Page 31 of The Curse of Eternity
Pain erupted across my cheekbone as my vision clouded with spots, and then my palms were flat on the marble floor. Metal scraped, and shouts echoed around the incredibly large room while my arm was twisted behind my back. Shallow pants scorched up and down my throat, but my vision cleared as I was dragged away and up the stairs by the armored asshole.
Drake was being held to the floor, the taller vampire escort’s knee on his back while the dark-haired one held his chained arms taut behind him. My vampire’s right fist was bloodied and broken, but that was nothing compared to the armored guard sprawled on the ground. Blood poured from a wound punched straight through their chest where the metal breastplate gaped inward.
Lucian only laughed. A glint sparkled in his icy blue eyes as he turned a disappointed sneer from the dead guard to where I was being yanked up the stairs. Our gazes met, and chills racked my spine while the remaining armored guard hauled my weakened body to the right, through an archway on the second level.
− 11 −
Be Your Savior
My skull throbbed as my vision went in and out of focus. The several hallways I was dragged down blended from the last into the next. Nausea built in my throat, but I was pushed through an arched doorway before I could upchuck bile. The room spun as I stumbled only to collapse onto the rug spread across the stone floor.
The closing door sounded distant. At some point, my shackles had been removed, but my arms were still prickling with pins and needles. Except I was too exhausted to move a muscle…
It was the damnedest thing, but Ismelledwater. As I forced my crusty eyes open, instinct took over, and I crawled across the room toward a basin in the shadows. Unable to stand fast enough, I grasped the edge and dunked my head into the shallow tub before gulping mouthfuls.
The water tasted different, almost sour, and the air smelled weird. Stale, like nobody else had been in this room for a longtime. When I emerged from the basin, looking around to try and distract myself from my cramping stomach threatening my gag reflex, I frowned at the oddly homey interior.
A large four-poster bed sat opposite the paneled windows—boarded up from the outside. The edge of sparse sunlight surrounding the shutters’ perimeter barely illuminated the piles of pillows and blankets adorning the made up bed. Too tempted to resist, and with my thirst finally quenched after what must have beendaysof dehydration, I staggered across the Persian rug to the bed.
Not bothering to be nice about it, I yanked the covers off to surround myself in a cocoon of wool and cotton. Then I sat down on the mattress, and that was a mistake. Immediately, everything came crashing down. The spare moment of rest triggered shivers that racked my body, and panic erupted.
There was no escape, but still I tried the locked windows. I pounded against the glass with everything I had. Tried to pierce it with furniture I’d kicked until it busted into splintered stakes. Shin bruised and throbbing, I went to the door, the only way in or out since the windows were apparently magicked to be invincible.
“Hey!” I screamed, my throat hoarse from disuse. “Let me out of here!” I slammed my palm against the solid wooden door, but it didn’t budge. “You can’t keep me locked in here forever!”
Suddenly, I stopped. Because theycould. Nobody was coming for me, and they must have had Drake restrained—locked down tight after what happened in the entrance hall. Tears spilled over my lashes, running down my cheeks in waves I couldn’t stop. I covered my mouth with my hand and squeezed my eyes shut.
None of them would have the satisfaction of hearing me cry. There may be no way out, but… Holding on to a shred of hope, I felt my front jeans pocket.The orb, it was safe, whole. Mytears stopped falling. Devastation turned into resilience, and the anticipation of revenge.
I didn’t know what the hell the little golden ball did, but as I glared straight at the door ahead of me, I had a suspicious feeling it might be my ticket out of here.
Grayish light darkened around the window’s corners while I sat wrapped in several blankets. I’d regained sensation in my extremities hours ago, or at least, that was my best guess for how long it’d been. The watch on my wrist was busted, but I kept it on in case I could use its steel as a blunt weapon in a pinch.
At the slightest creak of the settling manor, my spine stiffened. When the seconds ticked away, I relaxed into stoic impatience. A whole day hadn’t passed yet, but my skin crawled with unease. Deep pits in my stomach ached, gurgling so frequently that it became a repetitive background noise.How long would it take for me to starve to death?
Focusing was difficult, and my fingers trembled no matter how tightly I clenched my fists. Eventually, the entire room dimmed into pitch black. Time passed in the darkness, and I’d resolved myself for another night in this wretched place when a knock came at the door.
I nearly tripped over my bundle of blankets in my rush to stand at the ready. By the time I steadied, my right foot back and my hands fisted for a fight, the door swung open. Apparently, vampires didn’t need a response to barge in on an unsuspecting prisoner.
“Oh.” The woman’s red-painted lips formed a delicate ‘o’ while she briefly looked me up and down. Black ringlets felldown the back of her silken scarlet gown, glistening under the candlelight seeping in from the hall as she glanced at the basin by the far wall. It wasn’t empty, but I’d already drank all of the water. Her pale nose wrinkled. “You were meant to bathe,human.” The word came out like a slur, and my eyes narrowed.
At leastIwas alive. While I wanted to tell her ‘too bad,’ I kept my mouth shut. Her blue-eyed gaze swept back to focus on mine, and her lips pursed.
“Ah well, at least the filthy clothes will be stripped away.”
“Excuse me?” Caught off guard, my stance relaxed when she snapped her fingers. My brow furrowed while an armored hand offered what looked like a garment bag to the woman vampire. Without a word of thanks or any acknowledgement to the guard, the vampire strode closer while holding the bag aloft by the hook on one end.
“You will not entertain the gathered court dressed in rags. Remove everything, no one will be impressed by the scent oozing off your undergarments.”
“What the hell are you talking about? What is happening?” My fists slowly lowered as I warily eyed the white bag. “Where—Where is Drake?”
“Ignatius Drake?” she tittered, like this was casual gossip between friends, but the shiver that climbed my spine at her hungry stare proved otherwise. The vampire laid the bag down across the disorganized bed sheets, and unzipped it. Within was a shocking gown, at least to me, since it was about as fancy as the one the vampire wore. Green velvet of varying shades formed swirls over the bodice which then flowed down into a multi-layered skirt.
The vampire woman held it up and shimmied it, revealing the loose off-the-shoulder sleeves.How the hell was it meant to stay up?Horror dawned when I put together what she’d said. I was supposed towearthat thing?
“He will stand trial. It is most enjoyable. The last execution wasagesago.” Her attention remained on the dress while my stomach knotted. Then those beady eyes turned on me. “Of course, you will be a most helpful material witness.”
“Witness?” More like a hostage, but that would be semantics among vampires. The woman either ignored or didn’t catch my sarcastic tone because she simply hummed a sound of agreement, and placed the dress back on the bed.
