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I walk closer to the cell, working hard to keep my footsteps light and soundless.
“Who are you?”
She throws her head back, cackling. Bash jerks, but remains asleep.
“Who am I?” she jeers, spearing me with her inhumanly black eyes. “Who are you, is the better question.” Her nose crunches and her teeth grind together. She’s frightening.
“Why are you here?” My voice quakes, fear winding up my body, squeezing the life out of me.
“I’m trapped,” she grits through her teeth. “They’re keeping me here, forcing me to drink cow’s blood.” She hauls off and spits in Bash’s direction.
My nose wrinkles in disgust at her gross behavior, but I don’t question why she’s mad. Being caged is horrible. At this moment, though, I’m glad for it. This vampire is nothing like Julian and Katina. No. This one would rip out my throat and drain my body of its blood.
Why would Julian be keeping such a creature here?
“What are you doing down here?” Katina’s taut voice from behind catches me off guard.
“Gah,” I screech, whirling around in fright. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“You stupid, stupid girl,” she says, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the cell and back through the door.
“Everything all right out there, K?”
“Fine,” she barks. “Close the damn door, Bash.”
She points a bony finger toward the stairs, directing me to move. I do as instructed, feeling thoroughly scolded. I was caught snooping around in an area I was warned never to be in. I stumbled upon a vampire prisoner. What will Julian say?
My quick steps have me well ahead of Katina, but she’s gaining ground.
“Stop right there, Marina.”
I pause, refusing to turn back to look at her. I’m embarrassed and a little shaky.
“What were you thinking going down there?”
I slowly turn to find Katina appearing concerned. It’s better than the rage I saw moments ago.
“She was screaming. I heard it from the library and followed the sound,” I say honestly.
“There are reasons you are not to go in certain areas, Marina. For your safety, you should’ve listened.”
“Maybe if someone had told me what was down there, I wouldn’t have felt inclined to snoop.” I glare back at Katina.
That’s not entirely true. I had been warned, but I won’t tell Katina that.
She sighs heavily, not looking fond of having this talk with me.
“There are some things you are best not knowing. Being in the dark is not always a bad thing, Marina.”
I myself have said those words in the past, but the truth is, those days are gone. The right to live my life in the dark was stripped from me. If I have to be aware that the things of nightmares roam the Earth, then everything else should pale in comparison.
“It sounded like humans being held captive in the dungeon. They had me questioning Julian.”
She scoffs. “Julian would never do something like that. It’s the entire reason the Council is all over his back. If they had any idea that he had you running free around his father’s estate, they’d drag him out of here.
“But why are there vampires locked in cells? Have they broken some vampire law?”
“No, silly girl, they’ve broken no vampire laws.” She rolls her eyes like I’m the biggest idiot she’s ever met. “They are new bites. With the new bite comes thirst. Julian is trying to help them control it.”
