Page 111 of Chain Me
“Yes,” Yulia pitched in from the doorway, addressing him for the first time. Cold, her gaze slithered over his face as dispassionately as Raphael’s. “How so?”
Dmitri scoffed, but I didn’t miss the step he took in my direction, widening the space between him and the person he was expressly forbidden from speaking to. There wasn’t far for him to go, considering we were in the foyer, marshaled together, a motley crew of four.
“Do either of you understand adventuring attire?” He gestured to his lime-green slacks and his white button-down. On his head, of all things, perched a straw hat. Tutting in exasperation, he turned to the figure waiting for me at the base of the staircase. “Dublin, will you stand for this?”
The vampire in question seemed to be far beyond giving a damn about clothing. Distant eyes flickered between awareness and emptiness. He’d been that way ever since I’d woken up. Locked within himself, venturing from the depths of his psyche only for seconds at a time.
Why?
I wasn’t brave enough to question it.
“It’s fine,” he muttered without looking my way. “Let’s get moving before you bring the whole damn village down on us.”
He left the drawing room. A second later, the front door slammed against what felt like the inner wall of the foyer.
“Well then.” After smoothing his shirt, Dmitri followed him.
I fell into step in his wake, sensing Yulia behind me. Together, we packed into one car driven by Dublin, who said nothing during the terse hours-long trip through fields and forest.
The forested, beautiful landscape felt like a different realm from the city I was used to. Another world entirely. Breathtaking, yes. But also unsettling. Dread came to life in my stomach, twisting. Twinging. I had to flatten my palm beneath my rib cage to ease the discomfort.
Despite all the bargains and deals Dublin had made for my safety, I knew without a doubt that we were far from Raphael’s territory. Could the old vampire’s influence stretch this far? Something told me it didn’t. Close-set foliage grazed the sides of the car as we drove through cramped roads, the sounds echoing almost like whispers.
No one can save you here…
“It will be a long trek,” Dmitri promised as we crested the ridge of a hillside cut deep within a dense cluster of trees. “These crones hide themselves well among these hills. Though I’m sure you’re prepared for any booby traps.” He looked at Dublin, who didn’t answer.
Eventually, the car came to a stop, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. As in Dublin didn’t park, the engine just stalled, jarring me forward so violently that I had to brace myself against the front seat.
“Stay here.” Dublin exited the vehicle, swiftly followed by Yulia and Dmitri.
Apparently, his command only applied to me.
With anxious glances at their surroundings, the trio continued up the road, led by Dublin. Only after two paces forward, they too abruptly stopped. Heart in my throat, I leaned forward and peered through the windshield to see why. At first, I saw nothing. Just swaying branches dripping with shadows and foliage. It was only on my second search that I saw her.
She stood, flanked by two sprawling trees, their gnarled branches twisted in her direction as if shielding her from sight. She was thin and fair. Hair so pale that it rivaled the hue of Dublin’s skin fell down her shoulders in wild, unbrushed waves. Given the color, I expected her age to be reflected in her face, but she looked even younger than I was. Just a girl standing alone in the woods, confronted by two vampires.
Dublin said something. His posture was neutral, his stance open. From this angle, I could only see his lips moving, deaf to whatever words were passing between him and the woman.
But I didn’t need to hear to notice the marked shift in tone when she shook her head and pointed to the car. To me.
Shivers racked my spine. The scrape of branches against the car’s roof became more pronounced. Less like whispers and more like distinct words.You…
You. You. You.
The wind picked up, tossing scattered raindrops across the windshield. What little daylight there was dissipated, leaving an eerie glow that drenched the landscape in indigo darkness. Only Dublin had any definition anymore, his hair shining like burnished gold.
All the while, the woman beyond the trees just stared, her finger still pointing.
And that whispering within my skull grew louder, transformed into a faint, childlike murmur.You. You. You must come alone…
My hand was on the handle of the door. Before I realized, I’d pushed it open. Wind and rain lashed at my skin, trying in vain to slow my progress. My flats sank into the damp earth as I stepped out onto the path. It was freezing. The thin fabric of my blouse felt glued to my skin in seconds, sliced through by a bone-numbing chill.
The noise caused by the burgeoning storm should have been deafening: swaying trees, echoing thunder. But all I heard was silence broken by a low, distant hum. Thump…thump…thump…
And a woman’s voice. “Only she can go any farther.”
She stood on an incline and in reality barely came to Dublin’s waist in height. Her hair hung down to her waist, mingling with the pale fabric of her thin shift. Grubby, bare toes melded with the earth and underbrush. Her delicate, small features formed no expression as her eyes cut in my direction.
