Marina's Awakening (Seduced By Shadows Book 2)

Chapter Eleven

As I make my way back from the restroom, the grandeur of the ballroom surrounds me. My eyes inadvertently meet those of a familiar face—someone from a chapter of my life I”ve tried hard to close. Charles freaking Marlowe, the man I was supposed to marry when I was still human. The very same man who vanished into thin air when I was turned into a vampire.

It”s been over a decade since I last saw him, and time has been kind to Charles. His hair, once a messy mop of chestnut curls, is now neatly styled, framing a face that”s matured into something more refined, yet still unmistakably him. His eyes, a piercing shade of blue, lock onto mine, and I thank the heavens I”m wearing a mask.

He approaches me, and I just pray that my mask is enough to hide my identity. ”You look stunning,” he says, his voice dripping with the same charm that used to make my heart flutter. ”Easily the most beautiful woman here this evening.”

I force a smile. ”Thank you,” I reply, doing my best to keep my voice steady. ”It”s been a long time, hasn”t it?”

His eyes narrow slightly as if trying to place a puzzle piece. ”Indeed, it has,” he agrees, his gaze never leaving mine. ”You remind me of someone I used to know.”

My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing like a drum in my ears. I take a step back, trying to put some distance between us. ”Well, masquerade balls have a way of bringing out the hidden person within, don”t they?” I ask, forcing a casual tone.

”So it would seem,” he replies with a knowing smirk that makes my blood run cold. There”s a confidence in his tone that wasn”t there before, and he leans forward as if to whisper something in my ear. Instead, he takes the opportunity to wrap an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. My muscles stiffen in resistance, but I don”t fight him—not yet. ”Perhaps it”s best we keep some mysteries hidden, don”t you think? It makes it all the more exciting later on.”

I nod and swallow hard. ”Absolutely,” I agree. ”Although, some mysteries are meant to be left unsolved.”

Charles”s arm snakes around my waist.

”But where”s the fun in that?” he retorts, his tone teasing.

I force a laugh, trying to mask the panic rising within me. ”Perhaps,” I concede, my voice strained. ”But not all secrets lead to pleasant discoveries.”

His eyes gleam with amusement, and I can tell he”s enjoying this game. ”Ah, but isn”t that half the thrill?” he counters, his grip tightening as he leans in closer. ”The anticipation of what lies beneath the surface?”

I try to pull away, but his hold on me is firm, unyielding. ”Some thrills aren”t worth the risk,” I reply.

”Oh, you are delightful,” he comments. ”Would you honor me with a dance?”

Before I have a chance to decline, he”s already guiding me onto the dance floor. As we stride through the people, I steal a glance over my shoulder, searching desperately for Gabriel”s reassuring presence, but he”s still struggling to make his way through the crowd.

”Something on your mind, my dear?” Charles”s voice breaks through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.

”Just lost in the moment,” I reply, my voice strained. ”It”s been so long since I”ve danced like this.”

”Well, then let”s make the most of it,” Charles suggests as he spins me gracefully across the dance floor. With each turn, the distance between me and Gabriel grows wider, and as much as I want to stomp on my former fiancé’s foot and run, causing a scene is the last thing we need right now.

The cello starts, and as the other instruments follow, a haunting melody fills the grand ballroom, setting the stage for an elegant waltz. This feels all too familiar—dancing with Charles, losing myself in his touch. In fact, it feels like deja vu. We danced this way the night he proposed.

I don”t remember much about that night—the details are hazy—but what I do recall is the intoxicating sensation of dancing with him, falling under the spell of his charm and wit. Back then, he was a dream, someone who filled every void within me. His eyes were always captivating, drawing me into his world like a moth to a flame. The way he moved, the sound of his voice, they were intoxicating, addicting. That”s when I knew nothing could come between us, and my heart soared with excitement.

Nothing, it seems, except for me becoming a vampire. The night I revealed myself to him, that beautiful bubble burst, leaving me empty inside. With my father dead, I believed that he was the one person in all the world would might still love me despite what I was turned into, but he proved me wrong. Instead of welcoming me with open arms, he tried to kill me, and when that didn”t work, he ran away like a coward.

This evening has brought back painful memories, reminding me just how much I have lost, and that scares me. But then I remind myself that Gabriel knows what I am, or rather, what I was, and he hasn”t run away. Gabriel is not Charles.

”You seem to know your way around the dance floor,” Charles comments, his voice smooth and controlled.

”I”ve had my share of lessons,” I reply. ”Some skills stay with you.”

We glide across the floor in perfect synchrony. The soft light from the chandeliers casts a golden glow on our intertwined forms, adding to the surreal and otherworldly atmosphere.

”Ah, the magic of the masquerade,” Charles says, his voice dripping with charm. ”It”s like stepping into a different world, isn”t it?”

”It certainly is,” I agree, doing my best to maintain a facade of composure.

As the orchestra”s music swells, the tension between us grows, mirroring the escalating intensity of the music. Each spin, each graceful movement tightens the knot in my stomach, leaving me breathless and on edge. Our dance becomes a chess match, where every step we take and turn we make are strategic moves designed to outmaneuver each other. The music becomes the battleground for our dance, and I find myself constantly moving back, trying to put as much distance as possible between us.

The dance continues, a delicate balance of power and restraint. The intricate footwork, the close proximity, and the lingering touches add layers of complexity to the dance, making it impossible to discern who is leading and who is following.

As the music reaches its crescendo, Charles suddenly stops, his face inches from mine.

”Wait a minute,” he says, a flicker of recognition crossing his face. ”You always used to hum that old lullaby when you were nervous. Still a habit of yours?”

I slap my hand over my mouth and my blood turns to ice. I hadn”t even realized I”d been humming. When he tilts his head to the side as he inspects me, I catch just a peek of the tattoo on the the side of his neck that”s mostly obscured my his shirt. Holy shit. Charles Marlowe is a Shadow Extractor. This dance, once a game, has now turned deadly.

”Let go of me,” I demand, pulling away, but Charles”s grip tightens.

”Ah, so it is you,” he says through gritted teeth. ”I always knew I”d see you again.”

”You have no idea who you”re dealing with,” I hiss, doing my best to mask the fear in my voice.

His fingers dig into my skin, pinning me against him as he leans in close, his breath hot against my ear. ”On the contrary, I know exactly what you are,” he replies smugly.

I clamp down on my lip, trying to stifle my rising panic, but his words are like daggers twisting into my flesh. In that moment, I want nothing more than to fight back and rip this asshole apart limb from limb, but I can”t—not yet. Not in a room full of people who want me dead.

So instead of run, I do the other thing I can do. I wrench my arm loose and flee. Adrenaline surges through me like a torrential wave as I break free from Charles”s grasp. My heart pounds in my chest, the beats echoing loudly in my ears, drowning out the music that”s still playing.

”Stop her!” Charles”s voice booms over the music, a commanding shout that draws everyone”s attention at once. His call to arms instantly rouses the masked guests around me, and all eyes turn on me.

The ballroom feels like a maze, its grandeur now suffocating as people close in, their masked faces turning sinister. They reach out, trying to grab me, their fingers clawing at the air as I weave between them. One woman lunges, and her diamond-studded fingers graze my arm, but I manage to jerk it away before she can grab hold.

I can hear Charles”s heavy footsteps behind me, his pace quickening as he closes in, and they urge me to move faster. With each stride, I push myself harder until my muscles are burning with exertion. My heels click against the marble floor in a relentless rhythm that drives me forward.

Spotting a set of double doors ahead, I make a beeline for them, hoping they lead outside. At least with everyone”s focus on me, Gabriel can slip out unnoticed. But as I reach for the handles, two men step in my path, their towering figures blocking my way.

“Going somewhere?” one of them taunts.

Without hesitation, I pivot on my heel and sprint in the opposite direction, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The once-familiar surroundings of the ballroom become a blur as I pass. With my mind focused solely on evading capture, I can”t remember which way leads where.

The crowd thickens, becoming a wall of bodies that I must bust through. They close in around me, forming a human net that traps me in its grasp. I”m hemmed in on all sides, and all their faces are contorted with a fervor that terrifies me. I duck and dodge, weaving through the throng, but they anticipate my every move, cutting off every escape route.

”Stop her!” Charles”s voice echoes again, this time from a different direction, disorienting me. I”m surrounded, and the crowd is a pulsating mass of menace that pushes me back.

Desperation fuels me, giving me a burst of speed as I veer off into a narrower corridor. This place has several hallways and grand entrances, but at this moment, they all look the same. I have no idea where I am—whether I”m closer to the front door or a back exit. My heart feels like it”s about to explode from the fear and adrenaline.

I focus on a door up ahead, intent on locking myself inside, and just when I think I might break free, a shadowy figure materializes from a doorway, lunging at me with surprising agility. Strong hands grip my arms, yanking me into the darkness of the room. The door slams shut behind me with a resounding thud, plunging us into total darkness.

I”m trapped, caught between the relentless pursuit of Charles and the unknown intentions of the stranger who”s pulled me into this room. My breath comes out in panicked gasps, the darkness suffocating as I brace myself for whatever comes next.

The chase has led me here, to the mercy of a stranger, and when a hand covers my mouth, I wonder which fate is worse—finding myself in Charles”s clutches or capture by whomever this person may be.