Chapter 151

Hannah

Sebastian led me through the back room until we reached a door; behind the door was a long staircase that led into a dark abyss. If Sebastian wasn’t with me, I would have been frightened, but he didn’t seem phased. He took my hand and lead me down the stairs; we were engulfed by the darkness. He turned on a light and my eyes had to work overtime to adjust to the new lighting.

It looked like a small apartment; it was quaint and perfect for one person. There was a bed on the far side of the room on a platform. It looked like a bed fit for a princess with light pink curtains that draped around it for privacy purposes. There was a large couch with a coffee table sitting in front of it along with a TV hung up on the wall. The wall was decorated with colorful abstract paintings. Telling the easel on the far side of the room, it was safe to assume that Liz painted these herself. There was also a small kitchen with a small dining table with a couple of chairs set up.

The sink was filled with unwashed dishes and the floor looked like it hasn’t been swept in ages. Against the wall, there was a door that I only assumed was the bathroom. The floors were made of gorgeous wood, which matched the wood that the floors upstairs in the shop were made of. Around the couch was a soft maroon rug, which once again matched the red-shaded theme of the underworld.

“She lives here?” I asked, looking around.

“Yes,” Sebastian answered.

He walked over to an empty-looking wall. He placed his hand on the wall and I watched him with confusion. But then I saw something transitioning or appearing on the wall. I gasped as a door appeared. It blended into the wall, but the doorknob was clear to see. It was golden with a swirling design I recognized from around the palace.

He opened the door and brought me inside a hidden room. As he shut the door, it disappeared again, locking us on the inside. The room was a hidden bedroom. It had a large king-sized bed that reminded me of the beds in the palace. The floors were the same wood as the rest of the building and had the same maroon rug as the other rogue. There was a large TV hung up on the wall and a nice-looking couch. The couch was smaller than the one in the living room portion of the apartment, but it still looked fit for royalty. I could tell she had royalty blood in her based on her furniture and decorations.

There were paintings on her wall, but there were also pictures. I saw that Sebastian was in a couple of the pictures; there were also pictures of their mother. Both Sebastian and Liz looked a lot like their mother. She had short brown hair and big blue eyes with long and dark lashes. She had a perfect figure that wore an elegant gown and glamorous jewelry. She looked so happy and carefree. In one of the photos, Sebastian was only a young boy, standing beside his mother while she held onto a baby, which I assumed was Liz.

They really were a family.

Then there were pictures of their father who looked a lot like Sebastian. He had the same facial structure and dark hair. His eyes were auburn like Liz’s and his body was muscular like Sebastian’s. He looked like a man in charge; I wished I was able to meet his parents.

“What is this room?” I asked.

“Liz’s sanctuary,” he answered. “I stayed here for a little while when I was trapped the first time. Only those in our bloodline can access the door to enter. Once we are inside, we are completely sealed, scent and all, to those on the outside. It’s enchanted with Liz’s magic. Not even Xander knows it exists. It’s the safest place in the entire underworld.”

“That’s why we came here,” I said as realization dawned on me.

“I figured this would be a good place to come up with a plan and rest until tomorrow.”

I thought about Liz and how that darkness appeared upstairs. I couldn’t help but be worried about her; she obviously knew who was approaching telling from her quick panic.

“Is she okay?” I asked. “Who was upstairs?”

Sebastian went over to the TV and turned it on from the remote; I watched him with confusion. Now was not the time to watch TV. But with a click of a button, the view upstairs appeared on the giant screen. It was displaying the camera footage of the shop. I exhaled in amazement as Liz’s small figure appeared before our eyes.

In front of her was a man that I knew came from the palace. He wore a dark cloak, and the hood was over his head, covering his face.

“My brother wouldn’t be stupid enough to come here, Gabe,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

Gabe.

He must have been looking for me. I felt a wave of panic washing over me; I was bringing danger to Sebastian’s sister. We shouldn’t have come here. I looked up at Sebastian who was glued to the TV; he had a smirk on his face, and I wondered what he was thinking.

“If Xander finds out you are storing either of them, it’ll be your head he takes,” Gabe barked to her.

“Trust me, don’t you think I know that?” Liz asked. “I wouldn’t go against him. He would take everything I have. I’m not that stupid.”

Gabe looked at her for a long while, trying to process what she said. He finally sighed and turned away from her.

“If you see them, you know where to find me.”

She said nothing as Gabe disappeared out of the door. She sighed, slumping her shoulders slightly as if she was holding in all her energy. She glanced up at the camera, looking into our eyes. She knew we were watching. She knew her brother well. She shook her head in dismay before heading toward the back room.

She was coming to see us.

We waited a moment for her to emerge in the room.

“I’m glad you remembered where this was. I wouldn’t put it past him to come to search the building for you,” she said to Sebastian as she slumped down on the couch. “I could have gotten in huge trouble if he found you. I’m talking a thousand lashes and the cost of my business. Which I know you’ve noticed, also doubles as my home.”

“I’m so sorry, Liz,” I said, sitting beside her on the couch. “I never wanted to put you in danger. We shouldn’t have come here.”

I glared at Sebastian who didn’t seem as phased.

“Nonsense,” Liz said, waving her hand dismissively. “You’re family. I’m happy to help. Besides, Sebby knows how pissed I’d be if you were here and didn’t come to visit.”

I gave her a faint smile; she was kind and I admired that about her. I found it hard to believe that she was related to Sebastian.

“So, what’s your plan, Sebby?” She asked him. “Can you leave the same way you did last time?”

“Yes,” he answered. “Except we don’t have the scepter. Xander does.”

“What?” She gasped. “That’s awful. He can do a lot of damage. Isn’t the full moon tomorrow? I hear the scepter is at full power during the full moon.”

“Which is why we need to get it back before then,” Sebastian told her. “Once we get it back, we will be able to leave.”

“Are you going to be able to get out with your entire wolf this time?”

“I’m more powerful than I was before. Plus, I have Hannah now. She’s the other half of the key. With her by my side, I do not doubt that we can get out and seal the portal.”

“We can’t go anywhere without my brother though,” I said, staring between the two of them. “His spirit is trapped here. I came here to get him back, just like Sebastian tried to do with you…”

She looked sad for a moment as she met my eyes; I could tell she had questions surfacing in her mind.

“He was poisoned like I was?” She asked. I nodded and stared down at my hands.

“I can’t leave him here. He’s all I have left from my old life before Sebastian. He’s my family.”

She reached her hand out for me to take; her hand was warm and gave me a sense of comfort.

“Take it from me…” she said, her aura darkening. “There’s no way for him to leave here unless he dies.”