23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Lily

I must get out of here. It was not a good idea to come here in the very first place. Why was Nick treating me that way? I have never seen him act so animalistic. I don't know how to describe it; he looked like a madman. A monster.

I try to call Ethan again, but it keeps taking me to his voicemail. Where can he be? This is driving me crazy. It is not only that I miss him, but I am dying to know whether he is okay or not.

"Ethan. Are you getting any of this? Please, pick up," I send another voice message.

I desperately try to call him, but even when the call picks up, all I can hear is static on the line. It has been like that since I left the building, and it is making my head race with unwanted thoughts. Unpleasant ones.

I get in my car and drive as fast as I can to the destination that Alfred urged me to. The key is engraved with 'Forevermore.' The place doesn't exist on the maps. I have no idea what the engraved title refers to, or why it is relevant to finding Ethan. But I am still going there.

When I pull over in front of the building, I can't help but feel a shiver running down my spine. It is a morgue, an ancient one. The place is dilapidated, and its architecture looks like something from the medieval ages.

"I can't believe he's here," I mutter to myself and look around the place. It takes me a while to find a parking spot. I must call Alfred again. He is wrong about this. He instantly picks up as if he's been waiting to hear back from me.

"Alfred. Are you sure about this place? Forevermore. It does not look very pleasing."

"Yes, Miss Snow. That is one of Ethan's personal properties. It might not look enticing, but the inside is a lot more pleasing. I can only think of Ethan being there since the place holds such immense importance to him."

"How is that, Alfred? It is a morgue. How can a mere morgue mean anything to anyone."

"Well, his father is buried there."

"Again, Alfred, it is a morgue. I spot no graves here."

"It is much more than a morgue, Miss Snow."

"I'm not so sure about this, Alfred. Are you certain? There is no mistake?"

"There is no mistake, Miss Snow."

"What about Nick?"

"He feels bad for the way he talked to you. He is sorry. I know you can forgive him. He did not mean what he said."

"He did not mean what he said, Alfred? BS. The man is crazy, but it is okay. He really is. I'm sure he had his own reasons. Vampires tend to be weird creatures at the end of the day."

"We are currently testing out a product and Nick volunteered to be the first to try it. He is still coming down from the high."

"Oh, really? What kind of product is it?"

"I am not too sure. It is one of Mr. Rothschild's new creations. The ones we cannot make public. He does not like it when I ask about those or even talk about them."

"Is Ethan really here, Alfred? I am starting to have a bad feeling about all of this. This place gives me the creeps."

"There is only one way to find out. You just must get inside."

"Fine. I am going in," I look around me, scanning the area for anything suspicious.

"Good luck, Lily," Alfred says and immediately hangs up. I feel uneasy as I make my way to the entrance. I have a bad feeling about this place.

If Ethan really is here, then I won't have anything to worry about. I only have to worry about getting to him, and having to pass through the whole ordeal that will follow.

I walk slowly to the door and take a deep breath. I try to open the door, but it makes the loudest creaks. The place has the look and feel of a haunted mansion.

"Hello? Ethan?" I call out for him, but there is no response. It is quiet, like a place where souls are buried for eternity. It is making me very anxious.

"Ethan, if you're here, please, answer me," I call out again. I hear footsteps. It is coming from the second floor.

"Ethan?" I call out again and follow the direction of the noise. It's pitch black in there, and I have to use my phone flashlight.

The footsteps stop when I get to the stairs. I walk up the steps and continue to search the whole place. I check the rooms and there's no sign of Ethan. The smell is awful. I can't stand the stench.

I walk back to the corridor, and I am surprised to see a door at the end of it. There is a small light coming from underneath. I walk closer to it and try to push the door open, but something yanks me from behind, covering my mouth and pulling me backward.

"No! Let go of me!" My voice is muffled as I kick and scream, but I can't seem to escape the strong arms wrapped around my body.

"Where do you think you're going?" I hear the man ask as I keep struggling to free myself. His voice is too familiar not to recognize.

I try to run away, but the man is far too strong. He is surely not human. This is not the power of a mere human. He must be a vampire too for the way his veins are popped out and the way his skin is so cold and pale.

"Let me go! Get your filthy hands off me," I yell and struggle as hard as I can, but he is holding me firmly.

"Stop struggling and listen to me," the man orders. He then wraps a blindfold around my eyes and covers my mouth with his hand. He carries me and then forces me to sit on a chair.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" I continue to struggle against his strength, but my attempts are futile.

"Lily Snow, you stupid girl," I hear the man whisper, then he forces my head up in his direction. Everything is so dark.

"Who are you?" I demand, my heart pounding rapidly.

"You barely think, do you? You should have never set foot in this place. Who would come here and risk their lives for a vampire?"

I try to speak back, but I feel cold fingertips brushing slowly down my cheek, causing goose bumps to form on my skin. It is the hand of the vampire. It can't be otherwise.

"Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Your recklessness. It was so easy to get to you, Lily," he snickers, and I feel his presence closer to my face. He grazes my skin with his sharp nails. It feels dreadful on my skin, and it gives me shivers.

"Nick. Please." I beg, feeling as if I am about to cry. I almost immediately recognized him. His scent is stuck to me.

"You came to me so easily. So easily," he whispers as he continues to caress my face, then removes the blindfold from my eyes.

"Nick, why are you doing this? I don't get it. Please, let go of me."

"I'm not going to. You are here now, and it is going to be fun watching you die," he replies, laughing at me.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want you dead. And there is no better way than to do it right here, in this place, the very same place where my ruthless brother is going to die."

"Ethan? What have you done to him, are you insane?"

"Nothing that you should care about, really."

"He is your brother. God, damn it, Nick. What is this madness? What the hell is wrong with you?" I say as I try to break free from the ropes binding my hands.

"He should not have become the heir to my father's company. Never. I was supposed to be the destined heir. I have worked all my life for it. Ethan has never worked for it. It was given to him by default. My father's stupid wishes." Nick says angrily, and walks over to the corner, picking up something heavy.

"I don't understand. How can you hate him so much? I thought you two were close. He is your brother, Nick," I say, trying to get him talking.

"I can't even bear to look at his face. The only thing that I want is to kill him. I am glad he is going to die. Now, everything will be mine," Nick says, smiling wickedly.

"But he is your brother. You two are behind the Rothschild Legacy."

"Say what?"

"You are saving both races. Humans and vampires."

Nick doesn't say a word. He walks over to where I am tied up and chokes me, lightly at first, but eventually harder.

"You have no idea what you're saying, you stupid girl. Do you think I chose to drink fake blood to survive? This is what Ethan has put me through. I cannot even stand the sight of him," Nick hisses, still choking me.

"But he is your brother," I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

"No, he is not. Not anymore. I am going to kill him," he hisses and runs his fingertips all over my bare skin.

"Nick, what are you doing? Please, get away from me."

"You know something, Lily? When my brother told me about you two, the only question that roamed my mind was, 'How the hell did he do it?'. How the hell did he resist such delicate, creamy human skin?"

"Get away from me," I scream as Nick trails his hands down my neck and chest, caressing me.

"I must admit. My brother is a very lucky man. He is going to leave this world, yes, but at least he's going to do it knowing that he got to have you first."

"Don't you dare touch me," I try to fight against him, but he is much stronger.

"I can do whatever I want," Nick hisses.

"No!" I yelp as his nails dig into my skin. I began crying and screaming, hoping someone would hear me.

He then places his fingers inside his mouth, his eyes rolling all the way to the back of his head at the taste of my blood.

"Please, Nick, let me go," I plead and continue to struggle, but his grip is strong, and he has the advantage.

"Stop moving, or I will kill right this second."

"Help!" I yell out in a last attempt, but he slaps me across the face. His smile is very sinister, and I can't stop thinking about the fact that he and Ethan are related. How could he do something so terrible?

"You have no idea what the real Rothschild legacy is. Vampires are meant to live like vampires and own this world," he sneers, caressing my face with his fingertips.

Suddenly, a door slams shut from somewhere nearby, causing Nick to run toward the source of the noise. I must use this as my chance to break free from the ropes and leave. I need to find Ethan.