Shattered VOWS

Chapter 3.

Chapter Three: Into the Abyss

The stranger’s voice slithers through the tunnel, smooth and cold, like oil spilling over water. My heart slams against my ribs, Elias’s small hand sweaty in mine as we crouch in the damp, narrow passage. The tunnel smells of salt and decay, the ocean’s roar echoing just beyond the grate where the man stands, his silhouette a dark stain against the stormy night. His gun glints, catching the faint light filtering through the tunnel’s exit. Behind us, the gunfire in the cellar has stopped, replaced by an eerie silence that makes my skin prickle. Kael’s still up there, maybe fighting, maybe bleeding. I hate that I care.

“Who are you?” I call, my voice sharper than I feel. I pull Elias closer, his stuffed whale pressed between us, his breath hitching with quiet sobs. “What do you want?”

The man chuckles, a low, amused sound that sends a shiver down my spine. “Ms. Vale, you’ve made some powerful enemies,” he says, his tone almost conversational. “Step out, and we can talk. Bring the boy.”

“No way in hell,” I snap, my eyes darting around the tunnel for anything—a weapon, a loose rock, anything to fight with. The walls are slick, the floor uneven, but there’s nothing useful. Just me, Elias, and the pounding of my heart.

“Mommy,” Elias whispers, his voice trembling. “Is he a bad guy?”

I force a smile, brushing a curl from his forehead. “Don’t worry, baby. Mommy’s got this.” But my stomach twists. I don’t have this. I’m trapped between a stranger with a gun and whatever’s happening back in the cellar with Kael and Victor.

The man steps closer, his boots scraping against the grate. “I’m not here to hurt you,” he says, but his tone is too smooth, too practiced. “My employer just wants a word. About your son.”

My blood runs cold. Employer? Who else knows about Elias? I thought Victor was the threat, but this feels bigger, darker. “Stay away from us,” I say, my voice low, fierce. “I don’t know who you work for, but you’re not touching him.”

He sighs, like I’m a child throwing a tantrum. “You’re making this harder than it needs to be. Come out, or I’ll come in.”

I glance back toward the cellar. No sound, no Kael. Is he dead? The thought hits me like a punch, stealing my breath. I hate him—his betrayal, his surveillance, his control—but the idea of him gone twists something deep inside me. I shake it off. Focus. Elias is all that matters.

“Elias, listen,” I whisper, kneeling to meet his wide, frightened eyes. “We’re gonna play a game, okay? Like hide-and-seek. You stay right here, super quiet, and I’ll check the way out.”

He nods, clutching his whale, but his lip trembles. “Don’t leave me, Mommy.”

“I’m not leaving,” I promise, kissing his forehead. “I’m right here.”

I crawl forward, keeping low, my hands scraping against the cold stone. The tunnel’s exit is close, maybe ten feet, but the man’s shadow looms larger now, his gun steady. I need to distract him, buy time. My fingers brush something sharp—a jagged piece of rock broken from the wall. It’s small, but it’ll have to do.

“Hey,” I call, my voice steadier than I feel. “If your boss wants to talk, why send you with a gun? Scared I’ll say no?”

He laughs again, and I hate how it grates on my nerves. “You’re smart, Seraphina. That’s what he said about you. But you’re out of your league.”

“Who’s your boss?” I ask, inching closer, the rock hidden in my palm. “Victor Crane? Someone else?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he says. “Now, step out. Last chance.”

I’m close enough to see his face now—sharp features, dark hair, eyes like a shark’s, cold and empty. He’s not one of Victor’s men; I’d recognize them from the cottage. This is someone new, someone worse. My heart races, but I force my voice to stay calm. “Okay,” I say, raising one hand like I’m surrendering. “Just… don’t hurt my son.”

“Smart choice,” he says, lowering his gun slightly. That’s my opening.

I lunge, hurling the rock at his face. It hits his cheek, and he stumbles, cursing. I grab the grate, slamming it shut and jamming the rock into the latch, praying it holds. He pounds on the metal, his voice a snarl. “You’ll regret that!”

“Run, Elias!” I shout, scooping him up and sprinting back toward the cellar. The tunnel shakes as the man hammers the grate, but it holds—for now. My mind races. If Kael’s alive, he’s our only shot. If he’s not… I can’t think about that.

We reach the ladder, and I set Elias down, my hands shaking. “Climb, baby. Fast as you can.”

He scrambles up, and I follow, my heart in my throat. The cellar is quiet, too quiet. The trapdoor is open, and blood stains the floor, dark and wet. My stomach lurches. “Kael?” I whisper, my voice breaking.

A groan answers me, low and pained. I climb out, pulling Elias behind me, and see Kael slumped against the wall, his gun in his lap, blood soaking his shirt. His face is pale, but his eyes are open, burning with that fierce determination I both love and hate.

“You’re alive,” I say, my voice a mix of relief and anger. “What happened?”

“Victor’s gone,” he rasps, wincing as he shifts. “Took his men. Left me to bleed.”

I kneel beside him, my hands hovering over the wound on his shoulder. “You’re hurt.”

He grabs my wrist, his grip weak but firm. “You’re still here,” he says, his voice rough. “Why didn’t you run?”

I glare at him, my heart a mess of emotions. “Because there’s another guy out there, Kael. Someone with a gun, waiting for us. He’s not with Victor.”

Kael’s eyes sharpen, and he forces himself to sit up, gritting his teeth. “Who?”

“I don’t know!” I snap, my voice rising. “He said his employer wants Elias. What the hell have you dragged us into?”

Kael’s jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think he’ll lie again. But then he looks at Elias, who’s hiding behind me, his eyes wide with fear. Something softens in Kael’s face, something raw. “I didn’t know,” he says, his voice low. “I swear, Seraphina. I thought Victor was the only threat.”

“You thought wrong,” I say, my voice trembling. “And now we’re trapped.”

He struggles to his feet, leaning on the wall, his gun still in hand. “Not trapped,” he says. “There’s a way out. My helicopter.”

I laugh, bitter and sharp. “The one on the beach? With a guy waiting to shoot us?”

“It’s our only shot,” he says, his eyes locking onto mine. “Unless you want to face whoever’s out there alone.”

I hate that he’s right. I hate that I need him. But Elias is shaking, and the pounding on the tunnel grate is getting louder. “Fine,” I say, my voice hard. “But if we die, I’m haunting you.”

He smirks, despite the pain. “Deal.”

I grab Elias’s hand, my heart pounding as we move toward the front door. The cottage is a wreck—shattered glass, bullet holes, blood. Kael limps ahead, his gun raised, his eyes scanning the darkness. The SUVs are still outside, but the drivers are gone—dead or fled, I don’t know.

“Stay close,” Kael says, his voice low. “We make for the beach. Fast.”

We step into the storm, the rain soaking us instantly. Elias clings to me, his whale dangling from his hand. The helicopter’s lights glow faintly below the cliff, a beacon in the chaos. But as we start down the path, a figure steps out from the pines, the same man from the tunnel. His gun is raised, his smile cold.

“Going somewhere?” he says, his voice cutting through the wind.

Kael pushes me behind him, his gun steady despite his injury. “Who’s your employer?” he demands. “What do they want with my son?”

The man’s smile widens. “Your son’s just the start, Damaris. You’ve been playing a dangerous game with Project Obsidian.”

My heart stops. Project Obsidian? What the hell is that? I look at Kael, but his face is a mask, unreadable. “You’re lying,” he says, but his voice wavers, just enough to scare me.

“Am I?” the man says, stepping closer. “Then why’s your empire crumbling? Why’s your partner turning on you? Hand over the boy, and maybe you walk away.”

“Never,” I say, stepping forward, my voice fierce. “You’ll have to kill me first.”

The man’s eyes flick to me, and he laughs, raising his gun. “That can be arranged.”

But before he can pull the trigger, a sharp crack splits the air. He stumbles, blood blooming on his chest, and collapses. I spin around, my heart racing, expecting Victor or one of his men. Instead, a woman steps from the shadows, her black hair slick with rain, her gray eyes cold and precise. She’s holding a gun, her posture calm, like she does this every day.

“Mira,” Kael says, his voice a mix of relief and suspicion. “What are you doing here?”

Mira—his assistant, I realize, from the photos I saw years ago—lowers her weapon, her expression unreadable. “Saving your ass, apparently,” she says, her voice clipped. “But we’re not out of this yet. Victor’s not done, and neither is whoever sent him.” She nods at the dead man, then looks at me, her eyes narrowing. “Get to the helicopter. Now.”

I clutch Elias, my mind spinning. Mira saved us, but something about her feels off, too calculated. Kael’s watching her, his gun still raised, and I realize he doesn’t trust her either.

“Who sent him?” I demand, my voice shaking. “What’s Project Obsidian?”

Mira’s eyes flick to Kael, then back to me. “Ask your baby daddy,” she says, her tone sharp. “He’s got more secrets than you know.”

Kael’s jaw tightens, but before he can speak, headlights flare in the distance, engines roaring. More SUVs, closing in fast. Victor’s men? Or someone worse?

“Move!” Mira snaps, shoving us toward the cliff path.

We run, Elias in my arms, Kael limping beside me, Mira covering our rear. The helicopter’s blades start to spin, the sound a desperate promise of escape. But as we reach the beach, a figure steps into the light, blocking our path. Victor, his blond hair gleaming, a gun in his hand, and a smile that promises death.

“You didn’t think I’d let you leave, did you?” he says, his voice dripping with venom. “This ends tonight, Damaris. And I’m taking everything.”