Blood Lust - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,91

plant to reveal a hidden lock set into a seemingly blank wall.

This had to be it.

Refusing to consider what would happen if she was truly trapped in the dungeon, she stuck the key in the slot. For a terrifying moment it refused to budge. She forced herself to pause, sucking in a deep breath. Panicking wasn’t going to help.

Giving the key a jiggle, she managed to loosen the tumblers enough to allow the key to turn. There was an audible click before a portion of the wall was sliding open to reveal a narrow tunnel.

Stella had expected steps instead of the smooth ramp that headed upward, but she wasn’t about to question her stroke of luck. The tunnel was her escape from the dungeons. That was all that mattered.

Stepping through the narrow opening, she shut the door behind her, still using the phone to battle the thick darkness.

Not that there was much to see. A smooth stone ramp. Steel walls. And an occasional door. She assumed it was some sort of emergency exit for a mass evacuation.

Hopefully it would be the last place any of the high-bloods would think to look for her.

The thought had barely managed to form when she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind her. Shit. Someone was already searching the tunnel.

Stella was arrogant. And vain. And utterly convinced she deserved to be treated as a queen. But she wasn’t stupid. There was no way she was going to be able to outrun a Sentinel. Refusing to panic, she continued forward, her breath hissing between her teeth as she caught sight of the doorway just ahead.

Thank God.

Not daring to slow down long enough to glance behind her, Stella grasped the lever and pressed the metal door open. There was always the chance she was about to walk into a crowd of high-bloods, but she didn’t have a lot of options.

Stepping into a shadowed room, she silently closed the door behind her. Only then did she glance around her surroundings, taking in the miniature furniture and cartoon characters that were painted on the walls.

A nursery. Her heart missed a beat.

This was the place from Peter’s vision. It had to be. She hurried forward. There was supposed to be a child. The clairvoyant’s daughter.

Ah. Satisfaction flared through her as her searching gaze landed on the tiny girl who was happily playing with a doll in the corner. This was the key to getting her hands on the weapon.

As if sensing she was no longer alone, the girl turned her head to send Stella a radiant smile.

“Hello. My name’s Molly,” she said, her eyes looking oddly bronze in the dim lighting. “What’s yours?”

Moving to crouch beside the child, Stella ran her fingers over the silver curls. She gave a small gasp, yanking her hand away as she felt a strange tingle race through her.

Did the child have some weird mutant powers?

She shrugged. What did it matter?

As long as she got her hands on the clairvoyant, she didn’t care.

“Hello, Molly. I’m Stella,” she murmured. “And I’m here to see your mother.”

* * *

Finishing her call to Serra, Lana moved from her desk to stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling window that offered a stunning view of the inner courtyard. The glorious rose gardens, which were enhanced by magic, and the hand-carved marble fountains could rival Versailles. Today, however, she took little pleasure in the lush blooms or the classically carved sculptures that were arranged next to the marble benches.

Instead her thoughts remained on the heavy sense of dread that refused to be dismissed.

She wanted to tell herself she was overreacting.

They had, after all, managed to round up one sect of the Brotherhood. And so far Myst hadn’t created a weapon. Maybe they’d managed to avoid disaster.

But the anxiety continued to gnaw at her, urging her to pick up the phone and call her most talented psychic. Serra had recently left Valhalla to travel to Tibet with her Sentinel mate, Fane. The two had been manipulated by Bas into recovering his daughter from the crazed witch who’d kidnapped her, and while Lana appreciated their desire to spend time alone, she needed the woman’s skill.

Once this latest threat was over they could return to their blissful isolation.

There was a soft knock before the door was pushed open and Wolfe stepped into the office. Instantly the air was filled with the prickling force of his presence, the temperature notching up several degrees.

She shivered, her heart skipping a beat as she allowed her gaze