I'm Still Yours, Klaus (Book 4)

CH. 10

TEN:

Sunday, January 28th
9:45 PM

• KLAUS •

"Elijah isn't answering his phone," Hayley informed me from across the room. We were still going through her parents things to kill time now that we were officially locked inside.

"I'll try Freya," I said. Passing Hayley, I handed her a stack of pictures I found in the box I was unpacking. "You might want to hold onto these," I told her.

"We should take more family pictures."

I rolled my eyes, dialing Freya on my cell phone. "There is a reason vampires avoid photographs," I replied to Hayley.

"Well, not everyone in this family is immortal anymore."

I paused for a moment, listening to my call ring and ring. "Freya being one of them. She's not picking up, either," I said right as the call went to her awkward voicemail.

"I'm sure they're fine. They're just busy."

"You know, this is a fool's errand. We're not gonna accomplish anything in this mess. I should be out there," I complained, shoving my phone back in my pocket.

"Dodging an evil ghost who wants you dead? No. You're safe here."

"Safe and entirely ineffective," I quipped, beginning to pace. If I could just handle this quickly... then I could be with my wife.

"Your daughter needs you—"

"My daughter needs the Hollow to be purged from this earth!"

"Why are you yelling at me? I'm on your side."

"Cause I can't be trapped here!" I screamed in frustration, throwing my hands up in the air.

Hayley was quiet for a moment. I thought she had the sense to leave. Until she spoke up in a timid voice that was unusual for her, You're not in a dungeon anymore." I froze then and turned to glance at her. "It's okay."

"The water in the pipes was like nails on a chalkboard," I said softly myself, sharing my horrid experience. "I was starving. I could smell the blood from the people on the street above me, I could hear their heartbeats. My own mind turned against me. It was taunting me. It was relentless. The first few weeks were the worst."

"You're worried about Marcel," she concluded.

The sooner I handled the Hollow, the sooner he could be free. And we both could get back to living our lives in separate cities. "No. Let him suffer," I grumbled.

Hayley didn't respond. She also didn't look like she believed me. Instead we both returned to the annoying boxes filling the room. After Hayley finished hers she stood again from the couch.

"I'm gonna say good night to Hope."

"Hayley, wait," I stated as I heard the sound of footsteps. Heavy ones. I rushed out the room and she followed me urgently.

I narrowed my eyes as I tried to spot someone in the shadows or pick up any sounds. A crack came from behind me and I turned just as Hayley made a soft sound as she fell to the ground unconscious, neck snapped.

In a flash I was behind her assaulter, yanking him back by his shoulder with my right hand and shoving my left through his back to tear out his heart with a satisfying grunt.

"Impressive boundary spell," a voice came from behind me. I spun around to see the witch Dominic, the one Elijah murdered just the other night, dropping him over the balcony. He was in company of three other men. "Unfortunately, it only lasts as long as the witch who cast it," he added with an amused smirk.