Cain's Identity(88)

“Are you sure there’s an exit?” David whispered from the door.
Faye cast a glance over her shoulder. “Yes, there has to be.” Cain had used it. And if he’d found it while still suffering from amnesia, so could she.
She felt her heart pound in her chest, beating rapidly against her ribcage. Memories of her own suffering at the hands of a cruel king resurfaced and made her double her efforts. She had to help these vampires. Nobody deserved to suffer like they had.
Her index finger slipped into a groove. She froze. Then her thumb found purchase.
“There,” she whispered to herself and pressed against the stone wall, feeling something click. She stepped back, a feeling of accomplishment already spreading within her.
“Somebody’s coming,” David suddenly whispered.
Faye whirled her head around and saw how David grabbed Kathryn. Faye rushed toward him, but he was already dragging Kathryn toward the far end of the cellblock where the supply room was located. At the sound for footsteps growing louder, Faye froze for a split second. She was about to dive after David and Kathryn to hide in the supply room with them, when she remembered the door to the tunnel. She spun on her own axis and saw that it was now fully open. Anybody stepping into the cell would see it. She dove back into the cell, but her foot caught on the uneven threshold and she tripped.
Reaching out her hands, she fought for balance, when the person entering the cellblock reached her.
An arm caught around her waist and she was jerked back.
“How fortunate.”
The cold voice in her ears made her blood freeze in her veins.
“Abel,” she managed to echo, pulling herself up to standing. She quickly turned in his hold, hoping to block his view so he couldn’t see the open door to the tunnel.
But when she saw his face, she knew it was too late.
“Well, well, well. So that’s how he got out.”
Faye’s breath hitched. Abel’s words could only mean one thing. He’d been the one who’d tried to kill Cain. “It was you!”
Before she could do or say anything else, Abel shoved a vial at her mouth and forced the contents down her throat. The bitter liquid sent a shock through her system, making her spasm involuntarily. Then her movements slowed and though she tried to push against him and refuse to swallow, her body wouldn’t follow her mind’s command.
She concentrated, collecting her strength to send a mental message to Cain, but she couldn’t form any thoughts.
“Gotcha now,” was the last thing she heard Abel say before darkness engulfed her.
***
“Oh, hello, can I help you?” Maya’s voice cut off the Mississippi vampire.
Cain entered the kitchen behind Victor and looked around. Only Maya was present. He sighed in relief. The two defanged vampires were gone, as was any evidence of the operation that had taken place the night before. The place looked spick and span, a hint of bleach still in the air. It appeared Maya had scrubbed the place down to get rid of David’s and Kathryn’s smell.
Victor turned back to him and stared to the door where others were gathered, tossing the vampire who stood there an annoyed look. Cain didn’t have to turn around to see who he was communicating with. Lee had already outed himself as being loyal to Abel by giving Victor a hint at where he could find the two traitors.
“Well, it appears I was mistaken,” Victor said calmly and nodded. “We’ll be on our way then.”
Cain stepped aside. “A misunderstanding, I’m sure.”
“This is not over.”
“It is for now.”
Without another word, Victor left the kitchen. As soon as he was out of earshot, Cain glared at Lee before issuing his order to Gabriel. “Tie him up.”
“But, Your Majesty . . .”
Gabriel grabbed him and took him away.
Looking at Maya, Cain asked, “Where are they?”
“Faye is trying to get them off the property.”
“How?” he asked, his heart already thundering.
“She didn’t say.”
“Fuck!” he cursed, guessing what Faye was planning. She was going to get them out through the tunnels.
Faye! he called out to her via their bond. Faye, where are you?
But there was no reply. No wonder. She had to know that he was furious at her for revealing the most closely guarded secret of the kingdom. But that wasn’t even the reason his heart was pounding like a jackhammer: Faye was taking a risk by navigating the tunnels on her own. She wouldn’t know which exit to surface at and could still run right into the hands of the Mississippians. While they were leaving the property now, Cain was certain they had some of their men dotted around the forest to keep watch on them. If they caught Faye trying to smuggle out the two defanged vampires, they would capture her.