Page 105 of Worse Fates

This room is large, smelling of old paper and wax, soaked in silvery light that catches dust motes. Chestnut bookshelves line the walls, the carpet a luxurious brown, and brass hooded lamps dot the heavy coffee tables and leather armchairs.

It’s also the room I’ve been purposely avoiding—the library.

“This way.” Ramy takes us past floor-to-ceiling shelves lined with old leather bound tomes and newer paperbacks, the carpet muffling my wet steps.

Here, the grey clouds outside darken the corners, so when Ramy leads us to a table hidden in the back, weighed down by unorganised hardcovers, it’s almost pitch black.

Without being told, I crawl under and bring my knees in, hugging my poker to my chest as Kai sits beside me, his own poker at his hip.

“I counted ten mages, but there could be more.” Ramy kneels. “Jace is with them.”

“Fuck,” I curse, ripping my socks off to toss them into the corner with a dullsplat. “This is all my fault.”

“That bastard has free will,” Kai tells me, voice stern. “This shit is on him.”

Ramy nods, eyes fierce. “And I’ll rip out his throat for invading our home.”

“Okay then,” I breathe. “What’s our plan?”

“We have to get to the garage,” Ramy says, firm. “We take one of the cars, it doesn’t matter if they see us or not once we drive out of here. It’s daytime and we might be in the middle of nowhere, but the further we head towards the city the higher chance someone will spot them. And they might be reckless, but if they’re noticed doing magic the full force of the supernatural community will come down on them with no mercy.”

There’s anothersmash, causing me and Kai to jump.

“But they’re hunting through the mansion room by room.” Kai’s voice shakes.

Ramy steadies the knee I didn’t know was bouncing, and takes Kai’s hand. His dark, beautiful gaze unwavering. “I need to draw their attention away.”

“Fuck off, no!” Kai whisper shouts.

“There’s gotta be a different way, Ramy, we ain’t letting you get hurt!” Heart pounding, I shake my head.

“This mansion might be big, but if they find us we’ll all die. Let them destroy this place, but they aren’t hurting my friends.” Ramy’s tone cuts—sharp, angry, precise.

I don’t want to let Ramy go. I want to call Lucero and for him to come save us, or hide under this table until the fucking blood mages get bored and leave.

But we don’t always get what we want.

“Don’t take any risks, alright?” I force out. “What do you need us to do?”

“And this plan better include you, Ramy,” Kai adds, voice laced with steel, “because we aren’t leaving without you.”

There’s another crash, louder and closer than any of the others.

“I’m going to get upstairs and start making some noise. Kai, put your phone on silent and I’ll do the same. Once I have them distracted I’ll text you and you both run to the garage.”

Kai curses. “I don’t have my phone.”

I fish it from my pocket and hand it over.

Kai mutters a ‘thanks’ and puts it on silent, while I ask, “What do we do when we get to the garage?”

Ramy gives me the pair of keys he flashed earlier. “These are for a range rover, grab it and get out. I’ll catch up no matter what.” Ramy shoots me a devilish smile, it’s so unlike him that my racing heart begins to slow. “I’m a vampire, afterall.”

We don’t say ‘goodbye’ or ‘good luck’ when Ramy leaves us, we simply tuck in our legs and count every destructive racket as his back vanishes from view.

Kai keeps his phone out and we stare at the black mirror, waiting for Ramy’s name to come up. When minutes go by, I can’t bear to stare unblinking at the dark reflection and raise my gaze to the opposite wall.

Then freeze, coming face to face with the very things keeping me away.