Marina's Awakening (Seduced By Shadows Book 2)

Chapter Nineteen

My heart pounds in my chest as I push the door open wider, revealing the hidden chamber within the walls of the house. It”s like stepping into another world—one shrouded in mystery and ancient secrets. The air thick with a musty scent of old books and something else, something metallic and earthy that turns my already queasy stomach.

The chamber itself is a spectacle of occult artistry. Intricate symbols and glyphs are etched into the stone walls, their lines pulsating with a faint, otherworldly glow that seems to breathe with life. At the center of the room stands an ornate altar that”s covered in candles, crystals, and an array of strange, arcane artifacts. The only light in the room comes from the crack in the door we”ve just stepped through, and when Gabriel resecures the false panel in place, I have to pull out my cell phone and use the flashlight to see anything.

I can hear Gabriel beside me, his breath quickening as he steps through the doorway. He”s not frightened—it”s more like awe or reverence, mixed with a healthy dose of curiosity. ”This place is... intense,” he mutters under his breath. ”It”s like something out of a dark fairytale.”

I glance over at him and nod, my mouth suddenly feeling dry. My hands tremble, sending ripples across the beam from my phone”s flashlight. I need to calm down before I get lightheaded again, but it”s hard with this place around us. It feels as though I”ve been here before, though I can quite remember when.

As we explore further into the room, more details become apparent. We come across several shelves lined with books on various topics of supernatural lore, as well as vials filled with various fluids, herbs, powders, and liquids. At the back of the room stands a long table, which appears to be made out of human bone—a gruesome but strangely beautiful sight.

There are also large copper pots mounted overhead, each connected by wires or pipes to various pieces of technology I don”t recognize. And scattered throughout the room are other artifacts that make little sense to me: a gold idol, a small statue of a woman holding two swords in her hands, a sculpture of an egg with feathers sticking out of its side; a crystal ball resting atop a velvet pillow... The list goes on.

”What do you think they used this place for?” Gabriel asks, his eyes scanning the room as if trying to unlock its secrets.

”I”m not sure,” I admit, my gaze lingering on a particularly intricate sigil etched into the altar”s surface. ”But whatever it was, it was powerful. This isn”t just a makeshift setup; someone put a lot of thought and effort into creating this chamber.”

As we explore further, I notice a series of alcoves carved into the walls, each containing a small pedestal. Upon closer inspection, I see that each pedestal holds a vial filled with a shimmering liquid, their colors ranging from deep crimson to midnight black.

Gabriel leans in for a closer look, his brow furrowing with curiosity. ”Do you think those are... potions?”

”They could be,” I say, my mind racing with possibilities. ”Or maybe ingredients for some kind of ritual. Either way, we should be careful not to disturb anything. It could be dangerous.”

It”s clear that this chamber holds secrets—secrets that could hold the key to unraveling the mystery of the Extractors and their nefarious plans.

As we stand there, enveloped in the chamber”s eerie aura, I can”t shake the feeling that we”re standing on the precipice of something monumental. Something that could change everything.

As we move deeper into the chamber, our footsteps echoing softly on the stone floor, a disturbing pattern starts to emerge. Gabriel”s flashlight beam catches a series of parchment scrolls tucked away in a niche. Their edges are yellowed with age, and as I unfurl one, my eyes widen at the contents—a detailed diagram of a complex ritual circle. Its perimeter is outlined with symbols, each holding meaning beyond my understanding. Within this circle sits a woman bound hand and foot, her mouth gagged with a black scarf, eyes closed peacefully, as if she”s sleeping. Beside her kneels a man dressed in robes that resemble the kind you”d see in ancient Egyptian tomb art, chanting over some sort of wooden bowl while making complicated hand gestures.

”Look at this,” I say, holding the scroll up to show Gabriel. ”It”s a ritual circle, but the symbols here... they”re designed for something much more potent than what they did to me.”

As Gabriel takes the scroll, my eyes scan over the symbols, and a sudden flash of memory hits me. The lines and curves on the parchment trigger something deep within my subconscious, pulling forth a fragment of a memory I didn”t even know I had.

”Wait,” I interrupt myself, my voice catching. ”I think... I think I”ve seen these symbols before. During the ritual, when they turned me human.”

Gabriel looks up from the scroll, his brows furrowing. ”Are you sure?”

I nod slowly. ”I can”t explain it, but something about these symbols feels familiar. It”s like a piece of my memory has been unlocked.”

”So this ritual... it”s based on what they did to you?” Gabriel asks.

”It has to be,” I say, my voice tinged with disbelief. ”But they”re not just replicating it; they”re amplifying it. Gabriel, this ritual could eradicate all vampires.”

His jaw drops open in surprise before quickly closing again as he thinks for a moment. Then he turns back toward the altar, shining his light on some of the artifacts there—specifically a silver knife with an ornate hilt inscribed with more occult symbols. He runs a finger across one of the glyphs, then turns and asks me, ”What about this symbol? Do you remember seeing it anywhere else?”

I do remember it, but I don”t know why. There was something about that one that struck a chord.

Gabriel must notice the confusion on my face because he asks, ”Do you recognize this one?” He holds the scroll closer, letting me get a better look. And as I study it, I realize why it seems so familiar.

”Yes,” I murmur under my breath, ”I think I do. It”s not just the same symbol as what we found in the Extractor”s notes. I think it”s the exact one.”

He shines the light back at the altar again. The silver knife is etched with an identical image to the one on the scroll—a triangle bisected by a horizontal line and a vertical one, all three inside a circle. ”There”s a pattern here,” Gabriel says, tracing his fingers across the surface of the altar. ”These glyphs represent power in some way.” He pauses for a moment, then looks at me and says, ”Do think Emily and Drake will know what they mean?”

”It”s worth a shot,” I say, opening the camera app on my phone to take pictures.

”Come on,” Gabriel jerks his head back toward the entrance. ”Let”s get this information back to the others.”

As Gabriel and I gather our belongings, preparing to make our exit from the eerie chamber, a muffled sound catches our attention—a distant murmur of voices coming from upstairs. My heart leaps into my throat, and I quickly glance at Gabriel, whose expression mirrors mine as we listen to the voices getting louder. I try not to move, holding my breath and hoping against hope that we can remain undetected, but then footsteps start thundering through the floor above us.

”You hear that?” Gabriel whispers urgently. ”I think it”s the Extractors. We need to get out of here.”

We exchange a quick, nervous glance before I switch off the flashlight on my phone, plunging us into darkness. Creeping toward the entrance, we inch closer to the doorway, straining our ears to catch any hint of movement. The voices grow louder, drawing nearer with every passing second. We can”t make out what they”re saying, but the tone is unmistakably hostile.

As we reach the doorway, I hear the unmistakable shuffle on the concrete behind us. There must be another entrance down here, I realize. My heart skips a beat, and I freeze, holding my breath. Gabriel senses it too and grabs my arm, pulling me closer to the wall, pressing us both into the shadows. I can hear the rustle of clothing, the murmur of conversation growing clearer. It”s a man and a woman, judging by their tones.

We”re so close to the exit now, but the voices are almost upon us. Gabriel motions for me to follow him, and we dart into a small alcove, barely large enough to conceal us both. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing loudly in my ears, threatening to give away our position. The voices pass by the alcove, their footsteps lingering for a heart-stopping moment before continuing on. We exhale simultaneously, relieved but still on edge.

”They”re getting closer to the exit,” Gabriel whispers, his eyes darting toward the doorway.

I nod, my throat too tight to speak. We have to time this perfectly, or we”ll be caught for sure. Gabriel holds up his hand, counting silently with his fingers. On three, we burst from our hiding spot, sprinting toward the exit.

Just as we reach the doorway, the voices crescendo behind us, shouting in alarm. We”re almost there, but the footsteps are closing in, and I can feel the heat of their pursuit on my heels.

Gabriel reaches the false panel first, yanking it open and diving through. I follow right behind him, but as I pass through the doorway, I feel a hand grab my ankle, pulling me back. My heart leaps into my throat, and I shout in surprise.

With a desperate yank, Gabriel pulls me free, and we stumble out of the hidden chamber, slamming the false panel shut behind us. We don”t stop running until we make it to the car and throw ourselves inside. As we speed off into the distance, our breaths still come out ragged gasps. ”That was too close,” I say, my voice trembling.

Gabriel nods, and his face is pale but determined. ”Whatever they”re planning, it”s bigger than we thought. We need to warn the others, so they can be ready for whatever comes next,” he adds, stepping on the accelerator. ”They”re going to know we were here. There”s no telling what they”ll pull next.”