The Blood Contract
Chapter 83: It’s an emergency

Chapter 83: It’s an emergency

"I don’t know who to call heartless between you guys," Serena spat, her voice shaking with barely restrained fury as she jabbed a trembling finger toward the three of them—Marlowe, Darrell, and Adrian. Then she turned to Lucian, pale and unconscious in the bed behind her, and pointed at him too, her eyes dark with the storm gathering behind them. "And him."

The air was thick, almost too heavy to breathe, every corner of the room bristling with unspoken tension. Serena’s chest rose and fell in rapid succession, her body visibly vibrating with rage that she was trying, and failing, to keep under control. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides like she was resisting the urge to throw something, or maybe to scream. She wasn’t just mad—she was shattered.

"You have to understand the situation, Serena—we had no choice," Marlowe began carefully, stepping forward like she was trying to approach a wild animal. Her voice trembled slightly, a calm veil stretched too thin over what sounded like nerves unraveling.

Serena’s glare snapped to her like a whip, her face twisted into something that could only be described as betrayal and disbelief.

"I will not understand anything you say at this point, Marlowe." Her voice cracked. The authority in her tone left no room for argument.

The room seemed to hold its breath.

"I can’t believe you guys," she continued, her tone incredulous now. She took a step back, as though trying to physically distance herself from the absurdity before her. "You all waited until this point—until this critical point—to say something? Who even told you you had the right to make that decision for me?!"

Her question lashed out at Darrell like a blade, and he straightened instantly, visibly startled. His mouth parted to respond, words tumbling out in defense.

"I didn’t know until last night, madam! They kept it from me as well," he rushed to say, raising his hands like he needed to physically push away the accusation in her voice. His eyes flicked to Marlowe for a brief second before returning to Serena. "I only found out when I asked Marlowe why your healing ability wasn’t working on Lucian anymore."

His voice faltered near the end, like he still didn’t believe what he’d heard himself.

After Marlowe explained it to him last night—how the lock was placed, how the situation had spiraled beyond her control—he had felt the same churn of conflict that now gripped the other two like an iron fist.

Serena turned to Marlowe again, her eyes ablaze with a mixture of desperation and resolution. "How do I unlock it?"

Her voice didn’t shake this time. There was no begging in it, no pleading—just raw, steel-forged seriousness.

"You can’t," Marlowe answered, her head shaking slowly. Her voice was quieter this time, almost broken. Like she was apologizing without saying the words.

Serena blinked, her breath catching for just a second. "Unlock it then. Since I can’t do it myself." Her voice came again, deadly calm, her face expressionless. That calmness made her even scarier than before.

Marlowe exhaled. "I can’t do it either."

Serena blinked, her face contorting in confusion. Before she could say anything, Marlowe continued.

"I only found the page that explains how to lock it up in your father’s journal," she began, her voice laced with frustration and something deeper—regret, perhaps. "The one that contains information on how to unlock it was missing. Someone intentionally tore it out, and I’m guessing the Council has it."

As if a bolt of lightning had struck her thoughts, Serena’s eyes widened, her breath catching sharply. Her body straightened like the realization had injected her with renewed purpose.

"The Council." Her voice was firm, the puzzle pieces clicking together. "Yes... They unlocked it before, then they should know how to unlock it again."

No one had a chance to respond. Before another breath could be taken, Serena spun around, her feet already moving toward the door with urgency.

"Listen to me, Serena—" Marlowe tried again, desperation creeping into her voice.

But Serena cut her off, her tone definitive. "I’m done listening to you, Marlowe. The only person I’m listening to now is me."

With that, she yanked the door open and stormed out.

Two seconds passed.

Then, just as suddenly, she burst back in. Her eyes scanned Darrell and Adrian with a look so focused it pinned them in place.

"Anyone of you that knows the way to the Council should come with me." Her voice gave no room for delay.

Then she was gone again.

Adrian and Darrell looked at Marlowe. None of them spoke for a heartbeat. The silence was painful.

Then Adrian moved without a word, following Serena like a man walking into fire, knowing he’d be burned.

"You’re not going to do anything?" Darrell asked after a pause, looking at Marlowe like she held the answers to a test no one had studied for.

"What am I supposed to do right now?" Marlowe exhaled, rubbing her temples as she could feel a headache coming. "I’ve never been this confused in my life."

Darrell sighed deeply, then turned and left too.

***

Serena didn’t care about the chill in the air or the fact that she was still in her sleepwear. She didn’t even stop to grab a coat. She grabbed the car keys from a side stool in the living room and marched straight outside, every step loud and full of purpose. Her thoughts were a blur, her body moving faster than her mind could follow.

Adrian jogged to catch up with her, huffing as he approached.

"The keys, ma’am," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I know the way to the Council research center."

"Good," Serena said without slowing. "Then hop in and lead the way. But I’m driving—and you can’t change my mind, so don’t bother."

Adrian blinked, visibly confused. "Wait, you’re—?"

But she had already flung open the driver’s door and dropped into the seat. The car roared to life as she turned the key, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.

He stared at her, then sighed and got into the passenger seat.

Darrell came out just in time to see Serena behind the wheel. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Madam, you shouldn’t be driving!" he called out, rushing toward the driver’s side.

Serena threw the car in reverse without warning, forcing him to jump back in alarm. The tires screeched slightly on the pavement. She slammed on the brakes, fixing him with a glare that could freeze time.

"Are you coming or not?" she asked.

Darrell clenched his jaw and climbed into the back seat, the door shutting with a dull thud. The moment he was inside, Serena hit the gas. The tires squealed again as they pulled away from the house.

She drove like she was possessed.

Like the road owed her answers.

Adrian and Darrell exchanged nervous glances, neither daring to say anything. Her focus was laser-sharp, and the tension inside the car was suffocating.

Every red light was a personal enemy. Every car in front of her was a delay she couldn’t afford.

Serena’s mind whirled. Her jaw tightened as one thought dominated the rest.

Let Lucian still be alive by the time I return.

She repeated it over and over like a chant. She couldn’t allow herself to consider the alternative. She wouldn’t forgive herself if anything happened to him—no matter what their twisted fate was.

But then another voice slipped in—cold and intrusive.

Wouldn’t you be free from him if he died?

She gripped the wheel harder, her fingers aching with the pressure.

Isn’t that what you wanted? Freedom?

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

So then why was she risking her life to save the very person she was bound to against her will?

She didn’t have an answer. The question hung in the air like fog, clouding everything else.

But she knew this much—she wasn’t heartless. She wasn’t ungrateful.

She wanted her freedom, yes, but not at the cost of a life.

Not Lucian’s life.

By the time the Council building loomed into view, the sky was beginning to grey, clouds gathering like sentinels. The compound looked more fortified than she remembered. A line of armed guards stood out front like statues, their eyes hidden behind dark shades.

Before they could even approach the main gate, they were waved down. The car screeched to a halt.

"Introduce yourself and state your business," one of the guards demanded, his voice cold and mechanical. The black shades he wore masked any emotion, but the tension in his posture was unmistakable.

Adrian leaned out the window before Serena could respond.

"We’re here to see Modi. Let us in," Adrian said calmly, but there was a blade hidden behind his words.

The guard didn’t move. "What do you want to see him for?"

Adrian narrowed his eyes, his tone laced with threat. "Tell Modi that Mrs. Draven is here to see him—and it’s an emergency. You’ll be held responsible if we spend more time than necessary out here."

That did it.

The guard straightened, murmured something into his headset, and gave a sharp nod to his colleagues. The gates began to open slowly.

As the car inched forward, Serena’s grip on the wheel never loosened. Her heart beat like a war drum in her chest.