Page 12 of Twisted
“And you’ll let him know you picked a witch,” I poke.“Good luck.”
His eyes narrow but he can’t hide the apprehension behind them.He doesn’t want to believe I’m a witch, and I didn’t show him anything to prove that I actually am.Humans can’t sense magic the way witches and vampires can.I know there’s a part of him hoping, desperately, that I’m just being a pain in the ass and his brother can come in, hold me spellbound, and make me behave like a good girl.
But the joke is on him because witches cannot be held spellbound.
Devon just grunts and gets out of the car, slamming his door behind him.Real mature, buddy.I wait for the driver to open my door for me and then collect my things.We’re inside a garage, and all the windows are sealed off, keeping natural light at bay.The lights are on above us, and I look around.
The garage is big.Impressive, if you’re into cars, I suppose.There are two sports cars to my right and a G-Wagon to my left, along with a few motorcycles.Everything is tidy and the gray epoxy floor is clean enough to walk on with white socks.Devon has already gone inside, leaving the door ajar behind him.I turn around, memorizing everything so I can make my escape.I need to see where the driver puts the keys, since these new cars can’t be hot-wired.
He keeps them in his hand as we go inside, entering a mudroom.Even though I didn’t see the outside of the house, I know this place is big.Like multi-million dollar big.Everything is fancy and somewhat new, with the latest trends and color schemes.
It doesn’t scream vampire mafia house, but to each their own, I suppose.
We go through the mudroom into a hall that goes past a huge kitchen with a white, quartz island counter that is bigger than any bed I’ve ever slept on, and go up a back staircase.I’m taking mental notes of every single door and window, though they are all sealed off for the day with heavy metal blinds.They look like they roll up automatically at night, and would be something fitting for any of thePurgemovies.
I’m not getting out of here easily.Though just because something is hard doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be attempted.
“This is your room,” the driver tells me when we get to the end of a second story hall.“What you need for the night has been provided.”He gives me a curt nod and steps aside, expecting me to just walk in.“It’s easier if you just listen,” he adds softly when I don’t move.“You can’t fight the Malus family.”
“Right,” I say and step inside.Gia would love this room.It’s the “clean girl" aestheticshe’s always going on and on about.The walls are painted a soft ivory and the bedspread is crisp and white, accented with pink throw pillows and a pink folded blanket at the foot.There’s a vanity next to the bed with several Sephora bags on top, and the closet is open just enough for me to see girly dresses hanging inside.
Hell to the no.
The rest of the room is just as thoughtfully laid out and decorated, from the attached bathroom to the mini fridge under a little bar area.It’s giving modern daylocked in the tower, complete with bars on the window.But hey, at least I can look outside.
“Thanks,” I tell the driver right before he closes—and locks—the door.Itiseasier for humans to just shut up and listen to the vampires.But I’m no human, and I’m going to give these motherfuckers a run for their money.
CHAPTER6
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I let out a slow breath.Part of me wants to cry.Another part wants to channel an 80s rockstar and trash this room.But I don’t do either.Instead, I take another slow breath and rely on the decades of training I’ve put in so I can get out of any type of situation.
Only…running away from this house isn’t going to solve my problem.
I just looked over the papers Devon gave me and I’m struggling to even think right now.Centuries ago, the Order made a deal with a group of vampires: every twenty-five years, the Order gives the vampires a female.In exchange, this particular family of vampires will leave the Order alone.
The Order doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, so to speak.Which makes me wonder just how big and bad the Malus family is?And what the fuck do they want with a female…every twenty-five years?I can’t make sense of it.
I look around, trying to come up with some sort of plan.First thing, I need to know the layout of the land.I should get up and look out the window.See if the walls are drywall or plaster.Use magic to unlock the door.Do a sweep for hidden cameras or bugs.
But I don’t, and I cannot for the life of me get my feet to move.Or even my hands.All I can do is sit here, clench my jaw, and try not to let my emotions get the best of me.Because crying won’t do a damn thing, but fuck, this sucks.
It’s a feeling I think everyone knows all too well: the gut-wrenching pain of betrayal along with the absolute confusion of having your sense of safety ripped away.The people you thought you could count on, whose word you took at face value were lying the whole time.It’s an identity crisis on top of soul-crushing heartbreak.
It’s enough to make you question how you can even go on.
If I escape, where do I go?Back to the family I thought loved me but were actually just looking out for themselves the whole time?I have so much to ask them and I never thought I’d have to go through a breakup from my parents.
I’d be on my own, and I’m resourceful enough to figure things out.Though…would I always be on the run?Not just from the vampires, but from the Order?I can’t imagine the vamps would keep their end of the bargain if their willing sacrifice wasn’t willing.
Is that what I am?A sacrifice?None of this makes sense.Vampires, by law, aren’t supposed to kill a human, just like how humans can’t kill humans and just get away with it.But of course, that still happens, and a lot of humans don’t want to look the statistics in the eye and admit humans kill way more humans than vampires do.
Feeling like I might go crazy, I force myself up and look around the room.There are locks on the outside of the door, and the hinges are reinforced.The bars on the window are deeply embedded into the wall and aren’t something I could easily rip out.This house is new, so the walls are drywall and not too difficult to break through, but what I’ll see on the other side is the real question.
Whoever lived here last was petite and obviously liked pink.In another life, this could have been my vibe.Actually, I never really stopped to think about it too much, but I might have a Pinterest board labeledIn Another Lifefull of pins of big, white kitchens, cozy living rooms, and maybe even a wedding dress or two.I’ve been raised like a warrior but I still see the world passing around me.
Sometimes I’m jealous of the blissfully ignorant people, worried about mundane things like being gossiped about.Other times, I feel bad for them.They’re missing out on what’s really going on around them as well as not knowing how to protect themselves.Not just against demons and monsters, but against other humans, too.
Which is why I know I need to try and get some rest.I’ve been up for nearly twenty-four hours and while I feel like I could fight every vampire in this house, I know what happens when you don’t get enough sleep.Reaction time slows.Rational thinking goes out the window.It takes longer to heal and recover.And I don’t think I can afford to risk anything right now.
