Where You Are

Chapter 18

ARABELLA

I'm a monster. I grip his shirt willing him to open his eyes. When he doesn't my grief turns to anger. How could he let me do that? He could have stopped me? Why would he let me? I stand pulling at my chains on the wall. I will kill him for changing me. The chains groan as I pull harder. I will break them. I pause as the door opens. Our torturer walks in looking between us.

"Oh dear, look at what you've done." He's far from upset about it. I rush towards him going as far as the chains will let me and my arms stretch painfully behind me. He doesn't even flinch. He knows exactly where to stand so I can't reach. "What are you angry with me for? You're the one who killed him." He sneers at me. I pull at the chains with everything I have until I'm sobbing again. I sink to the floor. 

"I will kill you. How can you do this to people?" I've got nothing left.

"You know nothing of my plans, but you will soon."

"You're pathetic. I think I finally understand. She didn't leave you, you killed her." He snarls taking a step closer. That's right get closer you ass. 

"You know nothing!"

"You killed her, not me or anyone else. You. You have no right-" He picks me up by my throat slamming me into the wall repeatedly. Greif and anger contort his face and I wonder how long ago it happened. He's trying so hard to cover his grief with anger. I was going to kill him, but I can't bring myself to do it anymore.

"How dare you!"

"Your mistake does not give you the right to make others do the same!" He tosses me towards Theo's body and I flinch away. He approaches me, a sneer on his face. He leans down to whisper in my ear.

"It hurts doesn't it? Killing the man you love." I nod mesmerized by his red eyes. If I died right here next to Theo, I'd deserve it. "I can help you, poor thing." He places a hand on my cheek. 

I'm pushed to the side and I keep sliding until the chains pull me to a stop. I can't believe my eyes. Theo's alive and moving. He wraps his chains around the guys neck making the mans eyes bulge as he pulls tighter.

"Theo wait!" I quickly stand and but my hand on his arm drinking in the sight of him. He's really alive.

"I will not let him get away with changing you! He had no right!" I hold his gaze and reach for the keys on the guys belt. I slowly unlock Theo's chains never letting my eyes leave his. I'm afraid if I do he'll kill him. I quickly unlock mine and chain the guy.

"I'm alright." I say and Theo's grip relaxes a little. I grab the the remote and the guy grunts in anger. I shorten the chains and Theo releases him. He slams into the wall so hard his body goes slack. Oops. 

Theo pulls me into a hug, squeezing me tightly. I breathe him in. He always smelled so good even when he's been down in a dungeon for days. He pulls away and my hand whips across his face. His eyes widen in surprise.

"What-"

"How could you let me think you were dead! That's just-you..." He places his hand on my cheek, bringing his lips to mine. I deepen the kiss wrapping my arms around his neck and running my hands through his hair. He pulls away resting his forehead against mine.

"You had to be believable. If I told you he would have known it was a trick."

"You had this planned all along?"

"Well when I figured out what he wanted I-" I kiss him again.

"I'm so mad at you, but I'm so happy you're alive."

---

Theo peeks around another corner. He waves for me to follow and we run down the hallway of doors. I slow down and peek into one of the rooms through the slit in the door. There's someone in there chained to the floor.

"Theo, I think we're gonna need some help Getting out of here. Why don't we start letting people out?" I whisper and jingle the keys I'm holding. He peeks through the slot and sighs.

"Alright, but let me unchain them. Keep watch." I nod. That I can do. I hand him the keys and he slips inside. When he comes out he's followed by a blonde haired vampire, his hair tinged pink with blood. He looks like he's ready to pass out, but he's standing on his own. I look into another room and nearly shout when I see who it is.

"It's Joey!" Theo tosses me the keys and I hurry inside. He only shows his surprise for a moment before he smiles.

"I'll be damned." He stands rubbing his wrists. I throw my arms around him. I'm so glad he's okay. I haven't had much time to think about the others from the mansion, but seeing him is such a relief. "Maybe I should be captured more often." I roll my eyes and step back. He follows me into the hallway and exchanged a nod with Theo. The two of them seem to fall into some kind of routine as we continue freeing people. They don't even have to say anything aloud to understand one another. 

By the time we reach the stairs that lead out of the dungeon we have about 15 other vampires. I hope we won't have to fight our way out. Theo heads up to do some recon and comes back a few minutes later.

"Alright, this is it. From what I can tell there's a few guards on the other side of the door. If you see anyone put them down before they can sound the alarm." Everyone nods.

Theo and Joey go up first and snap the necks of the two guards before shoving them down the stairs. I shudder. I hadn't put much thought into it, but I might actually have to kill someone. I step out of the stairway and for the first time in awhile I see sunlight. We've made it to the ground floor. We fan out to cover more ground. There's not too many people inside. I cringe when I hear the snap of a neck. When we find the front door Joey pulls back the curtain and peeks out.

"I don't see anyone, but it's all open land." He shakes his head and lets the curtain fall back into place.

"We could look for a better way out?" This place is huge. There's got to be a back door, or a window we can climb out of.

"The longer we stay here the more likely we'll get caught. Someone's going to notice the guards are gone." The blonde pipes in.

"That may be true, but I doubt we'll get very far if we go this way." Theo mumbles. "We'll have to risk it. There's a better way out." An argument breaks out. A lot of them just want out and are willing to risk the front door. "We'll split up. Arguing is doing us no good." Theo grabs my hand and pulls me away from the front door. Joey, the blonde and a few others follow.

Shouts erupt from the front followed by gunshots. Theo suddenly pulls me around a corner.

"We need back up out front." I hear the crackle of a walkie talkie, and see about five vampires run by. I hate to say it, but those out front are creating the perfect distraction. Theo waits a moment before stepping out. Just down the hall is another door guarded by two vampires. They dispatch the guards and a loud alarm sounds. I cover my ears hissing in pain. They grow louder and louder. Theo scoops me up and takes me outside. Slowly the alarm fades.

This way wasn't too much better. It was open land for about a mile, but after that was a forest. We're close to the tree line when a group of vampires block our path. Theo sets me down and pushes me behind him. My eyes widen when I see the blonde figure in front of us. You've got to be kidding me. I glance at the others but they're all too busy.

"Well, well, well." She says in that sticky sweet voice of hers.

"Colette."