B008GMVYA4 EBOK (41 page)

Both of the twins stared at her their faces soft and
features blank. Each Vampire eyed Madison, examining her, studying her movement
like she was a science project – a pet everyone couldn’t take their eyes off.

“Let there be light…” Gabby smirked.

Trace clenched his fists at his side, anger flashing through
his eyes.

Madison wasn’t sure whether Trace was angry at her for
falling and making a noise or Gabby’s stupidity. Either way, it caused her
heart to beat rapidly in her chest and her head become dizzy from her
accelerated pulse. Movement distracted Madison from eyeing Trace cautiously.
Gabby shuffled along the wall towards her, her hands scrapping against the
jagged stone. The tapping sound of her heels echoed throughout the corridor.

“Where were you off too?” Gabby whispered her mouth close to
Madison’s ear.

“No…nowhere” Madison replied, stuttering with fear.

“Well, we could see you and it sure looked like you were
trying to get away, now why would you want to get away from us?” Gabby said her
works soft and humiliating.

“No, I wasn’t. I just…couldn’t see you!” Madison lied, but
her eyes sincere.

“You know, you’re not a very convincing liar. I thought we
had already worked that one out?” Gabby said, pressing her lips together and
rubbing her forehead in frustration.

“Gabby, we haven’t got time for this” Trace said sharply.

Gabby threw Trace an annoyed look, but quickly softened her
features as she caught Trace’s eye.

“Whatever…” she muttered underneath her breath.

Trace lunged forward and grabbed Madison’s arm, his fingers
dug into her flesh. He caught her off guard. She jumped at his sudden movement
and almost cowered as he went for her. Trace was stronger than Gabby and Andy,
the skin on Madison arm turned instantly white from Trace’s strength. And the
pain was worse than when Gabby had dug her nails in.

He instantly began pulling her down the corridor,
frustration now cracking the cool, calm exterior he had before. Madison
stumbled several times as he dragged her deeper into the damp and musty
corridor.

Gabby slumped away from the wall reluctantly and trailed
behind Trace, Alex and Andy following silently behind Gabby.

Madison’s Ugg boots slipped on the damp stone floor, but
Trace did not stop or slow his speed – he continued to pull Madison faster and
faster down the corridor. She gritted her teeth at the pain of her twisted
flesh where Trace continued to tighten his grip. Her heart thudded in her chest
as the end of the corridor came into sight.

A dark wooden door stood at the end of the corridor, an
eagle with its wings spread out in mid-flight was carved into the door. Its
body was stretched out and each individual feather was carved out perfectly.
The eagles head was positioned to the side as if it was watching them approach.

Two figures dressed in black robes with their hood pulled up
over their heads floated silently across the door at the end of the corridor.

Madison gasped and jumped against Trace. He caught her and
stared down at her, his eyes were completely black in the dim light of the
burning touches. Madison’s eyes widened and she jumped away quickly, realising
she was perched against the dangerous vampire. She had been so overwhelmed by
the sheer beauty of the calved animal; she hadn’t noticed the hooded guards
patrolling the corridor. Trace nudged Madison in frustration and she had
unconsciously stopped dead in her tracks. Gabby huffed behind her, shifting her
weight and throwing her hands to her hips.

Madison shuffled awkwardly forwards, along the slippery wet
stone and holding out a hand towards the stone wall stopping her from falling
over. She stared stiffly down the corridor, fear flowing through her like waves
breaking over her fragile body. Madison’s heart jumped into her throat every
time one of the Vampires stepped on a broken pave stone and it crunched underneath
their feet. She couldn’t take her eyes of the hooded guards at the end of the
corridor. The thudding sound of Madison’s heart beat against her rib cage grew
louder and louder as they grew closer and closer to the end of the corridor.
Trace glared at her from her left. Madison’s racing pulse would almost
certainly draw attention to them as soon as she became within ear shot. She
took a deep breath, trying to calm her beating heart.

Her thoughts were uncontrollable; Brendan’s and Stephanie’s
face whirled round her mind. She was now deep in panic and all the events that
had occurred up until this point now seem to be blurred and hazy. She was
broken, she had lost her best friend due to the circumstances she had gotten
involved in and now she was going to lose Brendan. Madison knew that this kind
of pain would stay with her in this life and the next. Guilt also rumbled
heavily inside her for unknowing dragging Leon and Fred into her tangled web of
pain and destruction.  She suddenly became coherent again and the deep
thought that had gripped her slowly diminished - they had reached the end of
the corridor.

Trace pulled her to a stop a few feet away from the end of
the corridor.

The corridor ahead veered off to the left and right like a T
junction. It was much brightly lit compared to the medieval corridor they had
just come down. The granite in the stone walls sparkled in the brighter light,
giving the appearance that the stone was made out of diamonds. A wall of light
stood invisible at the end of the corridor, shinning their way towards their
destinations. The Twins and Madison remained still as Trace moved silently
towards the wall of light followed closely by Gabby. The guards had now
disbursed down the left of the corridor; they didn’t seem to notice the
Vampires and Madison approaching or seemed concerned by them. Trace stood with
his back against the right wall, Gabby remained behind him her head cocked
around to look up the corridor to the left.

Trace peered around the wall to the right. He stood motionless
as something caught his eye. Gabby tried to lean over Trace’s shoulder,
frantically trying to see what had caught his attention.

Madison shuffled on the spot, turning her head slowly back
down the corridor to where they had just come from.

Alex and Andy stood side by side, there yellow animal like
eyes glowed in the dimly lit corridor. Their facial features hard like stone, a
spark of fear twinkled in their eyes.

Madison swayed backwards a little so she could look past
Andy into the corridor behind him. She hoped to see the outline of Brendan’s
medium build moving within the shadowy corridor towards her, but the corridor
was empty, still. Only the frames from the torches danced erratically on the
stone walls. Although the corridor was lit up in an orangey glow, the end of
the corridor stood in complete darkness that appeared to be creeping forwards,
threatening to consume the whole corridor. The dark in the lower parts of The
Coven was just as threatening as the Vampires that lived within it. It seemed
to move on its own accord, dangerously threatening to consume everything in its
path. Movement caught Madison’s attention and her gaze flickered to Andy who
was eyeing her suspiciously. She straightened up and turned back towards Gabby
and Trace who were motionless.

“I don’t like this at all!” Gabby whispered to Trace, still
peering over his shoulder.

“I know…” Trace whispered back, a speck of fear now in his
voice.

“Where is everyone? This isn’t right. You know there are
normally more guards patrolling down here. They must know something…” Gabby
whispered a spark of panic in her voice.

“Do you really think we would be standing here if the Coven
knew?” Trace whispered angrily.

“But….where is everyone then? Where did the two guards go?”
she asked, placing one hand on Trace’s shoulder and peering further around the
corridor.

Trace shrugged her off angrily. Gabby removed her hand from
Trace’s shoulder, hurt spread across her face once more.

“They went into the great hall” Trace murmured after a few
seconds of silence.

Gabby did not reply, her eyes were still glued to the side
of Trace’s face – hurt and confused. Trace ignored her, pushing his body away
from the wall using his back as leverage. He bumped into Gabby’s shoulder as he
passed her. She stumbled backwards but did not turn towards him. He ignored the
contact and didn’t apologize.

“Ass hole!” Gabby muttered under her breath, but loud enough
so Trace could hear it.

An amused smile crept across Trace’s face. It had become
apparent that Trace had some kind of twisted desire for Gabby and was immensely
jealous of her infatuation with Brendan. It was also clear that due to Gabby’s
lust for Brendan that Trace had never thought it was necessary to mention this
to her. Instead he chose to punish Gabby for her lack of interest in him and
ever growing interest in Brendan.

Even though Gabby seemed confused by Trace’s comments and
hurt at his attempts to dismiss her, she knew what Trace’s intentions had
always been. She found comfort in the fact Trace would always take her side
over Brendan’s, that the twisted way he loved her meant that he would always
follow her lead and take the fall for her. Gabby probably even enjoyed being
treated badly by Trace, neither the less; she had been by his side for many
centuries.

Madison braced herself as Trace approached her. 
Trace’s pupils were like saucers in the darkness, making his eyes appear
completely black. She stepped backwards as he lunged towards her, grabbing her
right lower arm and pulling her towards him. Every inch of her wanted to fight
him off, her muscles flinching as his icy cold hands tightened around her arm.
However, her head reasoned with her body - restraining her from causing a scene
which might draw attention.

Trace’s black eyes met Madison’s hazel eyes. She was
completely absorbed by them, they were pools of darkness that sucked her in and
she was stunned at how demon like they appeared now, scarily growing wider in
the dim light.

Trace turned quickly pulling Madison behind him. Her legs
moved fast and her eyes darted towards the end of the corridor, her breathing
growing fast and shallow. Gabby watched as Trace dragged Madison down the
corridor towards her, a small smile crept across her face. The twins followed
Trace, taking light footsteps not to create any additional sound.

Gabby joined Trace at his side as they approached.

The brilliant white light blinded Madison as it flowed over
her whole body as they stepped into the joining corridor. She had become
accustom to the light, since arriving back in London she had been kept
continuously in the dark. The only light that she had witnessed had been the
light in the mind of the Black Orchid - and that light was superficial. The
light that now consumed Madison in this reality rained down on her like acid rain.
Madison wanted to throw her hands up to shield her eyes, but Trace gripped hold
of her arm tightly. Instead, she squinted through the bright light – black
spots floating around the corridor.

The vampires seemed unaffected by the dramatic change in light
and continued on without hesitation.

Madison was completely blinded by the light, every time she
tried to open her eyes the stinging would start and she was forced to screw her
eyes shut again.

She was relying completely on Trace’s guidance which unnerved
her. Even though the light caused her eyes to sting uncontrollably, Madison was
apprehensive and couldn’t help but grab a few glimpses of the corridor ahead.

Everything was blurry, but slowly the corridor ahead came
into focus.

The corridor was the same décor as the corridor they had
just travelled now, the bright lights making the granite twinkle like diamonds.
Doors lined each side of the corridor, stretching down as far as the eye could
see.  

All the doors were identical, the in-flight eagle carved
beautifully into each one. At the end of the corridor was two large, dark oak,
doors. Climbing vines that wove in and out were carved into the large medieval
doors; each individual leave of the vine was carved in amazing detail. The
craftsmanship was truly breath taking, something that no one from this
generation had the skill to produce. It was enchanting and it stood out from
the other doors which lined the corridor. It was bigger than the rest and it
had something magical about it.

Madison’s eyes began to adjust to the light and, she could
now keep them open without a serve stinging consuming them. She now gazed up to
the ceiling, iron chandeliers with black candle sticks hung from the ceiling.
Each candle stick had a bubble of eye piecing white light spilling out from it.

She scanned the corridor slowly - taking in her
surroundings. Madison’s legs ached under the weight of her body and her head
felt light and dizzy from dehydration. She was on edge, her nerves permanently
shaken from the events that had occurred this night. If she survived tonight,
she would almost certainly never be the same again. The damage that had been
done to her would remain with her for the rest of her life, hanging over her
like a dark hood of loss and fear. But Madison knew that she was reaching the
end of her journey and she knew she would be extremely lucky to make it out
alive.

As they approached the door Trace held out his arm and
stopped Gabby dead in her tracks. He pulled Madison to a stop and joined Gabby
at her side.

Gabby stared at Trace, her eyes wary and still confused. A
few loose strands of hair hung down either side of her face, dark circles hung
underneath her beautiful green eyes. Her skin waxy and blemish free, even under
the brightest lights she still looked stunning, like she had been airbrushed of
all imperfections. She was in a completely didn’t class to Madison, and Madison
couldn’t help but feel plain and ugly next to her.

Trace stared at the large double doors, deep in thought.