Marina's Awakening (Seduced By Shadows Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Istumble through the endless corridors, searching desperately for any signs of escape. The alarms have finally stopped blaring overhead, but in its absence, the silence only amplifies my fear. I can hear screaming and shouting all around me, but it”s too distant to pinpoint from which direction the noise comes. Everything feels so disorienting, and I wish for the millionth time that I was still a vampire. At least then I wouldn”t have this pounding headache or the overwhelming urge to throw up.

Finally, I see an exit up ahead, sunlight streaming through the glass windows. With a renewed sense of hope, I break into a run. My body aches at every step I take, my legs threatening to buckle beneath me. Just a few more steps and freedom...

”Looking for a way out, Marina?” Charles”s voice echoes through the maze around me, and I whirl around to find him. ”You can run, but you can”t hide.”

His taunting words make my blood boil, but I push the anger aside, focusing on the task at hand: survival. I take a sharp turn down another corridor, hoping to throw him off my trail. But even though I hear no footsteps following me, I know he”s still there. I can feel it in my bones. I sprint faster than I ever have in my life, and just when I think I might have evaded him, I run straight into a dead end.

”Ah, trapped like a rat,” Charles sneers, stepping into the hallway, his silhouette casting a menacing shadow on the wall. ”Nowhere left to run, Marina.”

I press myself against the cold wall, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. I can feel the panic rising within me, threatening to take over, but I fight it back, steeling myself for what comes next.

”Let me go, Charles,” I demand, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.

He laughs, a sound devoid of humor. ”Oh, my dear Marina, you really think you can just walk out of here? Your escape ruined everything. They were supposed to find you in that storage room, and we were going to trap them there. After all the trouble you”ve caused us, I don”t think I”m going to let you live after all.”

I swallow hard, and my throat is dry with fear. I know I”m no match for him in a fight in my current condition, but I refuse to go down without a fight. ”They”re going to kill you, you know. You”re a dead man walking. They”ll find a way to stop you. Drake won”t rest until he”s put an end to your madness, and Gabriel won”t stop until he”s found me.”

”Oh, I”m sure they”ll try. But by the time they figure out what”s truly going on, it”ll be too late. The process has already begun, and even if you”ve put a kink in the chain, the gears are already turning. Your precious vampires will all be turned human before sunrise, and then they”ll be weak. Just like you. We can”t lose, Marina. All is right with the world as long as we win this final battle. And win, we shall.”

My heart sinks at his words, and I feel sick to my stomach. I glance around, searching desperately for any sign of help. But the hallway remains empty.

”You see, Marina,” Charles continues, taking a step closer, his voice low and menacing. ”I have plans for your precious Gabriel. After all, what better way to punish you than by taking away the one thing you love most?”

My heart lurches at his words, dread coiling in the pit of my stomach. Gabriel, in danger because of me. If I hadn”t brought him into this, he”d be tucked away in his safe apartment, completely unaware of this war going on in his backyard. I have to find a way to stop Charles, to protect him. But how?

”You won”t lay a finger on him,” I vow, my voice trembling with rage. ”I”ll die before I let you harm him.”

Charles raises an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes. ”Oh, I have no intention of laying a finger on him myself. But I can”t say the same for my associates.”

Before I can react, he lunges forward, grabbing me by the throat and slamming me against the wall with brutal force. Pain shoots through my body, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of seeing me flinch.

”You should have stayed in your cell, Marina,” he hisses, his grip tightening around my throat. ”But now, you have to be punished. And believe me, you won”t like what comes next.”

His fingers dig into my neck, cutting off my air supply. Black spots dance at the edge of my vision, making it difficult to think, but I force myself to focus. I struggle against his hold, clawing at his hands in a desperate attempt to free myself. But his grip is like iron, unyielding and merciless. The world seems to slow down as I slip toward unconsciousness yet again. All I can hear is the deafening thump of my heart pounding in my ears. My lungs ache as they try to pull in more air, but I force myself to breathe slowly, willing myself not to pass out again.

As the darkness threatens to pull me under, I dig deep in search of the strength to fight back. Thoughts of Gabriel, of our unborn child, and the safety of my clan flash through my mind like lightning. The sheer terror for their well-being fuels a fire within me, igniting a raw, human ferocity I never knew I possessed. With a guttural cry, I gather every ounce of strength I have left.

Using every ounce of my remaining strength, I raise my knee sharply, connecting with Charles”s abdomen. He grunts in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to suck in a desperate breath. Taking advantage of his momentary weakness, I slam my fist into his face with all the force I can muster. Blood splatters from his nose, and he staggers back, releasing his hold on me.

Gasping for air, I collapse to the floor, but I don”t stay down for long. My maternal instinct screams at me to get up, to fight, to protect. Every fiber of my being is focused on one thing: stopping Charles and ensuring the safety of my unborn child and the man I love.

Charles wipes the blood from his face, his eyes flashing with rage and disbelief. ”That”s not possible,” he snarls, advancing toward me once more. ”After everything I”ve done for you, you still choose them over me? I saved you, Marina!”

”You don”t get it, do you?” I spit back, rising to my feet again. ”You took my choice away from me! You stole my agency—my freedom, my happiness.” My voice cracks, filled with emotion, but I don”t stop. ”Now I”m taking it back. And Charles, I don”t choose you.”

He lunges at me, but this time I”m ready. Ducking under his outstretched arm, I pivot and deliver a powerful kick to his side. He stumbles, off-balance, and I seize the opportunity to land a series of quick punches to his face and torso. Each blow is fueled by love for Gabriel, by my unborn child”s future, and by the bonds of my clan.

”You underestimate me, Charles,” I growl, my voice dripping with determination. ”I may not have the strength of a vampire anymore, but I have something far more potent. I have the will to protect those I love, and that”s something you”ll never understand.”

Charles spits out a tooth, his eyes narrowing as he glares at me. ”You always were stubborn,” he sneers, wiping the blood from his split lip. ”But you”re forgetting one thing. You may have the will, but I have the power.”

With that, he charges at me again, faster and more ferocious than before. I dodge his attack, but he”s relentless, his movements fueled by rage and desperation. I weave and duck, dodging his strikes while landing a few of my own whenever I can. Each blow he delivers only strengthens my resolve to protect my family and clan from his twisted plans.

Finally, seizing a momentary lapse in his defense, I deliver a devastating uppercut to his jaw. He stumbles backward, disoriented, giving me just enough time to catch my breath and regroup. I can see the anger and frustration boiling behind his eyes, but I also see something else—fear.

”Give it up, Charles,” I pant, my chest heaving as I try to catch my breath. ”You”ve lost.”

He glares at me, his chest rising and falling with each ragged breath. ”I will not be defeated by the likes of you,” he snarls, his voice dripping with venom. ”Not when victory was so close, not when everything I”ve worked for is within my grasp.”

”But at what cost, Charles?” I ask, my voice softening despite my anger. ”Is it worth sacrificing everything you once held dear? Your humanity, your compassion, your love? Because that”s what you”ve done. And for what? Power? Control?”

For a moment, he looks at me, really looks at me, as if seeing me for the first time. And in that moment, I see a flicker of doubt cross his face. It”s faint, almost imperceptible, but it”s there nonetheless. The next thing I know, his face hardens again, and he comes at me once more. My mind goes blank, my body on autopilot as I focus solely on surviving this fight.

Charles bears down on me, fists flying like thunderous rain, every blow aimed to inflict maximum damage. My head throbs from the impact, but still I fight back, refusing to give up even as darkness threatens to consume me. I have one shot at making him pay for all the hurt he caused—and now is not the time to lose hope or surrender to my fear.

Suddenly, Charles falters, losing his footing for just an instant, but that”s all I need. As soon as he hits the ground, I”m on top of him, raining punches down on his face with reckless abandon. I land two more powerful blows before Charles manages to wriggle free from my grasp. He slams a fist into my stomach and sends me sprawling across the room. Gasping for air, I scramble to my feet again as quickly as possible. My side burns where he punched me, and I can feel blood dripping from my nose. The floor is slick under my feet, covered in my own blood mixed with his, but I push forward, refusing to give up even though I”m exhausted beyond belief.

This time, when Charles rushes at me, I jump to the side, and he goes headfirst into a window. Shards of glass fly everywhere, piercing the flesh of my hands and forearms, but I dive at the floor, reaching for one particularly large and sharp shard. Using it like a blade, I stab the nearest exposed patch of skin on Charles”s leg, drawing blood.

”You bitch!” he howls, trying to kick me off his back. I don”t let go, though; instead, I dig deeper, slicing into him with every ounce of strength I have left. He slams his fists against the ground, over and over, trying to dislodge my grip, but I hold firm. When I pull the makeshift dagger out, blood spurts from his femoral artery, soaking my clothes, but I drive it down again, this time right into his jugular.

I can hear Charles gasping for breath as his body tries to respond. His limbs are still twitching beneath me, and his chest heaves violently, but it”s too late. His death throes come suddenly, a loud gurgling noise escaping his mouth before falling silent altogether. I let go of the glass shard as if burned, recoiling at the sight.

Charles is dead—he can”t hurt me anymore. He won”t touch Gabriel, or any other member of my clan, ever again. My hands begin to shake from both relief and shock. It took everything in me to kill this man—the very man who had once been so important in my life, and yet now, I feel nothing. The only emotion I feel is regret for what happened and sadness for how much he must have changed along the way.