Chapter 13

Harlow

The air hung heavy with dread as Griiq and I raced through the winding corridors of the castle, our footsteps echoing off the ancient stones. My heart pounded in my chest, a relentless rhythm that matched the urgency of our pursuit. The Camazotz's malevolent presence seemed to seep into every crevice, a suffocating darkness that threatened to engulf us.

"How did it get inside?" I really didn't expect an answer.

"I'm sure it broke a window and came in, or busted through a door. This old place has many doors leading outside. The staff can't keep watch on all, and until now, I hadn't thought about adding a security system." Griiq's words sounded sad and guilty.

"It's okay. Maybe we can trap it here."

"It's here to kill us. It knows we know about it. We're being hunted."

"We can't keep running forever," I panted, my lungs burning with each labored breath. "We need a plan."

Griiq's eyes, once filled with warmth and understanding, now glinted with a fierce determination. "I know, Harlow. But what can we do against a creature of such immense power?"

I bit my lip, my mind racing as I searched for a solution. The Camazotz's thirst for blood, its vampire-like tendencies... An idea sparked to life, a flicker of hope amidst the consuming darkness.

"Vampires," I blurted out, my words tumbling over each other in a rush of excitement. "What if we treat it like a vampire?"

Griiq's brow furrowed, his gaze questioning. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it," I urged, my voice growing steadier as the plan took shape. "Vampires can be put into a deep, hibernating sleep. If we can find a way to do the same to the Camazotz, we might stop it permanently."

Understanding dawned on Griiq's face, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "But how? We don't have the means to…"

A bone-chilling screech tore through the air, cutting off his words. The Camazotz's shadow loomed at the end of the corridor, its eyes glowing with an insatiable hunger.

"There's no time to waste," I hissed, grabbing Griiq's hand and pulling him along. "We need to find a way to lure it into a trap, something that will force it into hibernation."

We raced through the castle, our minds working in tandem to devise a plan. The enchanted objects whispered their secrets as we passed, their ancient knowledge guiding our steps.

"The mirror," Griiq suddenly exclaimed, his eyes widening with realization. "The enchanted mirror in the grand hall. It has the power to trap and contain evil."

"Then that's where we'll make our stand," I declared, my resolve strengthening with each passing moment.

We burst into the grand hall, Camazotz"s presence hot on our heels. The mirror stood tall and imposing, its surface shimmering with an otherworldly light.

"Harlow, you need to get behind me," Griiq urged, his voice strained with concern. "I'll draw its attention while you prepare the mirror."

I shook my head vehemently, my grip on his hand tightening. "No, Griiq. I will help you."

The Camazotz's shadow crept into the room, its eyes fixed on us with a ravenous intensity. My heart raced, fear and determination intertwined in a dizzying dance.

"On my count," Griiq whispered, his gaze locked on the approaching creature. "We'll lure it towards the mirror and trap it inside."

I nodded, my breath caught in my throat. The Camazotz lunged forward, its claws extended, ready to tear us apart. Griiq and I moved as one, our steps perfectly synchronized as we led the creature towards its doom.

The Camazotz's eyes widened as it caught sight of the enchanted mirror, sensing the trap we had laid out. With a piercing screech that sent shivers down my spine, it lunged forward, its wings spread wide, and its eyes clenched shut. I stumbled back, my heart pounding in my chest as the creature gathered all its strength and shoved against the mirror with a force that shook the very foundations of the castle.

To my horror, the mirror shattered into a million glittering shards, the sound of breaking glass reverberating through the grand hall. The Camazotz let out a triumphant cry, its eyes gleaming with a wicked satisfaction. Before Griiq or I could react, it turned and launched itself towards the nearest window, its claws extended.

The window exploded in a shower of glass. The shards raining down upon us like a deadly hailstorm. I threw my arms up to shield my face, the sharp edges grazing my skin. The Camazotz burst through the jagged opening, spreading its wings and soaring into the night sky.

I stood there, my mouth agape, as I watched the creature disappear over the treetops, its silhouette growing smaller and smaller until it vanished from sight. The cool night air rushed in through the shattered window, carrying with it the lingering scent of the Camazotz's foul presence.

Beside me, Griiq stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon. The enchanted mirror lay in ruins at our feet, its power now lost forever. The realization of our failure settled heavily upon my shoulders, a suffocating weight that threatened to crush me.

"We... we failed," I whispered, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and despair. "The Camazotz escaped, and now it's free to terrorize the community once more."

Griiq turned to me, his gaze filled with a quiet determination that both terrified and inspired me. "No, Harlow. We haven't failed yet. This is just the beginning."

He reached out and took my hand, his touch sending a surge of strength through my veins. "We'll find another way to stop the Camazotz. We can't give up now, not when the lives of so many depend on us."

I nodded, my resolve slowly rebuilding itself. Griiq was right. We couldn't let this setback defeat us. The Camazotz may have escaped, but we still had each other, and together, we would put an end to its reign of terror.

The sting of the glass shards embedded in my skin paled compared to the pain that gripped my heart as Griiq's words echoed in my mind. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After everything we had been through, after the bond we had forged, he was pushing me away.

I winced as I plucked a deep shard from my arm. The blood welled up in its wake. Griiq stood beside me, his own wounds still fresh, but his attention focused solely on the task at hand. We had made our way to Grimsby, seeking the services of the local construction company to repair the shattered window.

As we waited for the workers to arrive, an uneasy silence stretched between us. I couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed, that the Camazotz's escape had altered the course of our journey together.

Finally, I couldn't bear the silence any longer. "Griiq," I began, my voice trembling slightly, "what are we going to do now? The Camazotz is still out there, and we need to find a way to stop it."

Griiq's gaze remained fixed on the horizon, his expression unreadable. "Harlow," he said, his voice devoid of the warmth I had grown accustomed to, "I think it's best if you leave the area until the Camazotz is taken care of."

His words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the air from my lungs. "What? Why would you say that?" My hand dug in my hip, my voice rising with each word. "I thought we were in this together, Griiq. I can't just abandon you, not now."

Griiq's shoulders tensed, and he finally turned to face me, his eyes hardening with a resolve that sent a chill down my spine. "It's over, Harlow. You're no longer welcome in the castle. I'll have my butler escort you to the bus station, where you can catch a ride to the airport and return to your home in Florida."

I stared at him, my mouth agape, as the weight of his words crashed over me like a tidal wave. Hot tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, blurring my vision. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After the connection we had forged, he was casting me aside like a discarded toy.

"Griiq, please," I pleaded, my voice cracking with emotion. "Don't do this. I can't leave you, not like this. We need each other, now more than ever."

But Griiq remained unmoved, his gaze as cold as the stone walls of the castle. "It's for the best, Harlow. You'll be safer away from here, away from the danger that the Camazotz poses."

I shook my head vehemently, the tears now streaming down my cheeks. "No, Griiq. I won't let you push me away. I'm not going anywhere, not until we find a way to stop the Camazotz together."

Griiq's jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by an icy determination that chilled me to the bone.

"I'm sorry, Harlow," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But this is the way it has to be. The butler will be here shortly to take you to the bus station. Please don't make this any harder than it already is."

With that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing hollowly in the empty street. I stood there, my heart shattering into a million pieces, as the realization of what had just happened sank in.

Griiq had pushed me away, had severed the bond we had worked so hard to build. And now alone, my dreams of adventure and inspiration crumbled to dust at my feet.