The Consort's Will 《COMPLETE》

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Vampires and humans alike smell death. Their brains process how it reeks of decay, rotting flesh, bowel movements, and lost hope. They all shy away from it, their inevitable ending. As a vampire, I can also sense the coagulation of blood, how it changes from a vibrant, warm flow of life to a chilled liquid with no purpose.

That very smell is with me now. It settles just below my nose, curdling into an immovable presence, so pungent I can almost taste it. The further I move away from the lab and down the hallway, the stronger it becomes. The radio hisses against my hip. No updates have been given since departing from my dearly beloved. It is doing me more harm than good at this point, so I click it off.

Faint shouts and cries of pain whisper in the distance. I carefully follow the sound, but the way it bounces and echoes against the walls causes bouts of disorientation to their source. It's as if the very walls are taunting me. My frustration builds. The tunnels break out into a dozen different directions at every turn. It's a maze, purposefully designed for this very occurrence – an intruder causing turmoil. I'm under no disillusion that Reyo is unaware of my plan. By now I'm sure he's gotten wind of the deaths of his guards. He knows I am behind them. All of them.

If I had time to plan my attack, I would have woven in diversions. I would have destroyed him in every way, including the dangerous dance that plays out in the mind. Alas, the hands of time are a step ahead of me. Every second wasted brings more death for the vampire species and more pain to my human. Time is a luxury I cannot afford.

Footsteps intensify behind me. The torches are few and far between now, so I move myself into the shadows, melting my form against the wall of rock.

"Shit, you smell that?"

"It's death."

"You really think he's all the way out in this wing? I can barely navigate around here, and I've guarded these hallways for years."

A beat of silence.

"He's a vampire. He's stronger. More resilient. And he knows what's at stake. Do not underestimate him."

My furrows brow at the third, new voice. It's one I've heard numerous times before, filled with determination and unforgiving resolve. Tegan. She and two other guards are moving down the hallway directly next to me. I move from my place and press my ear against the quivering rock. Their voices permeate through the thin walls, muffled but still intelligible.

It appears Mr. Primary is playing a mind game of his own. Involving Gabe was a first step. Now he is involving Tegan. He is testing my limits, seeing how far I will go to kill. To understand where my humanity lies.

For reasons unknown to me, my human has a soft spot for this female Secondary. Though, if I am to reflect on his choices, he seems to take to the pricklier beings, myself included. She is a detestable creature, following in the footsteps of a leader that is no better than the human history from centuries before.

Does Reyo not think I will kill her because my human is fond of her? Or simply because she's a woman?

In either case, he will soon find out.

I slip away from the wall, moving down the hallway as quickly as I am able while still remaining soundless. I am being watched, of that I am sure. I need to be prepared for their attacks when I am within range.

Although I am as close to immortal as there is, that still leaves the option of torture should they catch me. Endless torture. Plus, while I assume my human's blood within Reyo's concocted 'cure' cannot harm me, I am wary of this as well. Reyo continues to surprise me in the worst ways. He has built up a hatred towards the vampire species over the last few decades, spending countless hours in his research lab to develop that serum. I can only imagine what venomous and fatal properties hide within it.