Risen (Book #6 of the Vampire Legends) (11 page)

Violet
pulled out the dagger, and looked up and sneered at Rachel.

“And
now it’s your turn!” she said.

Violet
lunged for her, bringing the dagger down right for Rachel’s heart.

Rachel
screamed, bracing herself for the feel of cold steel piercing her heart.

Suddenly,
there came a scream, and out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw another
vampire race through the air. It was a different boy, one whose face she
recognized.

Benji.

Benji
smashed into Violet in midair, grabbing the dagger from her hand, and sending
Violet hurling through the air, smashing into a tree.

Violet
lay there, slumped, unconscious, and Benji took the dagger and hurled it into
the forest, so far, Rachel did not even hear it land.

Benji
turned and looked at Rachel.

“Rachel,”
he said, grabbing her shoulders. “It’s me. Benji. Do you remember me?”

Her
eyes welled with tears. It was all happening so fast. She hardly knew how to
react.

“I
remember your name. But not everything else.”

“Try,”
he urged.

Rachel
blinked several times, trying to remember. Finally she shook her head.

“Sorry,”
she said. “I do not.”

There
came a sudden swooshing noise up high in the sky, and they both turned and
looked up.

Rachel
was horrified to see the sky fill with vampires. They were Violet’s coven. All
flying right towards them. Rachel knew they would kill them.

Benji
grabbed her hand.

“Hurry,”
he said. “There isn’t much time.”

He
led her and together they raced inside the mausoleum.

As
they entered, Benji slammed the iron gates behind them. He grabbed a long
silver pole, and used it to bar the gates.

“It
is silver,” he said. “Your ancestors kept it here, just for this reason. It
will hold them back. But not for long. Hurry. We haven’t much time.”

Benji
took her hand, snatched a glowing torch off the wall, and they ran. It lit the
way, as they twisted and turned underground, the ground dirt. Rachel was in awe
as they passed one huge marble sarcophagus after another. They looked to be
thousands of years old.

“What
is this place?” she asked.

“The
tomb of your ancestors,” he answered.

“But
why are we here?”

“The
key is here. The key to understanding. The key to your destiny.”

“I
don’t understand,” she said.

“Follow
me!” he said.

Suddenly
there came a crash, and the sounds of the iron gate being torn off its hinges.
It was followed by the sound of thousands of vampires breaking in behind them.

They
ran and ran, deeper and deeper, twisting and turning, as they heard footsteps
behind them, echoing through the halls.

Finally,
they reached a spiral staircase.

Benji
held up the torch, and they circled down again and again and again, Rachel out
of breath, he leading her.

They
went deeper and deeper into the earth, until finally, they came to a cavernous
room.

Benji
held up the torch, and Rachel was shocked. The room was filled with gold and
silver, piled high, treasure chests, ancient jewels.

And
in its center lay a single, golden sarcophagus, shining, carved with ancient
symbols.

“The
Golden Sarcophagus,” Benji said softly, in awe. “The treasure of the Ancient
Ones.”

He
turned to her.

“It
is up to you,” he said. “Only you can open it.”

They
hurried towards the sarcophagus, and Rachel leaned over and grabbed the lid. It
was heavy, solid gold.

She
pushed with all her might, and it opened slowly, with a creak.

A
burst of ancient air and dust came rushing out at her.

She
peered down, and at first, all was blackness.

Then,
Benji held up the torch.

Rachel
stepped back and gasped. She could not believe what she saw.

“Is
it true?” she asked, turning to Benji.

Benji
stood beside her, looking down, equally shocked.

Finally,
he nodded.

“Yes,”
he said. “But I never knew it really existed.”

Suddenly,
Rachel saw, to her horror, the ground open up beneath Benji.

Benji
stumbled and dropped the torch as he started to fall, down into a huge and
growing hole in the earth.

Benji
fell into the earth, but then reached up and grabbed hold of a root at the top
of the pit. He held on with one hand, gasping.

With
his other, he reached out for her.

“Rachel,
help me!” he said.

Rachel
dropped to her knees and reached out, and grabbed his hand. She held him there,
pulling him with all her might, her arms trembling.

“I
can’t!” she said. “You’re too heavy!”

“You
can,” he said. “Think of your love. Your love for me. Rachel, don’t you
remember? Don’t you remember how much I love you?”

Rachel
looked into Benji’s eyes, deep into his eyes, and suddenly, it all came
flooding back to her.

Rachel
was suddenly filled with memories. She saw Benji and her together, flying,
traveling around the world. She saw them on a Ferris wheel, a motorcycle. She
saw him risking his life for her. She remembered all the love she had for him,
and all that he had for her. She remembered all the sacrifices he had made for
her. She remembered that she had never loved anyone in the world as much as
him. She remembered that she wanted to be with him forever.

Most
of all, she remembered who she was.

It
all came rushing back to her, and her heart flooded with love.

“Benji!”
she cried out. “I remember now. I remember everything. I love you.”

Benji
dangled there, and suddenly, his hand slipped through hers.

Suddenly,
Benji was screaming, hurling into the blackness, deep into the bottomless hole
in the earth

“Rachel!”
he screamed, his voice echoing as it faded.

He
disappeared into the blackness, as he fell and deeper and deeper, screaming and
screaming, out of sight.

Rachel
watched in horror.

Rachel
felt her heart breaking. Just when she had him back, now he was gone to her
forever.

Suddenly,
Rachel heard all the vampires, rushing down the staircase, feet away, coming to
kill her.

She
could not let Benji die like that. No matter what it took, she could not let
him go. She would do anything for him. Sacrifice anything. Anything.

“Benji!”
she screamed.

Without
hesitating, Rachel suddenly leaned over and dove down, head-first, into the
blackness.

Rachel
screamed as she felt herself hurtling down, head-first, deeper and deeper into
the blackness. She felt sure that she was going to die—but she no longer cared.
All that she cared about was Benji. She had to try to save him—wherever it took
her.

Rachel
screamed and screamed as she plummeted down, deeper and deeper into the earth,
her body getting colder, feeling herself engulfed, completely engulfed in
blackness. He final thought, before her body turned numb, was:

Benji. I remember you. And I love
you.

COMING
SOON…

Book
#7 of the Vampire Legends

Also by Emma Knight

SWORN (Book #1 of the Vampire Legends)

TAKEN (Book #2 of the Vampire Legends)

BITTEN (Book #3 of the Vampire Legends)

CHOSEN (Book #4 of the Vampire Legends)

AWAKENED (Book #5 of the Vampire
Legends)

Please
visit Emma’s site, where you can join the mailing list, hear the latest news,
see additional images, and find links to stay in touch with Emma on Facebook,
Twitter, Goodreads and elsewhere:

www.emmaknightauthor.com