Freedom

Emma’s POV
I take deep breaths, swaying and praying to the Goddess, God, the Universe, every deity I can name, and to be honest it was more than I realised.

I find an equilibrium, first things first, my shard. I retrieve it from where I had hidden it between the stones in the wall. Being careful not to cut myself, vampires love the smell of fresh blood. Then I start shuffling towards the door, hoping and praying that the door really wasn’t locked. That they assumed I was broken down forever.

When I reach the door, I already feel like I have run a marathon. I have no idea how long I have been in the control of the vampires, but I have lost too much weight and muscle mass, so I am thinking weeks. I shudder inwardly, my mind is shying away from remembering the details already.

I push down the handle of the door and push. I feel the lock disengage, and the door opens a crack; it is heavy. I put my shoulder to the door, and using my weight, my strength and pure determination I push until the gap is wide enough for me to slip through and into the lowlit corridor.

I stand with my back against the corridor wall, panting, as the door I have just come through swings shut silently. The lack of ominous creaking is a little disappointing, although I am also relieved.

There is no one in the corridor, although apart from Lord Jorge I don’t think anyone would challenge me; afterall what is a broken down human meal going to do.

Next step, get to the children. I start walking in the direction I was taken before dinner.

I walk slowly, the effects of the venom still ravaging my body; my mind is surprisingly clear, and my plan surprisingly simple… get to the children, get them out of the castle, get them to safety.

I plod on, grateful that this area of the castle is quiet, as I don’t think I could move fast enough to hide, even if there was anywhere to hide.

I arrive outside the door to the cell the pups are held in, and am about to let them out, when I decide that that is a foolish idea until I have an exit strategy for them, so I continue deeper into the dungeons.
…
At the end of the corridor I find stairs leading downwards and decide to explore in that direction, although logic would say that under the castle is not a way out, I am hoping for a secret escape tunnel, or maybe a large bore sewer pipe… actually water has to escape some how, so that is not a bad idea.

The deeper dungeons are much darker than those above. Once I am in the full darkness I try saying ‘Lux on’, to no avail, no lights come on. Tears threaten, but I pull myself together; they will achieve nothing.

I walk back a little; to where my eyes can just make out the shapes of my surroundings. The Goddess must have blessed me, I notice a gutter-style drain running along the edge of the corridor, and I follow this by feel, eventually coming to a hole in the wall.

The hole feels to be big enough for a child or a small woman to wiggle through, but too small for a grown man. I can feel the breeze, and smell outside air. Fingers crossed the tunnel isn’t too long, I duck down and crawl in. Yep, a small woman will fit.

Slowly I wriggle forwards making my way inch by inch through the ink blackness. Desperately trying not to think about the amount of stone over my head, or what will happen if the tunnel narrows any further. Then I can see a greyness ahead of me. I crawl towards it and find my head poking out into the night air.

I am above the ground, and it is too dark to judge how far, but this is a viable way out, so I turn to go and get the children. Before I reenter the ground I send a thought to Peter… one of apology, regret and farewell.

Oh well, time to get the children, and I really hope vampires can’t turn into vapour or bats like in the movies, or this plan is doomed.
…
I make my way back to the cell holding the children. I am guessing that a few hours have passed, because my body feels like my own again, so the drug in my body has worn off. This leaves a window of opportunity, because it is only a matter of time before withdrawal kicks in again and I become a liability.

The key is where I saw it when I visited, so I unlock the door and walk in.

The children are all in their bunks, asleep; not even bothering to keep a watch. I pad to the nearest bunk, and shake awake the sleeping child. He is one of my pack, so I link him. Wake the other children quickly and quietly. We need to get out of here, your lives are in danger.

I move to the next bunk, repeating the process, and the children I have woken in turn wake their compatriots.

In short order all of the children are awake and staring big eyed at me.

‘Can you all shift?’ I ask in a whisper. They all nod.

‘Okay, I need you all to shift now, then I am going to lead the way to a tunnel that leads to the outside.’ I look at them, checking for understanding, their faces pale and scared looking in the low light.

‘Once we get outside, run for your lives, you need to get back to the pack, but to be honest I have no idea where we are, so I pray the Moon Goddess guides your paws. Reach out through your mindlinks. Believe me your parents are searching, if they can they will come.’

‘Go on then, shift,’ I command them.

The room is filled with the noise of breaking bones, it sounds deafening in the confined space, turning my stomach. Then the area is full of wolves, a massive fur carpet covering the stone floor.

‘Wait,’ I tell them, and slide out of the door to check that the way is clear. I run a little way back towards the main castle, and can hear nothing, so I jog back and let the pups out.

‘Follow me’ I whisper, leading them further into the depths of the castle.
…
My ears are straining for any indications of danger; that the lack of pups has been discovered. The clicking of werewolf claws on stone seems unnaturally loud.

We make our way to the lower dungeons, and follow the gutter into the dark. Before the light gets too low for my eyes I call a halt.

‘Okay kids,’ I explain. ‘It gets darker from here on in. I need you to follow this gutter, it leads to a tunnel that goes to the outside. There is a drop at the far end, I am not sure how far, but this is our only chance.
I want you all to go in single file, I will bring up the rear. If the alarm is sounded and it looks like they are going to find us before everyone is through the tunnel, I need you to split up and run to try and distract the vamps from those who have managed to make it into the tunnel.
May the Goddess keep you all safe. Now let's go.’

I watch the wolf-pups disappear into the dark, following hard on the heels of the last one. I hear an alarm in the castle above.

Shit, my heart is thundering in my chest. ‘Run,’ I urge the wolves. ‘Get in that tunnel and get out of here.’

I can hear them scrambling into the tunnel.

**‘LUX OMNES’** thunders through the area, and light floods the dungeon area. Allowing me to watch the final two children disappear into the tunnel.
I can hear the guards coming. I have to work out how to cover the children’s exit, if they don’t get away then this has all been in vain.

*Please Goddess,* I pray. *Let the children escape, I will give anything, my life, my heart, my soul. Just let them escape please.*

*Nunc eclipsis* whispers in my brain. *Nunc eclipsis.*

With nothing left to lose, the sounds of the hunters is getting closer. I say strongly. ‘Nunc eclipsis’

Darkness pours out of my chest, from the necklace that I still wear. The darkness of the eclipse settles over the corner with the drainage tunnel, hiding it from sight. I look at it and give a little prayer that the spell holds.

Then I move away from the tunnel and slice my forearm with my glass shard. The Need is coming, so I barely feel it slice my flesh, then I turn and run noisily searching for the deeper dark, away from the children, away from escape.