Page 96 of Their Reckless Thief (The Below #1)

A third guard spotted us, raising a glowing amulet that flared with light.

Before he could activate it, Vincenzo lunged forward with vampire speed, his presence like a storm as he blocked the sentry with supernatural strength.

His movements were fierce and calculated, an intensity to his eyes that was both deadly and protective.

For him, this was so much more than just another mission.

He’d put himself between me and danger without hesitation, and seeing him like this only cemented the depth of our bond.

I caught my breath as the guards fell one by one. With each encounter, I could sense the fortress itself awakening, as if the wards were slowly becoming aware of our presence.

We pressed on, our pace quickening, the weight of silence returning until finally, the vault loomed before us: a massive stone door etched with intricate symbols that pulsed with power.

A faint golden glow emanated from it, casting eerie shadows on the walls, and I knew that this was the bloodline lock, the final barrier that guarded the Mirror of Truths.

“Only one way through,” I whispered, pulling out the key we’d swiped from the Wraith territory. It was small, no bigger than a thumb drive, pulsing with its own faint energy as it synced to the lock’s enchantments.

Vincenzo stepped forward, and I handed him the key. Our fingers brushed, and for a moment, I didn’t feel the ancient, suffocating magic. He placed his hand on the lock, the key warming in his grip as it readied to replicate the stray’s signature.

Nothing happened. The stone remained silent, the lock unyielding. Just as I was about to curse under my breath, the enchantment flickered, sensing something amiss. Vincenzo’s face tightened, his eyes narrowing as he pressed harder, urging the magic to respond.

A low hum vibrated from the door, growing louder, angrier, as if the lock was fighting back, testing the device, challenging it.

“Celeste, prepare the override.”

I nodded, pulling out my failsafe device.

My fingers trembled as I adjusted the settings.

If this failed, we’d trigger the vault’s alarm system and be sealed inside with no escape.

I shot a quick glance at Luca and Dorian.

They were watching me intently, their expressions a mixture of tension and readiness.

I gestured for Luca to come closer. I needed his magic for the override.

Positioning myself beside the lock, I activated the device, and Luca sent a surge of magic into the system.

A faint vibration ran through my arm, and I felt the device struggle, pushing back against the centuries-old defenses woven into the lock’s magic.

Beads of sweat prickled on my forehead as I fought against the barrier, wrestling it into submission.

The hum grew louder, and for a terrifying moment, I thought the lock would overwhelm us, the magic flaring as if ready to reject us entirely. My fingers pressed harder against the device, the heat building as I strained my concentration.

With a sudden, sharp click, the hum stopped. The symbols dimmed, and the vault door shuddered before creaking open, revealing a dim, yawning darkness beyond.

I stepped back, breathless and dizzy, as the tension in the room broke. Vincenzo caught my gaze, his eyes fierce but softening with relief.

“We’re in,” he said, a rare flicker of approval in his tone.

We all shared a look, and a sense of victory rippled between us. I knew better than to let my guard down, though. The mirror lay within, but so did the risks we had yet to face.

Instead of the usual magic-bound obstacle, the last barrier was different.

It was unmistakably human, and one I knew all too well.

Thin red beams crisscrossed the breadth of the vault, weaving an intricate, deadly pattern—laser sensors designed to catch any unwelcome magical signature.

If Luca, Vincenzo, or Dorian went through, they’d trip the alarms.

“Lasers…” I muttered. “Of course, they’d throw in this kind of tech right at the end.”

“You’ve done this before, Celeste,” Vivian said, though she sounded uneasy.

I closed my eyes briefly, summoning the knowledge Roberto had drilled into me. He’d taught me everything about navigating lasers—how to move with precision, where to look for gaps, and how to turn even the narrowest opening into an escape.

Memories surfaced of Roberto relentlessly pushing me to get it right, again and again, until each step was second nature. I blew out a breath. This setup looked more unforgiving than any other I’d encountered. One wrong move, and we’d be surrounded in seconds.

“My love,” Dorian whispered, “you’ve got this. We’re right here.”

I met his gaze, letting his quiet confidence fuel my resolve. Nodding, I took a steadying breath, then focused on the first laser.

Just as I was about to finish my first step, a quick, vivid flash pulsed behind my eyes—a vision.

I saw myself inching through the beams, my movements calculated and precise, only to lose my footing halfway through and my wrist brushing against a beam.

The sound of an alarm echoed through my mind, and I jerked, heart racing, dread crawling along my skin.

I shook my head, forcing myself back into the present. Not this time. This time, I’d get through unscathed.

“Celeste, you’re hesitating,” Vivian hissed in my ear. “You can do this. Just focus.”

I inhaled and exhaled slowly a few times as I studied the lasers. One step, then another, slipping between beams barely spaced wide enough for my body. Each movement was slow, deliberate.

Roberto’s voice echoed in my mind, guiding me: Focus on each step. Don’t rush. See the gaps, not the obstacles.

My hands shook as I worked through the lasers, the air around me vibrating with the force of the magic pushing back. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and for a terrifying moment, I thought I’d lose control.

“You’ve got this, sweetheart,” Luca said, his voice steady despite the tense set of his jaw. “You’ve done far more difficult things before. This is just another challenge.”

“You’re not alone, love,” Dorian said. “We’re right here. Just breathe.”

Vincenzo, always so composed, had a tremor in his voice when he spoke. “Failure isn’t in your nature, dolcezza . Finish it.”

Each step was excruciatingly slow. I stretched my arms above and around, ducking low, twisting my body in ways that strained every muscle.

I was stronger than the last time I had attempted to avoid lasers like these, no doubt thanks to Luca’s training.

Every time I cleared a beam, my pulse thundered, but the relief was short-lived as I faced the next one.

“Halfway there,” Vivian’s voice chimed in. “You’re doing great, Celeste. Breathe.”

Luca’s voice broke through my focus next, a steady undertone. “Take your time. We’ve got all the time in the world if it means getting you through.”

That wasn’t true. Each second spent here was a risk. If we didn’t move fast, someone would notice the delay on the surveillance cameras. Still, their words helped, and I slipped between the lasers, barely breathing.

One by one, I passed each sensor, the finish line finally in sight. I allowed myself a quiet exhale, nerves settling. But just as I went to clear the final tricky angle, my foot shifted the tiniest fraction off balance, and the tip of my finger brushed against the last beam.

Red flashed faintly through the room, almost imperceptible, but my heart dropped right into my stomach.

“Celeste.” Vivian’s voice sounded tense. “Silent alarm. You’ve triggered it. Two-minute countdown.”

I felt the color drain from my face as I whipped my gaze to the others, panic seizing me. “I… I thought I’d cleared them.”

Dorian clenched his fists, his expression darkening. “We’ll adapt. Let’s move before the guards arrive.”

Vincenzo’s jaw was set, his eyes flashing with a fierce determination as he grabbed what we came for. “We have the mirror. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

I swallowed hard, kicking myself for my mistake, but I forced myself to focus. I couldn’t let one slip cost us everything. We were still in this, and as long as I could put one foot in front of the other, we’d find a way out.

Luca squeezed my hand, but I didn’t find the usual comfort in his touch. “Come on. Let’s make this count.”

Dorian shifted into his wolf form and nudged me to get onto his back. This way, my human speed wouldn’t slow us down. There was no need to contain their magic now that the alarm had been tripped.

We moved quickly, retracing our steps through the maze of corridors, but the return path was anything but straightforward. The first audible alarm blared as we reached the main hall, echoing through the stone walls.

“Vivian, we’re on the move,” I hissed, my earpiece crackling to life as her voice came through.

“Got it. I’m rerouting the surveillance, but they’ll be on to you soon. Head for the exit through the east tunnels. The underground transport is waiting just beyond the final warded checkpoint.”

Dorian took point, with me on his back, guiding us through the labyrinthine halls. Twice we had to dodge sentries, their footsteps echoing close by as they combed the estate for intruders.

“Left,” Vivian said. “There’s an exit down the hall. You’ll have a fifteen-second window if you move fast.”

“Fifteen seconds,” Vincenzo muttered, his gaze flashing as he took the lead. “Everyone ready? Move.”

We sprinted down the narrow corridor, each turn more disorienting as the fortress’s walls twisted and stretched and reshaped, illusions shifting to distract and throw us off course.

It felt like the walls themselves were closing in, part of some twisted trap designed to keep us locked in forever.

Vivian kept us moving, her directions keeping us one step ahead of the guards and sentinels gathering around every corner.

Just as we turned a sharp corner, a blur of movement caught my eye.

Massive, shadowed figures emerged from the hall’s depths.

Sentinels. Enormous, armored beasts with sharp, glowing eyes that locked onto us with deadly intent.

They weren’t alone. Behind them, snarling dogs, their teeth bared and dripping with a malevolent gleam, advanced with terrifying speed.

“Vivian, we’re surrounded. Options?”

“Working on it!” Her voice crackled with an urgency I hadn’t heard from her before. “There’s a junction up ahead. If you cut right, there’s a chance it will lead to the outer corridor and a side exit, but they’re closing in on every angle.”

Every turn felt more impossible, the maze of halls stretching out before us as shadows shifted and twisted, distorting our path. We pressed on as the sound of our pursuers grew louder, their snarls and heavy footsteps echoing through the stone halls.

Then we hit a dead end.

Dorian skidded to a halt, and my heart sank when I saw the solid wall of stone before us.

I jumped off his back as the sentinels closed in from behind, their steps slow and menacing, savoring the inevitability of our capture.

Vincenzo and Dorian positioned themselves in front of me.

Dorian’s hair stood on end as he growled and bared his teeth.

This was it. There was nowhere left for us to go.

“Celeste…”

I turned to Luca. His gaze burned with fierce determination as he stepped close and held out his hand. “Take hold of me. All of you.”

Vincenzo shot him a sharp look. “What are you planning?”

“I’m going to veilstep us out of here,” Luca replied, his jaw set. “It’s risky as fuck. I’ve never transported more than one person, let alone three, but it’s our only shot.”

I hesitated, but the look in his eyes told me he wasn’t backing down. With a trembling hand, I gripped Luca’s arm tightly. “Let’s go.”

Vincenzo and Dorian exchanged a quick glance, then Dorian shifted back to his human form. They put their hands on Luca’s shoulder. The sentinels loomed closer, their massive forms casting shadows over us, their weapons raised, ready to strike.

“Hold on,” Luca said. A darkness that pulsed like a heartbeat rippled through the air as the shadows gathered and swirled around us. A cold chill seeped into my skin as it wrapped around us, pulling us in.

I closed my eyes, feeling the weightlessness take hold, like being submerged in cold water, the world around me stretching and distorting. The last thing I heard was the roar of the sentinels closing in, and then?—

Silence.

An all-consuming, endless silence that would have overwhelmed me if it weren’t for the steady throb of Luca’s heartbeat against my hand. Then, with a sudden jolt, my feet hit solid ground, and I stumbled, blinking as the world came back into focus.

We were outside the fortress walls, the air crisp and clear, the stars above shining down like silent witnesses. I released Luca, my hands shaking as I looked around in disbelief.

Dorian was doubled over, vomiting into the grass.

“We made it,” I whispered, barely daring to believe it.

Luca staggered beside me, his face drained of all color. “Barely,” he managed through ragged breaths, but his usual confidence was there. “But we made it.”