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“As for you, stay safe, babe. I meant what I said last night. I will protect you.” Before I could react, he pulled me close, and his lips crashed into mine. I was caught off guard for a moment before I sank into the kiss. His woodsy scent filled my nose, and I remembered his words from the night before. I had thought it was a dream. But it was Kayden, protecting me from the horrors of this place. I still didn’t understand why. His kiss held promises that scared me. Images flashed before my closed eyes, and my soul screamed at me. Mine.

As quickly as the kiss began, Kayden was gone. Vik and Dec stared at me. I blushed and put my fingers over my lips. What had just happened? I shook my head and refocused. We needed to be ready to run.

I turned to the small opening and looked through again. I watched as two hunters brought Eli out. He was shirtless with his hands cuffed behind his back. They shoved him toward a minuscule stage in the middle of the room. It was barely big enough for three people to stand on. There was some sort of podium in its center, with metal rings at the bottom. Thoughts of its purpose rattled me.

Laughter echoed in the room when Eli stumbled and nearly fell. He righted himself and kept walking. The hunters talked, but I couldn’t tell what was being said. I searched the room for Kayden but couldn’t find him. He needed to hurry. Eli was in danger. My fingers dug into the wall as I leaned closer to get a better look. I felt Vik and Dec wrap their arms around me, preparing to run.

I wasn’t leaving without Eli. They were positioning him on the tiny stage. It was getting crowded and was hard to see from where we were. People were pouring in from all directions. The crowd was massive. Were they that interested in watching vampires die? The noise grew until there was no way we would be able to hear Kayden’s signal. Dec realized it too and leaned closer to look out. I was terrified that Kayden wouldn’t make it on time to save Eli. My head filled with all the unspoken promises that would be broken instantly.

Someone stepped forward and called for the crowd to quiet down. A muffled voice said something, and everyone sat on the floor. We had a clear line of sight to the stage again. Eli was chained to the podium, and I realized my fears were right. They were planning to decapitate him. The person who’d stepped forward was wearing a robe with a hood. Their face was covered, and it was impossible to tell if the figure was male or female. So much for facing your accuser. They called forth another figure, this one all man. He was twice the size of Eli, also shirtless, with bulging muscles in his arms and legs. As he stepped forward, he swung a huge ax onto his shoulder.

The hooded figure spoke to the crowd, but I couldn’t make out the words. In an instant, they were on their feet again, cheering. After a few minutes, I gave up on watching. I couldn’t see Eli anymore. Declan kept watching, convinced that his friend could save my love. I wasn’t sure that I believed anything anymore. This was hopeless.

I couldn’t help trying to see what was going on. The monster who had the ax had moved closer to where Eli was. He raised the ax in the air, and the crowd went wild again. I knew he was preparing to kill my sweet vamp. I couldn’t watch. Kayden had failed. I turned to Vik and held him close as tears spilled down my cheeks. The room shook as a loud noise filled the air. Dec turned to us and yelled, “That was the signal. We have to go. Now.”

“I’m not leaving without Eli,” I replied. It didn’t matter; Vik scooped me up and ran, carrying me the whole way. I fought against him, desperate to get back to Eli, but Vik didn’t relent. He held me tightly and followed Declan until we got to the end of the line. There was nowhere else to go. We were trapped. The passage had started to collapse behind us after the explosion. There was only a six-foot section immediately around us that didn’t seem to be affected. Dec couldn’t get the door to open. Since there was no way I could go back for Eli, Vik put me down and tried to help him. Neither of them could get it open.

So this was it. This was how I would die. My heart broke for Eli—I should have been the one in that position, not him. Darkness was closing in. I couldn’t see anything but Dec and Vik desperately trying to force the door open. There was fresh air seeping in around it, but the air in the passage was filled with debris and dust from whatever had blown up. After a while, my guys were worn out and had to sit down. I sat with them, waiting for the rest of the passage to collapse on us. I had given up. I didn’t know how long we’d been here or how long we’d last if the whole thing came down. I closed my eyes and took shallow breaths, just like I heard Vik and Dec doing.

I must have passed out because there was a sliver of light coming from the door when I came to. Someone was forcing it open. Knowing that Eli was probably dead, I couldn’t bring myself to fight. I watched as a shadow filled the light. This was it.