“Wow. That’s pretty long,” I sighed. “So what do you guys for fun?” I questioned, trying to keep filling in the uncomfortable silence.
“Mostly nothing. It can get pretty boring around here. I usually hang in my room and read or play video games. Sometimes the guys will include us in their outdoor games, but they can get pretty rough. I broke my arm once, playing football with them. Since then, Alaine’s forbid us to participate. We usually just sit and watch,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “Courtney and I try and get them to play hide-and-seek with us. They don’t like it much because we always win that game. They can never find us when we go into the labyrinth,” he said wiggling his eyebrows up and down.
“How did you find it?” I asked.
“Well, we have a lot of extra time,” he huffed. “I just happened to pull some of the hedges apart, and noticed that a few places were hollowed out.”
“There are more tunnels?”
“No. Just that one. We’ve hid snacks, water, and books into each of the others though to help kill the time while they’re searching for us. They usually give up after a half-hour or so. Thomas is usually the first to give up.”
“Courtney, what do you do for fun?” I asked, surprised she hadn’t said a single word so far.
She shrugged, “Not much. Mostly read or watch movies. Alaine takes us on outings as much as she can, but lately she’s been really busy. Sometimes Miss Lilly lets me help make lunch or dinner. She’s teaching me how to cook,” she said with a half grin.
We finally reached the front of the house, and I was glad. Everything was becoming numb and frozen.
Caleb held the door open to let us in. As soon as we entered the hall, loud voices echoed from the upper levels. I glanced up to see Kade and Thomas rounding the corner of the second floor. As soon as Kade spotted me, he exhaled a deep sigh of relief and smiled. I could hardly suppress the smile or the heat that instantly flushed through me.
Thomas donned a wide smirk across his face; his blue eyes piercing.
“They’re fine. I found them in the labyrinth,” Caleb announced proudly.
“I checked the labyrinth…three times,” Thomas answered, arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Caleb through narrowed eyes.
“Well, obviously, you didn’t check well enough, did you?” Caleb returned smugly, shrugging his shoulders. Thomas mumbled a few unintelligible words through gritted teeth, while Kade chuckled, holding a hand to Thomas’ chest in a lame attempt to hold him back.
“Emma! Oh, thank God!” Alaine called from down the hall. She quickly made her way to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. She did the same to Courtney. “You girls just about gave me a heart attack!”
“Sorry,” I said sheepishly. “Courtney was giving me the grand tour of the grounds.”
She quickly glanced at Courtney whose eyes fell to the floor, and a frown curved on her lips.
“Well, I’m just glad that you’re both safe,” she said with her hand on her heart, offering a warm smile. “Come, Emma. I’d like to speak with you now.”
I nodded. My insides were dancing with the knowing that I’d finally get some answers to the questions flooding my mind.
Courtney suddenly gasped and a terrified look shot across her face. She tugged on Caleb’s arm and pulled him to the side, whispering something quietly into his ear.
“Is everything alright?” Alaine asked turning her attention to them.
“Yes,” Caleb muttered in a grumpy voice. “Courtney dropped her book somewhere in the labyrinth, and wants me to help her look for it.”
“Well, don’t be too long,” she said with a soft smile, “and I’d like to speak to both of you about your studies after I’m finished with Emma.”
“We won’t be long. I’m pretty sure I know the area where it dropped,” Courtney answered.
That was strange. I didn’t remember seeing Courtney with a book. Actually, I was sure she didn’t have a book when we went outside.
“Hurry up. Let’s go,” Caleb grumbled at Courtney. He briskly walked towards the front door with Courtney in close tow.
“Oh, those two. They are something,” my aunt sighed and laughed.
She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and led me down the corridor to her study. When she swung the door open I gasped. It was like nothing I’d ever expected. Rows of cherry wood shelves lined the walls, and they were filled with books - hundreds and hundreds of books of every genre.
The back of the room was dimly lit with old statues and artifacts that were encased in glass. The room looked like a library or museum, not a study. There were paintings, statues, and photographs of all types of angels; old antique angels from the days of Michelangelo, along with cute chubby cherubs, and even the modern, more masculine, defined angels with unearthly beauty and large perfect wings. I slowly walked pass all the shelves, examining the books, art, and what looked to be ancient relics. It was definitely something that only the rich could afford. Some of these things looked like they were dated way back, like as far as A.D. and maybe even B.C.
After giving me some time to admire her things, she cleared her throat and pulled me from my state of awe.
“Have a seat, Emma,” she said pointing to a large, comfortable chair set in front of a desk. She took her seat behind the desk. “I know you must have a lot of questions.”
“Yes,” I exhaled loudly.
“Well, let me begin,” she said softly. “You are here because we share the same blood. I am one that will never turn my back on family, even if they’ve never been there for me.” She passed. Her eyes became saddened and distant.
“I’m sorry,” I said sympathetically, not really understanding the whole story.
“No. No,” she responded. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Emma, I know I could never replace your mother. She was an extraordinary person, but I want you to know that I will always be here for you,” she said with a warming smile. “So, what questions do you have for me? I know you probably have a million.”
She was right. There were so many questions turning in my mind…too many, in fact, that I couldn’t decide which to start with. So, I figured that the best place to start would be the beginning.
“How did you know about the accident?” I asked, my voice shaking. This was the first thing I wanted to know. Within a day, she’d already called and pulled whatever strings she needed with the State to release me into her custody.
“Well, I make it a point to know what was happening with my family. When both my adoptive parents passed, I was alone. I had no one, and was determined to locate my blood family. I vowed to stay close ever since.”
“You were close with my mother?” I questioned.
“Yes. Your mother and I have been in contact ever since you were born,” she admitted. “We talked just about every day.”
“But why didn’t she ever tell me about you?”
She took in a deep breath. “We all agreed that it would be best if I stayed at a distance, only because it would have complicated things. I know everything is very confusing to you right now, but it was the best decision for you at the time. You just have to believe me.”
“But why would you being a part of our lives complicate things?” I questioned.
“Let me start from the beginning,” she exhaled with a smile.
A sudden bang on the door interrupted us. Both of us turned as the door flew open, and Courtney stood sobbing and hyperventilating, with wide, horror stricken eyes. She was covered in dirt, and had scratches on her face. Her shirt was torn and stretched, and she had twigs and dirt matted in her hair.
“Caleb!” she bellowed. “Caleb was kidnapped! He’s going to die! The monster said he’ll kill him if you don’t give them Emma!”
My breath seized, and everything around me became a haze. I turned to Alaine.
“What?” Alaine gasped. “Tell me exactly what happened!” She bolted out of her chair and rushed to Courtney’s side.
“I - I don’t k
now,” she cried. “It - it was some kind of monster…like a vampire!”
Oh God! They found me! The Darkling actually found me. My entire body began to tremble in fear.
“Where?” Alaine pressed, shaking her. “Courtney! Where are they?”
Courtney paused, but only for a second.
“We were in the tunnel… in the labyrinth. I forgot to lock the door on the other side when Emma and I came back through, so Caleb went back with me to shut it. When I was climbing down the ladder, something grabbed my leg and yanked me down. It grabbed me by the neck and started choking me, but Caleb jumped down and knocked it away. He told me to run. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. I didn’t know what to do,” Courtney began crying uncontrollably.
“What secret tunnel?!” Alaine raised her voice.
“It’s in the labyrinth. Caleb found a tunnel in one of the hedges that leads underground, to the other side of the fence.”
“Is Caleb still down there?”
“No. The monster took him! He said that they’ll kill him if you don’t give them Emma. He said they will have him at the Weeping Rock. If they don’t get Emma tonight, Caleb will die!”
“Courtney, I want you to go to your room. I don’t want you to leave this house, do you understand?” she said firmly. Courtney nodded.
“Why do they want Emma?”
I froze, and my aunt froze too. She turned to glance at me, taking in a deep breath, and then turned back to Courtney, just as Kade and Thomas rounded the corner.
“What’s going on princess?” Thomas asked with a furrowed brow, glancing at Courtney.
“Gather everyone. Quickly. I want you all back here in five minutes,” Alaine urged. Kade glanced at me, but all I could do was shake my head.
Kade and Thomas quickly disappeared from the doorway.
“You can go now Courtney,” Alaine said calmly, hugging her and kissing the top of her head. “Caleb will be fine.” Courtney nodded and wiped the tears from her dirty face, and looked at me with a deep sadness in her eyes, and then headed out the door.
I felt horrible for her. I knew she’d trade me for her brother, in an instant, and I didn’t blame her. She barely knew me and none of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t come. It just seemed like I was a magnet for terror.
“Emma, I want you to stay here with Courtney. Thomas will stay back and look after you. I will take the others and go get Caleb. We’ll bring him back.”
“But she just said that if I don’t show, Caleb will die!” I protested. I wasn’t about to let someone die because of me. That was something I’d never be able to live with.
“Emma,” she shook her head, walking up to me.
“It was a Darkling, wasn’t it?” I said staring at her with tear filled eyes.
“Yes,” she breathed. “And, that Darkling, and whoever else is with it, wants you dead. We don’t know how many there are, or what kind of situation we’ll be walking into. It’s not safe, especially for you.”
My breath seized as I remembered my encounter with the stranger on the other side of the fence. “There was a strange man I spoke to on the other side of the gate, who told me the same thing. He said I needed to go back because I wasn’t safe.”
“What man?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me his name, but he told me that I shouldn’t be outside of the gate alone.”
“Well, I don’t know who that was, but I’m glad that it was him and not a Darkling that you ran into. And that’s why I want you to stay. There are things you don’t know about yourself. Reasons why those things want to kill you.”
“Well, if it is my fate to die… then I’ll die, but there’s always the chance that I won’t. And, I’m not about to sit at home, locked in a room, while you guys are out there risking your lives because of me. I’m going with you, whether you like it or not,” I said stubbornly. The words coming out of my mouth surprised me, just as much as it did her. Her lips turned up into a smile.
“You’re so much like your mother,” she said taking my face in her hands.
What she was talking about? My mother’s personality was completely opposite of mine.
The room suddenly filled. Kade, Thomas, Malachi, Dominic, Alexander, and a slightly older guy, who had to be James, formed a half circle around me and Alaine. Henry stood quietly inside the doorway.
“What’s wrong?” Kade asked, his anxious eyes darting between us.
“Caleb’s been kidnapped by a Darkling. It attacked him and Courtney in a secret tunnel within the labyrinth. Do any of you know about this tunnel?” she questioned, looking at each one of them.
“No,” they said in unison, shaking their heads. I knew they were telling the truth.
“Where is he?” Alexander asked.
“They’ve taken him to the Weeping Rock, and they want Emma in exchange. They’ve also made a threat to kill Caleb if we don’t. Get your gear and assemble in the foyer in fifteen minutes. Malachi. Dominic. Bring the vehicles around front.”
“You’re not letting her leave, are you?” Kade blurted, stepping forward, pointing at me.
“She’s made her choice,” Alaine answered. “She will be coming with us. We can discuss this later, Kade. Right now we have to move.”
Kade didn’t look happy. He shook his head in disappointment and headed out the door with the others.
“Emma, if you’re coming with us, I suggest you dress warmly,” Alaine suggested with a look of worry on her face.
I nodded and quickly left the room, not wanting to stay and debate with her, just in case she changed her mind. I ran most of the way down the hall, and back up the stairs, taking them two at a time. As soon as I hit the third floor and made the turn, Courtney was standing in front of her doorway.
“I’m sorry, Emma,” she sobbed, running toward me and hugging me tightly.
“Hey, hey. It’s alright. Don’t worry about it,” I said, patting her back.
“I don’t want you to die, Emma. I really don’t. I just want my brother back. He’s all I have left.”
“I’m not gonna to die, and we will get your brother back,” I said, unsure of my words. “I’ve seen Kade fight one of those things, and let me tell you… he can kick some major ass. And, I’m sure the others can too.”
Her mouth opened as wide as her eyes. “You saw one of those things before? When?” Her words, along with the rest of her, trembled.
She was clearly traumatized by the creature in the tunnel. I didn’t blame her, because I was still haunted by my own encounter. Flashes of his pale face, long stringy, raven-black hair, sharp teeth, black sunken eyes, and the stench of his rotted breath horrified me. I could still hear his haunting whisper calling my name.
“A creature like the one you saw attacked me in the bathroom at the airport. But Kade and Malachi were there to save me.”
“But why do they want you?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know. They want me dead, but I have no idea why,” I finally muttered, as tears pooled in my eyes.
“Uh-um,” someone interrupted. I turned back and Thomas was standing a few feet behind me. His cologne was overpowering, smelling sweet and crisp. He was handsome, in a California surfer-dude kind of way. His bleach blonde hair was disheveled, covering his ears, and his bright, baby blue eyes held a certain look…the look of a prankster. “I suggest you hurry it up, because they’re getting ready to leave. They’ll leave you in a second, and won’t be sorry they did,” he said with a chuckle, thumbing downstairs. He then turned on his heel and pounced down the stairs.
“Oh crap,” I said, wiping my tears. I dashed into my room, but then quickly spun, and headed back to the door. “Courtney, don’t worry… they will bring Caleb back,” I promised. She nodded, and then disappeared into her room snapping the door shut behind her. I specifically said they, because I wasn’t sure if I would be coming back. I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
I made a beeline for my closet and searched for
my warmest jacket, but I didn’t have one. All I had was a cotton hoodie, and a couple of thin sweaters.
Whatever! They’d have to do, and I’d have to layer for warmth. I plucked the last hoodie and a sweater off the hangers, and flung them over my shoulder while I headed for the door. Jeans and converse shoes covered my lower extremities.
I ran down the stairs and as I reached the bottom, Kade suddenly appeared in front of me, catching me off guard. He grabbed me by the cast and quickly led me to the side.
“What are you doing?” he said in an unhappy tone, staring at me through narrowed eyes.
“What are you talking about?” I returned, giving him an eye.
“You’re not coming with us, Emma. It’s too dangerous for you out there,” he said in a loud whisper. His hazel eyes were piercing; boring an invisible hole through my head and my heart.
I steadied myself. “Oh, yes I am!” I breathed loudly. “I have a better chance of surviving with you and the others with me, than I do staying here with Thomas. Those Darkling probably know that my aunt would never allow me to go… So what if it’s a trap? A setup? What if they just happen to show up with reinforcements while you’re all gone? I’m as good as dead!” I said a little louder, with confidence, surprising even myself.
“I don’t think they’re smart enough,” he said.
“Well, it’s obvious that someone else is planning for them. How did they know I was in the bathroom at the airport, or in the tunnel in the labyrinth? And, how is Thomas supposed to be able to fight off more than one of those Darkling things? Courtney and I are worthless, and so is the rest of the hired help. You’ll come back to find a massacre! It seems like they’re only after me. If they know I’m not here, then the rest of them might stand a chance of being safe.”
I really hadn’t given it much thought, but the words coming out of my mouth actually made sense. Someone was keeping a close eye on me, and that thought really freaked me out.
Kade’s face softened a bit. I was right, and he knew it. He took in a deep breath, exhaled loudly and shook his head. He still looked a little upset, but I noticed something, even in its tiniest form, behind the front. He was concerned… genuinely concerned for me. And as I did a quick check of my internal self…the feeling was mutual.