Page 47 of The Vampire’s Mercy (Blood Melody #1)

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

PARIS

Istumbled into a wall, the temperature super cold, ears ringing from the gunfire.

“Shit!” I yelped, jumping back, spinning to face a door left ajar.

The door from the tower.

Oh, shit. The tower. We were at the tower. Medusa’s doorway really worked.

“Stupid elf,” Medusa seethed, brushing down her scales. “He could’ve ruined everything. Did he get you?”

“Nope. I’m bullet-hole free.”

We were here. Really here. The storm, the burning torches, the beckoning darkness beyond the door.

“Whoa,” I breathed. “This really is the tower.”

“Told you.”

Thunder pealed behind me, a flash of lighting igniting this alcove.

“I’m not dreaming?” I questioned.

“No. Shall we? I’m freezing my scales off here.”

The pounding in my head seemed to have vanished at some point, replaced by a strange vacantness. I wasn’t sure how to feel, because nothing else seemed to matter other than getting inside this tower.

Find the truth…

Unlock…

It didn’t stop a smidgeon of fear making my heart thrum, though.

Medusa pushed the door open. A burst of warm, dusty air greeted me as the hinges creaked.

Shit. We were doing this.

“Hello?” she asked the darkness beyond.

No answer.

“Is anyone there?” I added.

A candle sparked to life on a table close to the door, illuminating an empty bookshelf. The flame flickered as the bitter wind raced into the room. Something hit the floor in the dark, followed by the rustling sounds of paper being blown about.

Choices: Hesitate and freeze, or take the plunge and step inside.

With a deep breath, I went inside at the same time as my snake-shifting companion.

The door slammed behind us so hard we both jumped with a yelp.

Dammit!

I caught my breath, the warmth quickly becoming stifling. The air was too close, filled with dust. My nostrils itched, a tickle scratching at the back of my throat.

More candles ignited around the room, revealing more of the space.

A square-shaped place, the walls as gray as the outside of the tower. There were four bookshelves, all empty, and a table in the corner with the first candle. A broom leaned against an arched doorway directly ahead, two candles burning in metallic lanterns either side of it.

I licked my lips, gingerly moving toward the door as the rain and wind pounded on the tower’s entrance.

“Be careful,” Medusa warned.

No shit, Snakey.

“Hello?” I called gently.

No answer.

By the way the flames had appeared, this tower definitely wanted us here. Whether that was for nefarious or jolly reasons remained to be seen.

I put my money on the former.

The wind howled, shaking the front door, its hinges squeaking. I shivered, inching forward.

“We’re going up,” I said.

“Lead the way,” Medusa answered.

I summoned my stakeblade, passing under the arch and finding a spiral staircase of cracked stone. Candles flickered to life in the recesses ahead, lighting the way.

“Fucking hell,” I whispered, my heart hiccuping a little.

Please don’t be a trap…

With every step, my chest tightened with anxiety. Steady beats of panic rising in ferocity as we went up, up, up. My mind played with me, conjuring a scenario where the stairs turned into a slide, dumping me in a spike pit.

Thanks bunches, brain.

We reached the top without incident, arriving at an empty room with another staircase leading up. Crossing the room, disturbing thick layers of dust, we came to a second room identical to the last, along with more stairs, candles guiding our ascent.

After a few more empty rooms, we came to a bigger room. Torches in sconces burst to life, casting light across a huge cauldron resting on a pile of ashes, its top covered in cobwebs.

Rain crashed against the dirty windows, the wind a terrifying howl rattling them.

Damn storm.

There were two closed doors, one directly ahead of me, and the other on my right. A wardrobe and an old-fashioned writing bureau sat in the far corner, both covered in dust.

The stench of rotting meat hit my nose. Retching, I pinched my nose, the door directly ahead of me giving me a bad feeling. I shuddered, hesitant to take another step.

Until the sound of a muffled voice caught my attention.

“What was that?” Medusa said.

It came from the creepy door.

My scalp prickled, my hand strangling the hilt of my weapon. “Is someone in there?”

A muffled response.

I looked to my companion. “What the hell?”

Her amber eyes locked onto the door. “Something bad happened here.”

I shivered again, swallowing an uneasy lump. My feet itched, wanting me to go back the way I’d come and wait in the alcove outside for Medusa to take us back to the palace. It’d be better there, and easier to deal with than this unknown shit.

Muffled grumbling sounded behind the door.

I backed away, skin clammy.

I shouldn’t be here…

“This wasn’t a smart idea,” Medusa said.

I moved back again, taking slow steps toward the stairs.

The mumbling continued, every hair on my body at attention.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

The thunder crashed, the wind throwing itself harder at the window.

I shouldn’t be here…

In an instant, my feet glued to the spot. Instinct was slamming on my brakes, forcing me to pause and take stock. Somewhere buried deep inside me, a tiny spark sent a message in rebuttal to my fear.

You should be here…

“Why do things have to be so weird?” I complained.

The spark sent the same message again.

After half a minute of pondering, Medusa mumbling about the wrongness of this damn room, I began to approach the door.

“What are you doing?” she hissed.

I steeled myself against my anxiety. “Getting answers. Otherwise, what was the point in coming here?”

If we did nothing, we remained in the dark.

“I’m going back,” Medusa said.

“But—”

“To bring Silvanus with me. He needs to be here.”

My breath caught in my throat. No. She couldn’t bring him here. Absolutely fucking not.

As if she’d heard my thoughts, she came at me with, “Spare me any whining. He deserves to be here. Never mind your mutual hatred. This is something for you both to witness.”

She clapped, opened the doorway, and off she popped. I didn’t try stopping her because I got the vibe she’d smash my teeth in if I did.

Silvanus. Here. Seeing him again after—

I applied more steel on my emotions, focusing on the door.

Fuck this. I wasn’t waiting for King Prick.

Here we go…

I moved across the floorboards, my lightfeet not making a sound, my heart a gong in my chest. If I opened that door and some beast leaped out to tear my face off, I’d—

Stop it!

“I’m not going down easily,” I fired off a warning at the door.

Mumble, mumble.

I tested the metal doorhandle. No shocks, no nasty kickbacks. Pushing it down, the door popped open, swinging toward me a little, a pale gray light spilling out. The unholy stink of death belched in my face, acrid and hot.

I gagged, moving back, my eyes watering.

Gross. Gross. Gross.

The mumbling came louder, but not clearer.

With a deep breath, I pinched my nose again and dragged the door open. Its hinges wailed as it revealed a recess filled with luminous gray mist swirling around a man cocooned in chains.

Whoa.