I crept around the underground lair for the better part of an hour, trying desperately to find Logan. Unlike the Blood Coven, with its cozy bedrooms with soft, comfy beds, this place was more like a prison—with small cells, each containing individual closed coffins. Rayne had said they wanted to go back to the old ways. Guess this was one thing they were bringing back.

Well, that, and sucking people like me dry, that was.

I tiptoed down the dark hallways, trying not to make a sound. I didn’t know if vampires in real life were good sleepers, like they always seemed to be in the movies. Or if one of them might be suffering from insomnia and would rise from his coffin at the slightest sound. What would they do if they caught me here? I wondered. Would they kill me instantly? Or keep me around as a captive blood donor for real?

If I was lucky, I would never have to find out. I’d find Logan, rescue him, and get the hell out of here. Never to return.

But where was Logan? I was beginning to get desperate. I’d looked in so many rooms. Tried so many passageways. I’d thought having the keys would help, but every door I unlocked led to a room that was decidedly not a prison. I did wonder, at one point, if maybe they’d stashed Logan in one of the coffins, too. But I wasn’t about to start lifting the lids to find out.

Finally, I found a corner I hadn’t yet explored. With an imposing door at the end of the hallway, unlike any other in the underground lair. This door had bars on the windows and a not-so-subtle sign that said, “Keep Out. Authorized Vampires Only.”

I drew in a breath. This had to be it.

With trembling hands, I reached for my set of keys. Slipped the first one into the lock.

It didn’t fit.

I tried the next key. Then the next. And then another and another. But none of them fit. My heart started pounding in my chest, a nagging voice whispering in my ear.

Authorized vampires only. Which meant they wouldn’t have given a key to the human guard upstairs.

I leaned against the door, letting out a frustrated groan. I was close. So freaking close. And yet, completely helpless. Was this whole thing just a waste of time from the start? Should we have just waited for Jareth and his diplomatic dealings instead of breaking in?

I turned to the door, kicking it angrily. Logan was in there. I just knew it. And I was completely unable to reach him. Some book heroine I turned out be.

“Move aside, human!”

I startled and almost screamed at the sudden voice. Until I realized it was only Rayne, come up behind me, a big grin on her face.

“There you are!” she cried. “How did you get past the guards?”

I opened my mouth to explain, but she waved me off. “Never mind,” she said. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is we get to Logan. Before any of these creepy monster vamps wake up.”

“I think he’s behind this door,” I said. “But it’s locked. And none of the keys work.”

“You have keys, too? Damn. You’re good.” Rayne gave me an appreciative look. Then she laughed. “But not as good as me.”

I watched excitedly as she pulled out her lock picking kit again. The one she had used back at Slayer, Inc.

“Keep watch,” she instructed. “I just need a moment.”

I glanced down the dark hallway. “Aren’t all the vampires asleep?” I asked.

“Yeah, but the guards upstairs aren’t. And If I don’t do this quick and get back up there, they might start getting suspicious.”

“How did you get them to let you pass in the first place?”

“I told them I worked for Vamp Supplies dot com. And I had to make a delivery.” She shrugged. “I still had my Slayer, Inc. fake ID. Works like a charm every time.”

I nodded, impressed. “Nice.”

“Okay. I think I have it. Just need to… Yes!” Rayne crowed as the door creaked open with a loud groan. “Haven’t lost my touch!”

I stared down into the darkness. More steps. But unlike the ones we’d already gone down, these ones were made of crumbling concrete. And they looked like they could collapse at any moment.

I turned back to Rayne. “You ready?” I asked.

“No. But you are,” she replied.

“What? But I can’t--”

“You have to,” she corrected. “I have to get back up, remember? Or they’ll come down here to find me. And if they see this door open…” She trailed off, but I caught her meaning.

I sucked in a breath, trying to squash the fear rising inside of me. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll go down there and get him out.”

“Oh. I’m not sure you’ll be able to get him out,” Rayne corrected, surprising me.

“What?” I cocked my head. “But isn’t that the whole reason we’re here?”

“We’re here to prove they’ve got him locked up,” she explained. “That they’re breaking the law. This way the Consortium will have no choice but to order a strike. Then we’ll have an entire vampire army at our backs.”

“Oh. Right. Okay,” I stammered, knowing that this should have been reassuring. A way better plan, actually, than us breaking him out ourselves. But at the same time, it was also disappointing. I wanted to rescue Logan, I realized. Get him out of here now. Not wait for backup.

But that, of course, was completely unrealistic. And at the end of the day I didn’t need the glory. I just needed to get Logan out. So I nodded at Rayne.

“Okay,” I said. “I’m going down.” Then I realized something. “My texts weren’t working before. What if they don’t work down there either?” After all, the subbasement of a secret evil vampire lair was bound to have even less cell service than the golf club above.

She grabbed my phone. Pressed at the screen. “Wi-Fi password,” she said. “I got it off the guard before I came down.”

I whistled. “You’re good.”

“The best,” she agreed, flashing me a grin. Then she slapped me on the back. “Good luck,” she said before turning to walk back to the stairs, leaving me alone.

I watched her go, adrenaline surging through me all over again.

Good luck indeed. I was going to need it.