Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97229 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97229 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
It was almost dark when I saw the glow of Edwin’s manor in the distance.
My soul was screaming so hard for Hans that I could hardly bear it as we pulled up into the driveway. I was aching in my seat until the car parked up outside the main entrance and I dashed away with nothing more than a thank you.
It was Daniel who answered the door, still in an oversized long-sleeved t-shirt with an emo smile on his face.
“They’re waiting for you,” he told me, and closed the door behind us.
I nodded.
“This way,” he said, leading me through to the drawing room.
And there he was. My Hans. My beautiful vampire lover in an incredible black tuxedo, waiting for me with a beautiful, fanged smile.
He held out open arms and I dashed for him, feeling like I was coming back home after a long time away.
“You look beautiful,” he told me, easing me away by my shoulders.
“Yes, you do, sweet little Katherine,” agreed Edwin and appeared in my view from the right.
There were candles everywhere, and the chandelier was glowing, and it was obvious from the way they looked at each other that this was a major ritual. I got butterflies so strong they nearly had my legs wobbling.
I took a long sip of merlot along with Daniel as the two vampires watched alongside us, and we made a short social of it as the clock ticked away. Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick. And then – as midnight grew near – Hans gestured to the hallway.
It was time to go.
“Good luck,” Daniel said, and I felt sorry for him as I spotted the non-malicious envy in his eyes.
“Yes, indeed. Good luck and congratulations,” Edwin added.
Hans took my hand and led me back through the house as he had the night previous. We descended the steps until we arrived at the tunnel to the tomb, and he gave me the illuminated lantern, flickering brightly.
He pointed at the darkness of the tunnel.
“You have a head start, little one,” he whispered. “So use it. Let your body run free and your soul run free along with it, until it gives up the fight and lets me take you. I’ll be following. Closely.”
I nodded, taking a breath, his words prickling my skin.
“Go,” he said.
And I went for it, as quickly as my giddy legs would carry me, and charged through the tunnel like a girl possessed.
Chapter Thirty-three
The cold stone walls of the tunnel felt tiny around me. The lantern flickered, and my breaths sounded savage.
My body knew I was going to die.
I made it through the tunnel with my heart racing and threw myself through the door to the tomb under Garway church. I heard whispers sounding loud, as though I was in another world. Dead knights breathing secrets. Eerie lights shining from vaulted graves. Sacred, twisted, beautiful… almost beguiling. But I didn’t have time to stop and listen. I saw Hans’ coffin in the corner, and I knew the exit was somewhere on the opposite side, but no matter how frantically I searched, there was no door to be found. Did Hans create it? Was it imaginary? Was there no door at all and I was destined to die here in this tomb surrounded by the dead?
Be more careful amongst the dead, Katherine…
Hans’ words came slamming back to me, loud and clear in my head.
It was enough to make me shiver, so I started pounding a fist against the wall, desperate. There had to be an exit somewhere…
Come on. COME ON!
It was when I heard Hans’ slow, solid footsteps echoing through the tunnel that fear catapulted me to search faster, harder.
COME ON!
Open your eyes, little one!
I spun around to the tunnel, footsteps getting louder, echoing…
Open your eyes!
I spun back to the wall and there it was, a solid wood door with a big round handle. What the hell!?
I tugged it open to find steep stone steps leading up into the night. I bounded up them two at a time with the lantern still flickering, and found myself in the grounds of the church I’d come to know so well.
This couldn’t be real, surely? There was no door from the church to the tomb. I’d have seen it hundreds of times. Was this imagination? Was this whole thing one crazy fantasy of my mind?
My heart said no. My heart told me this was as real as real could be. The limits of the rational were fake, and my eyes were open to a whole other world.
The lantern flickered and died as I stood there, mesmerised.
Luckily the moon was bright enough to light my way.
The familiar gravestones were all around me as I hurried up the path and past the old yew tree. I kicked my heels off and took the long route up the bank at the far side, and the moonlight lit up the church in a midnight glow.