Half an hour later, I had reached the port. I looked at the last submarine we had floating in the water. Climbing onto its side, I opened up the hatch and lowered myself inside.
Two arms shot out as I was seconds from pulling the hatch shut. My heart sank as Abby’s face appeared outside the hole above. I expected that she’d try to stop me from going and tell Corrine.
But instead, looking down at me seriously, she said, “Wherever you’re going, Ben, I don’t think you should go alone.”
I gazed at her, taken aback.
She was right of course. I shouldn’t be going alone. The chances of me surviving were much less than if someone came with me. But I hadn’t seen any alternative. There was nobody on this island whom I trusted enough to not turn me into Corrine and report me for trying to leave.
“And you’re volunteering?” I asked, frowning at her.
She dangled her legs through the hatch and slid down the ladder.
“You don’t even know where I’m going,” I said.
“I know you’re going to try to find your family,” she replied, closing the hatch above her.
I stared into her light blue eyes.
“Well,” I said, after a pause, “if you want to take this risk, I won’t turn down your help.”
Chapter 22: Ben
Thanks to my uncle, Xavier, I knew almost all there was to know about operating a submarine. As a boy I’d been fascinated to learn how they worked. By the age of eleven, I was piloting one by myself. Although I hadn’t had much practice, I had all the technical knowledge to be able to travel long distances.
Abby still didn’t question me about our destination even as we both took seats next to each other in the control room.
Once we’d started moving, I reached into my pocket and showed her the map.
She spread the paper out in her lap, tracing a finger over Corrine’s mark.
“Waianae,” she murmured. “And what do you expect to find here?”
It was only once I had explained my theory out loud to her that I became fully aware of what a hair-brained idea this really was. It could all turn out to be a wild goose chase. But this map was the only thing I had to cling to.
“You know that this might just be the last straw for Corrine,” Abby said. “The two of us disappearing. The fourth lot of people she’s lost.”
I drew in a breath thinking about it. Corrine was at the end of her tether already. I wasn’t sure that there was much more of her to break.
“So,” Abby continued, still staring at the old map, “according to you, they’ll be somewhere in this cave.”
“Mikau Cave,” I said.
“And what makes you think we’ll get out alive?”
“Nothing makes me think that. And I suggest you return now if you’re not comfortable with it.”
She paused. “No, I’m with you, Ben,” she said softly.
I cast another glance at her, frowning. I wasn’t sure what had made her place so much confidence in me. I supposed that, like me, she too was desperate. She also felt the loss of my family.
“What—or who—do you think is behind this?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Absolutely no idea. But whatever it was, Corrine looked petrified by it.”
“Why would whatever this force is even want Corrine to go there? Why would it reveal its location?”
“It’s likely a trap,” I said grimly, my eyes fixed on the dark waters ahead. “But it’s not like we have much choice. We’ve got to find out what’s behind this.”
Abby unfastened her belt and stood up. She walked over to my backpack and began rummaging inside it. She pulled out the weapons I had packed and placed them on a small table in the corner of the room. Then she left the cabin and returned several minutes later with a much larger bag made of thick black fabric. She emptied its contents onto the table—an assortment of guns and a handful more stakes. She breathed out, staring at what we had there.
She returned to her seat and looked straight ahead out of the screen, a determined look on her face. “There are also some tins of human food down there,” she said.
Food was the last thing on my mind right now, but she was right in thinking about that. We had no idea how long we’d end up at sea. And whatever was up ahead, I needed all the strength I could muster.
I glanced at Abby again. It was a strange feeling to have grown up around someone, yet feel like you’d never really gotten to know them.
My mother had told me enough about the Hudsons for me to know what a tragic childhood Abby had been dealt. But other than Abby being the girl who lost her family, the girl to be pitied, I didn’t know much about Abigail Hudson.
This trip would be the longest time I’d spent with her alone over all my seventeen years combined.
But she’d always struck me as the shy type. Dedicated to her work at the school, she mostly kept to herself. Which was why her behavior in coming with me was so surprising. Here she was, volunteering to embark with me on this crazy mission. I could be leading us both to our deaths for all either of us knew.
Perhaps my mother and sister wouldn’t have been so shocked because they knew her better, but to me she was a familiar stranger.
I cleared my throat. We still had a long journey ahead of us. Now was as good a time as any to start changing that. To my surprise, she was the one to break the ice.
“I don’t find it strange that you’re named after my dead brother, by the way.” She gave me a small smile. “Just thought I’d let you know. I get asked that a lot by the girls on the island. Ben’s a common name in any case.”
“Uh, good,” I said, giving her a sideways glance.
An awkward silence followed—mainly on my part. Abby had spoken matter-of-factly, without emotion.
I had wondered for a long time whether she’d ever held resentment toward my mother and father. After all, if it weren’t for them, their family wouldn’t have gotten implicated in the crazy world of the vampires and hunters, and her parents and brother would likely not be dead. My mother hadn’t given me details of how Abby’s parents had died, but I knew that it was in some horrific way due to the very fact that my mother hadn’t wanted to describe it. I also knew that Abby’s brother had been in love with my mother… and had she not chosen my father, there was always the possibility that Benjamin Hudson would have married her.
I decided to see how far she was willing to go to satisfy my curiosity. “I’m sorry for… everything that happened,” I said.
She nodded, her eyes now fixed ahead on the dark ocean.
“And I, uh, hope this topic doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable.”
She shook her head and gave me a smile. “It’s all right.”
“I’ve always wondered whether a part of you feels resentful of me, of my father… considering the love your brother had for my mother…”
“Seriously? Do others think that too? Does your mom think that?”
“I can’t speak for others,” I said quickly. “But I guess it’s just something I’ve always wondered.”
“No, of course not,” she said, almost breathless with exasperation. “I couldn’t hold a grudge like that against Sofia, or any of you. I couldn’t live all these years with that weighing my heart down. And in any case, it’s not like you can choose who you fall in love with. These things just happen.”
She appeared agitated and stood up. She abruptly left the room, closing the door behind her.
Again, I found her behavior strange. My assumption had always been that Abby was a calm, cool person. Not the type to storm out of rooms in the middle of a conversation.
Once I felt confident enough to put the vessel on autopilot for a few minutes, I left the control room in search of her. I found Abby in the passenger chamber next door. She leaned against the wall and stared blankly at the opposite wall. She didn’t look up as I entered the room.
I sat down on the bench next to her. “You all right?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she
muttered, blowing out. “I guess I’m just sick of people pitying me. I’ve moved on from my past. I’ve found a new life. And each time someone thinks my past might affect how I relate to others, or how others should treat me, it feels like I’m being pulled back to the place I’ve fought for so long to climb out of.”
A silence fell between us again.
“Well,” I said, “I had no idea, so thanks for telling me. It sure makes me feel a lot less awkward around you. I won’t mention anything about your past again. I’ll treat you the way I would any other girl on the island.”
She looked up at me and smiled, her blue eyes sparkling. “I’d like that,” she said, sitting up straighter on the bench.
“So, on another subject… what are you going to eat while we’re on this sub?” I asked.
“Oh, I won’t be hungry for a while,” she replied. “And if worst comes to worst, we can stop and I’ll try to catch myself some fish. Their blood is revolting, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
“All right,” I said, and walked back toward the control room. Abby followed me there. We both resumed our seats next to each other. Once I’d made sure we were still on course and traveling as fast as we could, I asked, “Did you find it as painful turning into a vampire as everyone else seems to?”
She smirked. “Oh, yes,” she replied. “There really is no way to not experience that pain. You and Rose, you’re still thinking to turn at eighteen?”
“If we survive until then,” I said grimly.
“I turned again at eighteen,” she said. “I think it’s a good age. You’re old enough to be an adult, young enough to still be excused for having fun.” She grinned.
I couldn’t think of a single occasion when I’d witnessed Abby acting her age. She always seemed so serious. More confirmation that I ought to get to know her better.
It was something I was now looking forward to doing once we were out of this dark tunnel… if we ever got out of it.
Chapter 23: Ben
I was beginning to doubt my navigating skills, but eventually, with Abby’s help, I managed to reach the beach Corrine had marked.
By the time we surfaced, the sun had already dipped below the horizon. Darkness was good for Abby, though of course not for me. I rummaged around in the submarine and was relieved to find a flashlight in one of the cabinets.
I stuffed my backpack with as many weapons as would fit, while Abby took some of her own to carry, and we both climbed out of the hatch.
A warm breeze blew against our skin as we emerged. We slid down the edge of the submarine into the shallow waters and waded through the water onto the beach. Careful to keep the map away from the waves, I shone a flashlight on it again once we had reached dry sand. I held it lower down as Abby approached so she could look at it with me.
I cast my eyes along the length of the beach.
“That way,” Abby said, pointing to our right. “I see the entrance to a cave.”
I squinted, trying to make it out in the distance. Failing, I had no choice but to trust her superior eyesight. We jogged along the beach. My heart hammered against my chest as the cave entrance came into view.
Abby’s breathing had quickened too, and she reached for my arm, gripping it tightly.
We stopped. I reached for my backpack, pulled out a gun and made sure it was fully loaded. I handed it to Abby, then took out another for myself. We walked to the entrance of the dark cave. I was wary of shining a flashlight, but it was either that or tripping and breaking a bone.
As we crept deeper into the cave, several tunnels came into view. We paused, wondering which to take first. Abby pointed to the first tunnel on our right.
“We may as well start with this one,” she whispered.
The passage was narrow and since we had to walk in single file, I took the lead. The crashing of the ocean waves became quieter and quieter with each step we took. Soon, the only sounds were our echoing footsteps and the dripping of water from the stalactites. I stopped short as we hit a dead end.
Great.
I turned around, and was about to tell Abby to do the same when she pointed to something on the ground. I shone the flashlight to see that she had spotted the entrance to some kind of narrow underpass.
“Down there?” I frowned, crouching down. “Really? If we retrace our steps there are other tunnels we could try.”
Abby crouched down next to me. “It’s not very far to the other side,” she said. “It could be a shortcut.”
Although I was still dubious, I placed the flashlight between my teeth and started crawling through the hole. Sharp rocks ripped my jeans and grazed my palms. I heard Abby breathing heavily behind me. She was right at least that this tunnel wasn’t long. I reached the exit and stood up, wiping my palms against my jeans. Abby was standing by my side a moment later. We both gazed around at the small enclosure we’d emerged in.
“Hm,” I muttered, spotting two more passageways to our left.
This place was so big, we could be searching for hours before we ever found them. I wasn’t in the mood to waste any more time, so regardless of what the consequences might be for us, I began shouting the names of my family at the top of my lungs.
My voice reverberated around the chamber and echoed off the walls. I shouted until my voice was hoarse, pausing for a few seconds in between.
Abby gasped and squeezed my shoulder. Her lips parted, her blue eyes wide. “I hear someone calling,” she whispered.
I could hear nothing still. She walked toward a tunnel to our left and ran through it. I followed her, pushing my legs to keep up with her speed. She gripped my hand as we passed through tunnel after tunnel, pulling me forward in the darkness. Finally, she stopped short and listened again.
Now even I could hear it. A distant shouting. A female voice.
Abby lurched forward again, towing me after her. The louder the voice became, the more I realized I didn’t recognize it.
Abby slowed down as the voice now sounded like it was in the next chamber. We both reached for our guns and held them out in front of us. Of course, in a sense, holding up these guns was stupid. They would only be of use on vampires, and I knew what we were up against was far more powerful than any bloodsucker.
Still, it was the only thing we could think to do.
Abby and I stood either side of the entrance to the chamber. She took a deep gulp, then nodded. I turned the corner first, Abby following closely behind.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw in the center of that room.
If there ever was a time I doubted my sanity, it was then.
Chapter 24: Corrine
I was sure that by the end of all this, I would finally look my age. The strain that was upon my shoulders not just with Rose’s but now also Ben’s disappearance was sucking me dry.
I paced the floor of my bedroom, racking my brain as to where Ben could have gone. I replayed the last moments I’d spent him in my mind.
My palms sweaty, I rushed to my bookcase and reached for the atlas I’d just remembered scribbling in. I flipped through the pages and stopped abruptly at a page that had been torn out. I ran my fingers along the rip, a bitter smile forming on my lips.
Well, now I know where that disobedient boy has gone. Back to Hawaii.
I vanished myself and reappeared at the Port. The last submarine was gone.
Of course.
He’d made it no secret how restless he’d been. He just couldn’t help himself from going, even despite everything.
I shuddered to think that he might have arrived already, while I was bound to this island—now more than ever. Abandoning it now would mean abandoning all the humans and vampires who still depended on me. I couldn’t do that. No matter what, I had to stay here.
I checked the stretch of beach near the port just in case the submarine had been parked somewhere else, but it was wishful thinking. Ben was truly gone and, thanks to his uncle Xavier, he knew how to navigate a submarine as well as any of us.
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I walked back along the jetty and headed back toward the Sanctuary. To do what, I didn’t know.
“Corrine!” a soft voice called out behind me.
I whirled around. “Rose!” I gasped.
Rose was climbing out of the hatch of a submarine that had just emerged from the waters near the jetty. Following her out was Xavier, Vivienne, Claudia, Yuri, Eli… vampire after vampire crawled out along with all the witches, and one elderly human I’d never seen before. They all looked battle-worn, their clothes ripped and bloodstained.
My heart sank when I realized that Ibrahim wasn’t among them. Derek, Sofia, Aiden and Zinnia were also missing.
My heart doubled its pace as I raced toward them. Rose threw her arms around me and buried her face in my neck.
“What happened?” I gasped, staring at all the ashen faces surrounding me.
Vivienne walked up to me, placing a hand on my shoulder, her face written with worry. “Let’s go inside and sit down first.”
I had no patience to walk, so I vanished us all to the Sanctuary.
Once we were all seated around the dining table, Xavier began, “We were all trapped on Caleb’s island. The witch there… Annora. She’s something else. She overpowered us all.”
“What did they do to you?”
“We were locked in a dungeon. They didn’t do much else to us while we were there, but as for what they were planning to do… we still don’t know.”
“Where’s Ibrahim? Derek and Sofia?”
Xavier heaved a sigh. “Ibrahim, Zinnia and Aiden fell behind as we were escaping. As for Derek and Sofia, we don’t know what happened to them. We discovered that there is another portal in the dungeon of that castle, leading to the supernatural realm. Where exactly in the supernatural realm we have no idea. But since Anna wasn’t anywhere to be found in Caleb’s castle, Derek and Sofia assumed that this was the only place Anna could have been taken.”