justice stepped toward the tunnel, and I followed him. It was wide enough for us to walk side by side. As I swept the flashlight across the bloodstained walls, our soft footsteps punctuated the eerie silence.

Justice held up a hand, and I stopped. He cocked his head as if he were listening, and I heard it, too. Whatever had followed us down the stairs was here, too.

He signaled for us to move. The walls were now lined with ancient niches and skeletal remains, seeming to close in around us. I couldn’t tell if the remains were vampires or their victims. Then, my light fell upon a series of cells, their rusted bars a stark contrast to the stone.

“Looks like we’ve stumbled into the VIP section of hell,” I murmured, trying to mask the growing knot of fear in my stomach. The first few cells were small, cramped spaces, their interiors shrouded in darkness. I made out chains hanging from the walls and what looked like old, tattered remnants of clothing. It was a chilling sight, one that spoke of long-forgotten captives and untold suffering.

Justice moved closer, scanning the cells. “I can smell fresh blood. There are people farther back in the tunnel.” His low voice gave me a glimmer of hope.

I shrugged, trying to maintain a semblance of cool detachment despite the gnawing worry for my father. “If Dad’s here, he’s getting a taste of the underworld’s hospitality.”

We continued down the tunnel, the sense of urgency growing. Each cell we passed seemed to whisper secrets of its own, tales of despair and loneliness. I couldn’t help but wonder if one of these cells held my father, whether he had endured the same cold, suffocating darkness that now surrounded us.

Then, up ahead, I noticed something different. A cell that seemed newer, its bars less corroded, a faint hint of something recent amid the ancient decay. My heart raced as we approached, the possibility that we were close to finding my father, alive or otherwise, making my hands tremble.

As we reached the cell, I shone my flashlight inside, and everything else faded away. There, in the dim light, were signs of recent occupancy. A cot with rumpled blankets, a small table with a half-empty water bottle, and on the wall, a series of markings that looked made by someone counting the days.

“Looks like we’re not chasing ghosts, after all.” My voice was barely above a whisper, the reality of our discovery settling in. We might have found the first real clue to my father’s whereabouts.

“You think this was your dad’s cell?”

I pointed to the markings on the wall. “I’d know his chicken scratch anywhere. He’s definitely here.”

Justice opened the cell door. “The lock’s been busted.”

With a smirk, I chuckled. “What can I say? You can’t cage a Grant for long. Looks like Dad’s been giving Houdini a run for his money.”

Justice scanned the cell, looking for any clues. “The question is, where did he disappear to?”

My flashlight beam bounced around the stone walls of the dark cell, and I followed his gaze until it landed on a small, deliberate mark etched into the floor in the corner. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the symbol Dad had taught my brother and me when we were kids. It was our secret sign to mark safe houses or leave messages during hunts.

A smile spread across my face as I knelt beside the symbol, a crescent moon intersected by a lightning bolt.

Justice’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Did you find something?”

I looked up at him, unable to contain my excitement. “He’s alive.”

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