Page 57 of Lured

“I'm sorry if I'm really not helping. I'm just trying to understand what's going on and what this means for me, for you, for all of us. I know so little of this world after thinking I knew everything.”

To some degree, I wasn't lying again. I was unsure of what was going to happen next and I didn't know if I was going to make it through all of this. That gave me a very real level of fear, but also a good reason to appeal to Ludis to be gentle with me. None of what I was saying was a lie.

“All right, let's start this from the top and see if you can follow. Hunter or not. Your vampire master is up to no good. He should be doing everything he can to help me and make himself useful. Instead he keeps taking phone calls and sneaking off to send messages. He goes to do his own thing and doesn't fulfill his duties.”

“That doesn't sound right,” I replied. “What is he supposed to do for you?”

“A lot. My vampires are supposed to do a lot more than any of them are doing. With the possible exception of Butch. Nowheknows where he is in the hierarchy and he was the one to help me get the current situation set up.”

“The situation for in two days time?” I stayed sitting where I was as if I wasn't scared by Ludis at all and this was a normal conversation. Even if he could kill me, right now, he wasn't. He didn't completely tie me in with Leo, even if he suspected something wasn't right. It was the only leverage I had and I was going to do everything I could to milk it.

Ludis didn't seem to appreciate me mentioning his plan and came striding over to me. He grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet, his grip so strong and his yank so swift that he made me fear he would break my arm. I whimpered as he twisted it and almost popped it out of my shoulder socket. “What do you know?”

“Only what you've told me,” I replied, desperately hoping that it would be enough and he would believe me. Again he twisted and again, I tried to hold my pained noises in.

Although it was clear that Ludis had some elements of this situation fully understood, others were a very different matter.

“I want to know every tiny little detail you do,” Ludis finally let go of me and I fell back into the chair.

For a few seconds, I didn't speak, rubbing my arm and doing everything I could to make even this take a long time.

“I met all of you in Vegas. Before that day in Vegas I didn't know of any of you and hadn't heard of any of you. I met this vampire who isn't Drew apparently first. I was sitting in the bar, drinking one of the few drinks I could afford and he came over and sat down beside me. He was hot and he bought me another drink.”

“And that was it. He didn't offer to make you his enthralled? Didn't make it obvious he was a vampire?”

Frowning, I thought very carefully about what I was saying. I didn't think I would be able to lie about all of this, and I had to make sure anything I said now matched up with what I had told Ludis in the parking lot that night. I got the feeling that he was going to remember it better than I would like.

“I was fairly sure he was a vampire. I knew plenty spent time in the casino we were in. That's why I was there. My friends dared me to go. I think I might have said something like that the first time we met.”

“You did,” Ludis said, his words sharp and cutting through what I was saying. I looked up at him and gulped, letting all my fear show again. I wanted him to notice that scaring me only slowed me down. That I talked more if he stayed calm. It was a risky tactic knowing that he had a temper, but it might help keep that in bay while I talked and get him to think.

“I can't remember exactly what happened next, but he said he had to go and I decided that if he had been nice to me maybe someone else would. I ended up at a blackjack table and one of the people at it gave me a few chips to get me started and taught me how to play. Drew came back a little while later. That was when we really got talking.”

“His name's not Drew.”

“What is it then?” I asked despite knowing. If he knew as well, it would be good to know, but if he didn't then there was a chance that all of this was just a fishing expedition and the less I said the better.

Ludis stared at me, taking his time to respond and a third possibility popped into my head. He might not say, even if he knew. “I don't know. I know it's not Drew. He isn't a friend and he's been playing my group the entire time.”

“And me?” I asked.

Ludis chuckled and leaned in toward me. “Well that remains to be seen, doesn't it. You seem very close to him. And he's got you wrapped around his little finger. If you're a very loyal enthralled, you'll be keeping his secrets.”

I frowned and gulped some more as I looked down. “That means you might not trust me no matter what I say.”

Beginning to act like I was panicking and deliberately breathing more rapidly and shifting in my seat, I looked up at him again. He watched me, his face one of surprise.

“If a good enthralled is meant to be loyal and not say anything, but I tell you what I know then I'll be a bad enthralled and you won't want me either, even if Drew, or whoever he is, isn't someone I should be loyal to. How do I know what to do? Should I be loyal or not?”

“That depends on if he's double crossing me or not, doesn't it?” Ludis grew angrier, and came back at me. This time he grabbed my throat and pinned me to the sofa. Once more I acted as if I didn't have some idea of how to get out of this move. Leo had just taught me how to break this group and scarper before my own neck could be snapped, but I fought against the urge.

“I'm sorry,” I said instead. “I don't know if what I know is a secret or not. Do you want me to keep telling you what happened?”

Ludis leaned into me and inhaled. “Damn you smell good. I can see why he wants you. Keep talking and maybe when this is done I'll take you as another of my enthralled and you can show me you're loyal in other ways.”

I tried not to shudder, but very carefully nodded. He relaxed his grip, but before I could say anything he kissed my neck and ran a hand over my skin.

Trying not to show my revulsion, I focused on what I needed to say. This situation was only getting harder.

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