*** This story contains some mild language, suspense, romance, and some frightening images and situations—13 and older, please.
In the Grip of Twilight
By:
Olivia Tannis Moore
Chapter Forty Five:
Week One, Day Two
Tunnels
A crushing weight landed on top of me and a hand clamped tightly over my mouth.
His voice was deadly serious inside my head. Don't move. Don't make a sound.
I couldn't breathe with Demetri's weight covering my back and Thaddeus' book pressing into my chest, but I remained still, listening to the footsteps above in the antechamber, the rustle of a cloak…
Then the footsteps retreated, and the door to the antechamber closed with a click.
Demetri rolled toward the outer wall of the chamber, taking me with him. Then he stood, pulling me roughly to my feet but still keeping a steely arm around my waist. His voice boomed inside my head: You're the most infuriating female I've ever come across! He stared at the book poking out of the top of my parka. It wasn't worth getting yourself imprisoned over—and I'm not talking about your room either! He crouched, making me crouch as well, and pushed something at the bottom of one of the bookcases. My eyes grew wide as a portion of the wall slid open silently, revealing a passageway.
I looked back at the chamber—I had to replace the lock and chains on Thaddeus' bookcase; that was the whole point of picking the lock instead of ripping it open.
But then I gasped, realizing just how close I had been to being discovered.
The floor of the chamber was webbed with a network of blue laser beams, an elaborate alarm of which I'd only seen in museums and banks. I had been so close to stepping on one of the thin beams that I was amazed I didn't trigger it. It was only Demetri's diving tackle that had prevented me from setting off the alarm.
Demetri was pulling me along into the secret passage. I resisted, pushing back against his arms. Thaddeus' book thudded to the dirt floor of the passageway, but I didn't care.
The lock! I have to go back!
He scowled down at me. His voice in my head exploded. I'll come back for that! I have to get you back to your room—the Lycans have found the underground tunnels!
I pushed hard against at him. I wasn't concerned with the Lycans or anything else at the moment. And it wasn't just the lock I was worried about either. The broach…I have to get the broach.
To Hell with the broach, Isabella! We can't stay down here!
I became frantic, trying in vain to wrestle myself free from his grip. It has the Cullen crest on it!
He suddenly let me go and darted back into the chamber. I watched as he nimbly evaded the criss-crossed beams.
He returned within seconds, pressing the broach into my palm.
I picked up Thaddeus' book, and then we were running the long, endless maze of tunnels.
***
(Note: Telepathic dialogue will be in italics without quotation marks from now on. I haven't been very consistent with that lately. Have a great Easter holiday! See you next week. OTM)